business card

[Niklas Bjornestal]

I'm trying to design som new business cards and wonder if anyone has any good ideas for the design.

[Scott Erwin]

Anyone that would like to help is going to need more information.

What is the business you are in, what information do you want, do you have a logo that you want to use, etc....

Need more information just to start thinking/helping you out....

[Ben Galluzzo]

Well, here's just one idea. Years ago I was at a craft show and was browsing the display of bandsawn boxes by one vendor. He gave me his business card which was basically a fine shaving of wood. I know it had to be expensive, but after several years, I still have it around.

[Rick Hutcheson]

Got to a trade show and get everyone's cards. Then sit down and look through them to find what you like.
Make them on 24kt gold and nobody will lose them either.

[Scott Erwin]

Got to a trade show and get everyone's cards. Then sit down and look through them to find what you like.
Make them on 24kt gold and nobody will lose them either.


I'll take one dozen of those cards when you get them printed up...
heck dont worry about printing them, I'll just take the blanks to save you printing costs....

[Gary Hair]

I have regular paper business cards that I hand out to "everyone" and I also have some 24 ga stainless steel cards that I marked with Cermark - those go to my "special" prospects. It's a great way to distinguish myself from everyone else and it gives them a sample of the work I can do. If you want something less expensive, try lasering some veneer, same idea but a fraction of the cost.

Gary

[Dennis Brooker]

I'm the guy who makes and sells wood business cards so keep that in mind when you read my reply - The biggest problem I have in dealing with customers is that they want to put IMHO WAY to much info on their card so that the all of the info winds up being in such a small font most of it is barely readable unless you carry a magnifying glass - I know that in this day and age we all have cell phones, websites, blood types, email etc. but if the info is so packed together and so small then the card looses it's effect to be easily read and remembered even if it is made from wood veneer :) - IMHO as far as the design goes keep it neat, clean and simple with no more info than is needed and stay away from the cliche clipart - I have designed some cards that had no more than the persons name and phone number and that was all - I've also had people want me to design a logo for their business and the first thing I ask is do you want a good one or a cheap one and the same applies to having someone design a business card - I'm sure all of you run into the same situation when bidding almost any kind of job - Finally something to consider is the sentence I have on my webpage for the wood cards is "In this economy can you afford to hand out cards that won't be remembered?" - Sorry for the long post - Just trying to offer some food for thought - Dennis Brooker

[David Fairfield]

I like this one. Add water, put it on the windowsill and alfalfa grows out of it :)

http://www.alrdesign.com/blog/uploaded_images/anotherbloomindesigner2-749327.jpg

If you use google images and search under "business card design" you will find many examples of very clever cards.

Dave

[David Fairfield]

Click here: How to Make business cards - Instructables search Instructables (http://www.instructables.com/tag/?q=business+cards&limit%3Atype%3Aid=on&type%3Aid=on&type%3Auser=on&type%3Acomment=on&type%3Agroup=on&type%3AforumTopic=on&type%3AforumTopic=on&sort=none)

Have fun browsing this business card insanity! :)

Dave

[Tim Bateson]

I had made my first couple runs with maple wood veneer. I was unimpressed with the finished look and how fragile the cards were (I still have a couple hundred blanks). All of the other good (finished) wood veneers I've found have a sticky back to them. So where do I find affordable wood veneer?
I'm currently printing on business card stock.

[Adam Orton]

Long time reader first time poster. I bought wooden bizcards from Lee Valley.. I am going to say they are maple and the price is right, 100 for 3.50 Canadian.. As I am so new to the laser they have been great to use as my tester pieces.. The price is certainly right.

adam

Epilog Mini 24, 45 watt with rotary attachment and a snazzy hepa filter/blower Old skool Coreldraw (10) old Paint Shop (8) but new Photograv.. One day I will tell the tale of how I got into this hobby..

[David Fairfield]

http://www.lifeclever.com/584-ways-to-design-a-business-card/

Like the title says 584 designs here, I like the clothespin! lol :D

Dave

[John Noell]

I have made cards from the 0.8mm ply for a contractor. I've also made limited runs of cards using Rowmark flexibrass with intricate designs cut out. The material can add a lot but as Dennis points out, the design is CRITICAL. It's hard to make a thousands words in the limited space on a business card memorable no matter what the material is.

[Nancy Laird]

I make our business cards from 1/32" Finland birch ply - very sturdy and attention-getters. The ply needs to be finished first (lacquer), then it's lasered and then wiped down with wax for wooden floors to remove any smoke and flare. Every time I give one to someone, there are several others asking for a card.

You can see a picture of our card here: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=44283. This thread shows the older card; we've since updated to contain our fax number, but all other elements remain the same.

[Dee Gallo]

I like to use colored mat board, which is more substantial than regular cardstock, but not as expensive as wood, plus having color is nice. People really like the cutout I use (thanks to Barb McD for the idea) which shows what a laser can do, plus is very unusual (memorable).

I just made 200 for someone and he was very happy to pay $1.50 each. He wanted very distinctive cards to use in addition to "regular" cards. He was paying $200 for 250 for the plain cards he got somewhere else, so it was not that big of a jump in price for him, in his opinion, for what he was getting. People who really want something are willing to pay for it!

The design was fairly simple: name, phone, email and 2 logos. The board was $8 per sheet and I got all 200 out of 2 boards with scrap left over.

cheers, dee

[Steve Clarkson]

What was the design Dee? Was it in a previous thread?

[Angus Hines]

How do you cut your SS cards? or do you buy them already sized?




I have regular paper business cards that I hand out to "everyone" and I also have some 24 ga stainless steel cards that I marked with Cermark - those go to my "special" prospects. It's a great way to distinguish myself from everyone else and it gives them a sample of the work I can do. If you want something less expensive, try lasering some veneer, same idea but a fraction of the cost.

Gary

[Dee Gallo]

Steve-

Check out this htread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=81280&highlight=business+cards

My card is on there along with a lot of other ideas for you to ponder.

cheers, dee

[Steve Clarkson]

Dee,

I remember that thread, I just didn't see anything on there that flipped my lid. Rodney had a few cool ones and I've tried the Trotec one (didn't work as well as I hoped). I was just wondering what shape you picked that showed the power of the laser.

[Dee Gallo]

Steve,

I don't think the shape you choose to cut out is the most important thing - as long as it is a nice shape that doesn't make the card too flimsy (ie: not too close to the edge or too big). Even an interesting outside edge would do the trick. It is just the wow factor of something not plain and rectangular that gets people's attention and a more classy substrate than white cardstock.

Most business cards are so cheap looking and poorly designed that almost anything you do will look better. Nobody is going to forget a custom-cut card, whether it's die-cut or laser-cut.

I think an acrylic card would be a real standout. I carry a small piece of acrylic in my purse because I'm addicted to sticky notes and acrylic is perfect to stick notes on. So the piece I carry has a photo engraved on it, which has come in handy many times when talking to people.

Lately I've been asked by people about calling cards. Not for business, but for swapping digits with friends, since so many people have phone, cell, fax, email, website, oovoo, skype, etc. numbers and nobody carries a pen and paper anymore.

[Steve Clarkson]

Rectangles are BORING!!!!!! I want something........more......

I think the calling card idea is great!

[Andrea Weissenseel]

This is how I did mine. The front is cut out of flock and then heat pressed on golden chromolux cartonboard. I engraved the information on the back of the card, the engraving also has a golden touch

In real they look much better than on my photograph because cameras and me - we don't really get along very well :rolleyes:

Andrea

[Mike Null]

Andrea

Guten tag!

Your work is very very nice. Maybe you could show us a little more about how you make them.

[Scott Shepherd]

We do our own custom cards as well, in many different variations. One thing I would advise people to consider is that a lot of people put business cards in some form of binder or system. If your card does not fit in that, they will throw it away, no matter how special it is. While it's great to be unique, it can also be important to fit in. If they are looking through their book of 100's of cards and your card stands out, that's what it's meant to do. However, if they are looking through 100's of cards and your card is in an extra drawer with junk piled all over it because it wouldn't fit, then you aren't standing out.

My advice is to not conform, but make sure you conform ;)

[Steve Clarkson]

This is how I did mine. The front is cut out of flock and then heat pressed on golden chromolux cartonboard. I engraved the information on the back of the card, the engraving also has a golden touch

In real they look much better than on my photograph because cameras and me - we don't really get along very well :rolleyes:

Andrea

Andrea,

I love that idea....it looks very nice. I'll have to try that one today.

That's OK.....my new camera and I don't get along either.....I think it's mad that I still have a thing for my old camera........

Oh.....and Scott.......just so you know......I'm a non-conforming conformist.

[Dennis Brooker]

Andrea's card is a very neat, clean, elegant and all around well done design - DB

[Andrea Weissenseel]

Thank you very much for your comments :)

I'm really into that flock material at the moment. When I make them, I make 24 of them at a time. I use a regular size of businesscards (8,5x5,5cm)

First I set up one card in Corel with a rectangle in that size for alignment purposes. When using just fonts the lines are getting too delicate (since you have to remove the inner parts later) I set an outer contur to the letters. Then I duplicate it and arrange it 4x6, after that I draw just an outer box for all of them - the small rectangles can be removed then (the cards will be cut at the end when its heat pressed). The back of the card I do the same way, this is just engraved on a chromolux cartonboard. The text for the flock material has to be mirrored since it will be cut from the back.

After cutting the flock you just pick out the inner parts, so you just have like a negative of the drawing. Now I have 2 large pieces with 24 cards on each - one out of flock material and one on cartonboard. With a heat press the cartonboard and the flock are glued together and the single cards a then cut.

I dont think this is an item to be sold, because it is "fizzely" :D work, so I just make them for my business - but it is probably one of those which are not thrown away so easily.

I hope this is understandable (it would have been a lot easier for me in German - but I think more of you understand it in English :D )

Andrea

[Mike Null]

Andrea

Thank you for your expanation. Your English is very good. My step-daughter who lives not far from you in Koln is coming here in June to study English. Hers is not as good as yours.

[George Brown]

Andrea, what would happen if you glued the solid flock to the backing and then lasered away the fuzz where the letters go?

[Frank Corker]

Andrea lovely work on the cards. If you are having problems photographing them, drop them on your scanner, it's effectively a camera with no flash!