{"id":5746,"date":"2013-10-31T10:18:23","date_gmt":"2013-10-31T14:18:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.123print.com\/?p=5746"},"modified":"2015-07-17T19:17:12","modified_gmt":"2015-07-17T19:17:12","slug":"10-business-card-design-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.123print.com\/blog\/10-business-card-design-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Business Card Design Mistakes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"10<\/a><\/p>\n

Designing your first custom business card? Getting ready to recorder a more swanky version of your current business card? Don\u2019t give your business cards the opportunity to be ineffective before you even hand the first one out. Read on for 10 common mistakes people make when designing their personalized business cards.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Font Choice<\/span>
\nDon\u2019t go font crazy \u2013 pick one font, and stick with it. Also, avoid fonts that mimic handwriting as they will make your business card more difficult to read than others that have standard, typeset fonts.<\/p>\n

2. Font Size<\/span>
\nNot too big, not too small \u2013 justtttt right.<\/p>\n

3. Whitespace<\/span>
\n\"123Print<\/a>Contrary to what many believe, whitespace is a good thing. Whitespace can help draw the eye to what\u2019s important at first glance, such as your name or contact information. Filling your entire business card with words or images will make it look too cluttered, even if it looks good to you. Something good to remember? Don\u2019t make people have to stop and think when they\u2019re reading your card \u2013 just let them read it. Even if your company has hit some amazing milestones as of late, you\u2019ve earned some noteworthy certifications, you have some important dates coming up \u2013 refrain from including them as this will deter people from even reading your business card. If you must, consider using a double-sided business card and putting that info on the back.<\/p>\n

4. Contrast<\/span>
\nLimit your color palette when creating your business card, as having too many colors can decrease your card\u2019s readability. Also, make sure that the color of your text contrasts with the color of your background. No blue on red or anything like that \u2026 ick!<\/p>\n

5. Group Similar Things Together<\/span>
\nThe traditional way that business card info is presented has been around forever \u2013 so why try to reinvent the wheel? People will know where to look for the info they need. As innovative as it may look to have your name in one corner, phone number in a second corner, your email in a third corner, etc., this will make your business card confusing! Try to keep your information in this standard order and your card will be much easier to read:<\/p>\n

Name
\nTitle
\nCompany
\nContact Info<\/p>\n

6. Remove Uncertainty<\/span>
\nIf you\u2019re going to list, for example, a phone number and a fax number, make sure each one is labeled. If your company does business internationally, make sure you add the country code to your phone numbers, and list the country with your address. Never make it hard for people to contact you.<\/p>\n

7. Be Mindful of Social Icons<\/span>
\nI know it sounds silly, but just because a Facebook icon is easily clickable online, this does not translate to your paper business card! People are still just putting the Facebook or Twitter icons on their card, without listing the corresponding URLs. It\u2019s great to let people know you\u2019re on Facebook, but make sure they can find you!<\/p>\n

8. Use Your LinkedIn Public URL<\/span>
\nWhen providing a link to your professional LinkedIn profile, a mistake many people make is copying and pasting the URL straight from the URL bar \u2013 a format that generally looks something like http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/profile\/view?id=96313089&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile<\/span>. Instead, look on your actual LinkedIn profile for your public profile URL, located underneath your picture. This URL will be much more user-friendly, and will look something like www.linkedin.com\/in\/erinschwartz<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\"Erin<\/p>\n

9. Unusual Shapes and Sizes<\/span>
\nHaving a unique shape to your business card may be appropriate for some industries (i.e. creative industries) but for many, having a standard, 3.5\u201d x 2\u201d card will suffice. If you want your card to stick out while keeping standard dimensions, try a raised-ink business card<\/a> for a sophisticated look and feel!<\/p>\n

10. Company Logo<\/span>
\nUnless your work for a Fortune 100 company, chances are people won\u2019t be able to recognize your business just by looking at its logo. If your logo doesn\u2019t clearly<\/i> state your company\u2019s name, make sure it is listed either above or below.<\/p>\n

Can you think of any other common business card mistakes people make? Let us know in the comments below, on our Facebook<\/a> page or tweeting @123Print.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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