Business
Cards
Are you looking for business cards ? Business cards are
an essential part of a marketer's arsenal. When you hand
someone your business card, they will form an opinion about
your company. How you design your business card, and the
quality with which it is printed, matter a great deal. Your
business card does more than tell people how to find you.
It says something about who you are. It says something about
your company- its mission, its culture, and its goals. Everything
from the colors you select to the fonts you choose to the
texture, shade, and gloss of the paper you print on says
something about you.
The Business Card
Business cards generally consist of a single card stock
sheet with an individual's contact information, including
name, company name, and company address, phone, fax, email,
and website address. Don't make the mistake of trying to
cram every bit of contact information onto your business
card. If you need to include a great deal of information,
use the back side of the card as well.
Paper Stock, Business Cards Size, and Colors
Most business cards are printed on 100-lb. glossy, professional
white or off-white stock. This is generally the least expensive
option. Many business choose to use specialty stocks to
give their business cards extra flair.
Choose your stock carefully. The stock you choose can say
as much about you and your company as the words the business
card contains. You can choose a vivid, eye-catching color,
a subtle textured stock, or stock with high recycled content,
among others. Each type of paper makes a statement about
you and your company.
The most common business card size is 2" x 3.5".
We recommend that you stick with a standard size due to
the fact that many business card scanners and business card
holders are made to fit this size.
Over the last several years - full color has become much
less expensive. Since the vast majority of cards are printed
in black ink on white card stock, adding color is a very
simple way to make your card stand out. Color doesn't mean
you have to spend a lot of money. Printing in colored ink
on colored card stock can be very economical if full color
is not an
Things to Avoid
If you put a picture on your business card - make sure
it has an up-to-date picture.
Watch out for free business card offers on the web. As
this offer sounds very compelling these cards often have
a logo or text on the back saying that "This is a free
business card - to get yours at ...(go to some company)".
This looks very unprofessional if you plan to hand out your
cards in a business type atmosphere. We recommend that you
go ahead and spend a little money to get a card that does
not say free on the back!
We do not recommend making your own business cards as this
process is often time consuming and can be expensive (ink
and card stock). In addition, people bly dislike receiving
cards with rough edges (made from the blank stock purchased
at office supply stores) They are often perceived as cheap
and unprofessional. The price of printed business cards
has come down considerable in the last few years. You can
get a much more professional card at a very low rate by
having a professional print shop make your business cards.
LetterHead Design Packages & Tips
For many businesses, a great letterhead package, with stunning
business cards, is the most critical of marketing materials.
Along with an effective logo, a letterhead package lends
credibility and respectability to the business it represents.
Want to make a great impression? Want to look like you’ve
been in business for many years? Start with a convincing
letterhead package and business cards.
Making a Good Impression
All the marketing materials you produce for your business
should sell for you. That includes letters and business
cards. Sometimes your business card is the only impression
a potential customer has of your business before they contact
you. A first rate business package, including your letterhead,
business cards and envelopes, should make it easy for your
prospect to understand what you do, the quality and value
your business offers.
Cost
Looking for embossing, four color or foil on your letterhead
package? These special treatments look beautiful and make
a spectacular impression. If you’re looking to make
a great impression, but you don’t have such deep pockets,
there are many ways to trim costs back. Standard two color
letterheads and business cards can be affordable and striking.
Are you a start-up? We can make you look like a seasoned
veteran. Are you seeking a new corporate image to match
your success. When Marketing Impressions designs your new
look, everyone will sit up and take notice.
Design
There are a countless ways to lay out your letterhead, envelopes
and business cards. Want a look that is fresh and innovative?
We can do it. Looking for a conservative corporate image
with flair? We can do it. Is quirky and creative your style?
We can do it. No matter what your look, consider an inventive
approach to your business card. Two sided, fold over and
mini-brochure business cards are both cost effective and
stand out from the crowd.
Getting Started
Once we have submitted and you have accepted our estimate,
we will begin the layout process. Marketing Impressions
has a time-tested, tried and true secret method for determining
your letterhead package style preferences. This means you
won’t be dependent on imprecise descriptions of your
vision. After all, our job is to take your vision from the
abstract to the concrete, from an idea to reality. We know
how to do this in such a way that we are sure to hit the
mark and give you layout proofs you love.
Custom Envelopes
Envelopes
Commercial business envelopes come in several standard sizes
and are normally expressed by a number such as #9 or #10.
See the chart below for a list of the most common sizes.
Most business envelopes are manufactured using 16 lb. to
40 lb. paper stock. Personal envelopes are also available
in a wide variety of sizes and colors.
Commercial Envelope Measurements
Commercial business envelopes sizes are often referenced
by a number such as #9 or #10. The chart below includes
all of the most common types used by printers today.
Size Width x Length
#6 1/4 3 1/2" x 6"
#6 3/4 3 5/8 x 6 1/2"
#7 3 3/4" x 6 3/4"
#7 3/4 3 7/8" x 7 1/2"
#8 5/8 3 5/8" x 8 5/8"
#9 3 7/8" x 8 7/8"
#10 4 1/8" x 9 1/2"
#11 4 1/2" x 10 3/8"
#12 4 3/4" x 11"
#14 5" x 11 1/2"
Substance Weights for Envelopes
16 lb. Used for overseas air mail
envelopes.
20 lb. Used for commercial envelopes
where strength and opacity is not a factor.
24 lb. Used for most open side official
and commercial envelopes.
28 lb. Used for most open and catalog
envelopes and large (i.e. 11, 12 and 14) size commercial
envelopes.
32 lb. Used for heavy duty envelopes
and clasp envelopes.
40 lb. Used for large envelopes,
heavy duty envelopes or envelopes used for storage and frequent
reference.
Envelope Types
Commercial - Commercial envelopes are normally
used for letterhead, invoices, statements, direct marketing
mailings, and reply mail. Come in cartons of 2500-5000.
Booklet - Booklet envelopes (open-sided
envelopes) are often used to mail annual reports, brochures,
sales literature and small documents. These types of envelopes
are normally used in high volume because they can be automatically
inserted. Come in cartons of 500-1000.
Catalog - Catalog envelopes are used to
mail catalogs, large booklets and other high weight articles.
Catalog envelopes (open-ended envelopes) do not have the
machine insert option. They are often hand packed. These
type of envelopes often include a metal clasp. Come in cartons
of 500-1000.
Invitation - Often used in formal occasions.
These types of envelopes are characterized by their pointed
flaps and enclosures. They can come with or without an embossed
(raised) border panel. Come in cartons of 2500-5000.
A Size - Announcements, small booklets,
brochures, less formal invitations, and promotional pieces.
These envelopes have a square flap and come in a wide range
of finishes and colors. What happens most often is enclosures
are produced custom to fit within the envelope. For this
reason they do not have raised panels. Come in cartons of
1000-2500.
Shipping/Packaging - These types of envelopes are typically
used for, guess what, shipping items.
These are the types that most envelope companies will offer:
Paperboard, Tyvek, Corrugated, Bubble, and Plastic.
Corporate Stationery Design
1 Double check contact details
If there is a typing error anywhere on your stationery design,
you really don't want it in your phone number or
address. Triple check the contact details and then triple
check them again.
2 Print business card names in one colour
Names and individual contact information on business cards
should be in one spot colour (or black of using full colour
printing). This makes it much cheaper to change when the
company changes staff and need new business cards
3 Avoid unusual stylish dimensions and shapes
Printers are designed for standard sizes of paper. Envelopes
are designed for standard sizes of paper. Wallets are designed
for standard sizes of business card. Filing cabinets are
designed for standard sizes of paper. Need we go on?
4 Print it all together in one go
Arrange for all of your stationery to be printed at the
same time. Use the same colours throughout and spend much
less than if you produce it piecemeal. Also, your colours
will match from one piece of stationery to another.
5 Invest in good quality paper / card
For a comparatively small increase in cost, corporate stationery
can really stand out if it is produced on good quality paper
which will look and feel superior to the standard photocopier
paper.
6 But Specify laser safe stock
If corporate stationery is going to be used in a laser copier
then make sure that the paper used is suitable for this
purpose. Not all of the high quality papers are suitable
for laser printing.
7 More is less
If unsure of how much stationery is needed, make estimates
higher rather than lower. Once a print job is set up the
unit cost is relatively cheap. It can be expensive to rerun
a print job at a later date because you run out of stationery.
8 Cater to faxing
If you are planning to use letterheads for fax purposes
then reserve a space to print 'Fax Transmission' and other
fax details near the top.
9 Leave plenty of room for references
If letterheads include space for recipients' references,
plenty of room should be made available for the purpose.
Some company references can be fairly lengthy.
10 Design to Template
If the stationery is going to used with letter or fax templates
included in a Wordprocessor (such as those included with
Microsoft Word) then the design should fit the templates.
Research this first since it could save you time and money
in the future.
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