Business
Cards Business
Card Design
Add value to your Business Cards and turn them
into your Best Marketing Tool for your business.
Don't skimp.
Make sure your business card looks professional, that there
are no spelling errors, it's up to date and properly printed
on good quality paper. However good your inkjet printer,
home-made cards look just like that and seldom fit the bill.
If your business card screams "cheap", people
will expect your services to be the same. Plumb for decent
business cards and you'll attract better clients who are
willing to pay a fair price for your services.
Make sure your name is clearly visible on your business
cards.
Apart from making it easy for people to read, you can use
your business card to double as a name tag at networking
functions - a great way to get lots of mileage from your
investment.
Have your business name and logo design on the business
card The more unique and effective, the better.
Invest in having your logo design professionally designed.
It will cost comparatively about 300$ and you can use it
over and over again on everything from brochures and your
web site to presentations and adverts.
Add a Slogan, Strapline, Positioning statement -
add it to the front of your card.
Just one sentence (or partial sentence) telling people what
you are about. Here's an example: Nike - Just Do It ! (
Nike Slogans )
Ensure all your details are on the business cards.
Where possible, include your name, title if relevant, phone,
fax, email, web site and postal address. It's not necessary
to include your home address on your business cards unless
you expect clients to come to your premises. Adding the
words "by appointment only" or
"by appointment please" is appropriate if you
consult from home but don't want people dropping in unexpectedly.
Be smart - use your business cards as a mini-brochure.
It costs very little extra to print on the back (in black
if you want) - use this space to
highlight the biggest benefits of using your product or
service, add a teaser (e.g. ask me
how I can help you double your bottom line in six months),
list product lines or services
you offer, give some relevant tips or leave space for customised
information (e.g. write down the colour of the paint they
have chosen) or an appointment time. The more valuable you
make this to them, the longer they will keep your card and
the more they will refer back to it.
Use your business cards in smart ways to gain more
business
Here are just some ideas on getting more mileage from your
business card:
· wear
it as a nametag instead of the one handed to you at the
door of a function
· wear
it as a nametag when you visit customers and suppliers if
appropriate
· give
it out whenever the opportunity arises - if you want to
be subtle, ask for someone else's card first, then return
the favour by presenting them with one
of yours
· give
out more than one and inviting people to pass them on to
others
· where
appropriate, leave some with a related business (and perhaps
offering to do the same for them)
· pin
your business card on noticeboards, where appropriate
· always,
always have some with you.
· Oh,
and throw away those old ones in the bottom of your briefcase
!
· Checkout
our Affordable & Effective Logo Design and Stationery
Packages Click Here
LetterHeads 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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