business card info

[Frank Defert]

Hi Everyone,

I am getting ready to make up new business cards and am looking for your opinions.

My business is pretty much 2 dimensional. I do plastic signage, lamacoid and wood items boxes / urns. I could even have 2 cards, same graphics with different text depending on the product line.

So tell me what should I put on and not put on a business card?

The name of my business is Lighthouse Laserworks and I have a lighthouse image I would like to see on the card.

I was thinking 2 colours to make it stand out. Black graphics and red text on a white
card.

Basic stuff name, phone number and email.

I will also make the wow card with the laser from wood and laser thins to hand out selectively. The above cards are general handout cards.

Any comments and questions are greatly appreciated.

Frank

[Andrea Weissenseel]

IMHO you have already set it up yourself :) your graphic, your name and contact info is everything you need on your BC.

I would avoid red text, red is always a color that symbolizes danger and is often used for warning signs. I would play with colors of the paper and text/graphics, but that is a matter of taste. Making different BCs for different customers, is something I do also - cause I think if I give a card to a business that sells and repairs Porsches it will be better remembered if it's a clean metal like look than a squiggly, curly one.

Andrea

[Mike Null]

I use business cards as a matter of routine and attach them to every invoice and put them in every order besides handing them out as needed. I use low cost but attractive printed cards because of this. I've seen very attractive home made cards but have always deemed them to be too expensive.

[Cindy Rhoades]

I use wood business cards and have gotten a lot of business because they are unique and people love them. The also cna go through the wash and still remain in tact. People do not throw them away. I use a laminate that was given to me so cost was not a factor but I also figure if I have to pay for it I do make the cost back with increased business. I guess it is just personal preference and what is unusual for the area you will be marketing.

[Andrea Weissenseel]

I use business cards as a matter of routine and attach them to every invoice and put them in every order besides handing them out as needed.

That's what I do also, the other cards are only handed out selectively to special customers

[Rodne Gold]

Your Business card is often the first and often only impression folk get of you and your company , it really should be stunning and indicate EXACTLY what you do
I make my business card out of 0.6mm gold or silver flexibrass type material and laser engrave em and do some strategic cut outs. They never fail to elicit a WOW and are never discarded. They are VERY expensive to produce , but I dont care , often one decent order gained form em is more then enough to pay for the cards 100x over.
Here is a JPEG from the CDR file..you can see what info I include. the red is the cut lines. Here is one I did for my sister.

[john passek]

hi Rodney
Excuss my ignorance but what does the Pty stand for, I see it on both cards you posted.

[Rodne Gold]

Pty = Proprietary or Private (Pty.Ltd. = Private company in South Africa)

[Frank Defert]

Thanks to all for your replies.

Rodne .... great looking cards,

Andrea .... I thought I had all the ingredients of a great card, but something wasn't sitting well with me. As you pointed out my colour choice was off. That's why I asked for opinions and I thank you for yours. Now what colour to use ....

Frank

[Bill Cunningham]

With the newest printing technology, full colour business cards on 12-14 pt coated stock are as cheap as dirt now.. Very few printers actually print their own business cards anymore, and usually send them off to trade shops to be gang printed with other jobs which brings the wholesale cost way down.. One of my trade suppliers just bought a new indigo press, and his full colour trade price is now about what his single colour raised ink cards were before.. Full colour cards with images of some of your work will get noticed..