Business cards are printed on some form of card stock, the visual effect, method of printing, cost and other details varying according to cultural or organizational norms and personal preferences. The common weight of a business card may vary on your location. Generally, business cards are printed on stock that is 350g/m² (density), 100 lb. (weight), or 12pt (thickness).

High quality business cards without full-color photographs are normally printed using spot colors on sheet-fed offset printing presses. Some companies have gone so far as to trademark their spot colors (examples are UPS brown, Los Angeles Lakers‘ purple, and Tide’s orange). If a business card logo is a single color and the type is another color, the process is considered two color. More spot colors can be added depending on the needs of the card. With the onset of digital printing, and batch printing, it is now cost effective to print business cards in full color.

To simulate the “raised-print” effect of printing with engraved plates, a less-expensive process called thermography was developed that uses the application of a plastic powder, which adheres to the wet ink. The cards are then passed through a heating unit, which melts the plastic onto the card. Spot UV varnish onto matte laminate can also have a similar effect.

Full color cards, or cards that use many colors, are printed on sheetfed presses as well; however, they use the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) four-color printing process. Screens of each color overprinted on one another create a wide gamut of color. The downside to this printing method is that screened colors if examined closely will reveal tiny dots, whereas spot color cards are printed solid in most cases. Spot colors should be used for simple cards with line art or non-black type that is smaller than 5 points.

Some terminology in reference to full color printing:

• 4/0 – Full Color Front / No Print On Back
• 4/1 – Full Color Front / One color On reverse
• 4/4 – Full Color Front / Full Color Back

These names are pronounced as “four over zero,” “four over one,” or “four over four”.

A business card can also be coated with a UV glossy coat (offset-uv Printing). The coat is applied just like another ink using an additional unit on a sheetfed press. That being said, UV coats can also be applied as a spot coating – meaning areas can be coated, and other areas can be left uncoated. This creates additional design potential.

Business Cards can also be printed with a digital copier, which uses toner baked onto the surface of the card. Some industry leaders have begun avoiding the using the term copier in their literature, insisting their state-of-the-art machines are more like digital presses, than their office-oriented predecessors.

While some of the older office copiers may have had problems running heavy business card stock, the newest digital presses can print on stock as heavy as 80# to 100# cover stock, and 12 to 14 point stocks with ease.

UV coats, and other coatings such as Aqueous Coatings are used to speed manufacturing of the cards. Cards that are not dry will “offset” which means the ink from the front of one card will end up on the back of the next one. UV coatings are generally highly glossy but are more likely to fingerprint, while aqueous coatings are not noticeable but increase the life of the card. It is possible to use a dull aqueous coating on uncoated stock and get some very durable uncoated cards, and using UV coating or plastic lamination can also be applied to thicken thin stocked cards and make them more durable as well.

When cards are designed, they are given bleeds if color extends to the edge of the finished cut size. (A bleed is the extension of printed lines or colors beyond the line where the paper it is printed on will be cut.) This is to help ensure that the paper will cut without white edges due to very small differences in where the blade cuts the cards, and it is almost impossible to cut the cards properly without. Just being a hair off can result in white lines, and the blade itself will pull the paper while cutting. The image on the paper can also shift from page to page which is called a bounce, which is generally off by a hairline on an offset press, but can be quite large on lower end equipment such as a copier or a duplicator press. Bleeds are typically an extra ¹⁄₈ to ¹⁄₄ in to all sides of the card.

• Bleed Size: 3.75 × 2.25 in (¹⁄₈ in bleeds) (95.25 × 57.15 mm)
• Standard Cut Size: 3.5 × 2 in (89 × 51 mm)

Fold-over or “tent” cards, and side fold cards are popular as well. Generally these cards will fold to the standard size.

In today’s global marketplace, it is not uncommon for the cards to be printed with English on one side and the local language (if not English) on the other.

Wikipedia

I found an interesting article in Wikipedia about how the Japanese use business cards.  In Japan, a meishi is a business card. 

The presentation of meishi differs slightly from the western approach, in that it is a formal and standardized procedure.

A person is expected to present a business card upon meeting a new business partner. Business cards are kept in a leather case where they will not become warm or worn, both of which would be considered a sign of disrespect or thoughtlessness. The presenter holds the business card out with both hands and introduces him or herself by affiliation, position, and name. The card should be held at the bottom two corners using both hands, face up and turned so that it can be read by the person receiving the business card.

When receiving a business card, one should hold it at the top two corners using both hands. Placing one’s fingers over the name or other information is considered rude. Upon receiving the business card, one is expected to read the card over, noting name and rank, then thank the presenter saying “choudai-itashimasu” or “choudaishimasu”, and bow. A received business card should not be written on or placed in a pocket; it is considered proper to file the business card at the rear of the leather case. When meishi are being exchanged between parties with different status, such as between the president of a company and someone in middle management, it is proper that the person of lower status extend his or her business card so that it goes under or is at a lower level than that of the person in a high position. If the meishi is being presented at a table, the meishi you received is kept on top of your leather case while you talk. If several people are involved in the meeting and you have several meishi, the one with the highest rank is kept on the leather case, and the others beside on the table.

Given that the manner in which the recipient treats the presenter’s meishi is indicative of how the recipient will treat the presenter, thoughtless actions such as deliberately folding the business card in half, or placing the presenter’s meishi in one’s back pocket, are regarded as insults.

I have been reading some articles about business cards and if they are still important in today’s High Tech world.  The overwhelming census says: “YES!!” 

Here is one comment that I read:  I attended several events last week and was surprised at the number of people who do not have business cards.  It may be viewed as old fashioned in our virtual age, but business cards are an invaluable tool that anyone who wants to be remembered must have – and graciously share!   www.almostsavvy.com

Let’s face it, without a business card, your professionalism may take a downward bump when trying to network.  Several people use your business card to write down information about you and your company.  It’s hard to remember everything, and business cards make it easy for future clients to find your information or website, either now or sometime in the future.

So be wise and and make your own business cards today.

So you wanna be a graphic designer. High resolution photos, logos, designs are condition critical to your final printed piece. Be sure to do each of these 3 items before submitting your digital files.
1. Minimum resolution of 300 DPI
2. Convert to CMYK colorspace
3. All fonts outlined AND embedded
Follow these 3 simple guidelines and you will be thrilled with your full color printing from us.

If you are wanting to design your own business card, it is very important to know a few things before getting started. Click on our tab “Upload Your Image” – this will give you a template with the proper dimensions to start with. It will show you the “safe” areas, the “bleed” areas, and the “trim lines”. Follow this and it will save you stress and headaches, as well as saving you lots of time & money. The last thing you want to do is submit incorrect art files and have your order held up because of it. Happy designing & if you have any questions at all, feel free to email me personally at Chris@BiggPrint.com. I’ll be very happy to help answer any issues you may be having, and of course, free of charge.

Some of the new websites that let you make your own business cards are very good. But I think we have some unique options that you cannot find on other websites. With our business cards, you can make the font bigger or smaller and change the font. You can also change the layout of the card. Along with this you can upload your own image and make your business cards “one-of-a-kind”. Please let me know what you think about our new website. We will be adding new templates every week.