# How to make business cards



## Nabisco (May 18, 2007)

I was wondering what program or software you use to make business cards at home?


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## houskamp (Sep 14, 2006)

any word processor works well.

I happen to use word perfect but I belive all the majors can do a great job of it..


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## Nabisco (May 18, 2007)

any certain way to do it?


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

Are you doing graphics and text or just text?
I do the graphics and text in Photoshop and then insert the image into the Word Templates.
Or at least I used to, before I found an online printing house that could do them cheaper than I could the stock and mess with it.

http://www.vistaprint.com/


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

A self-printed 'micro-perf' business card will always look _and_ feel second-rate. If a cheap, throwaway business card is your goal, go ahead. But if a top-rate design-it-yourself product that makes a good first impression is essential to your business, then go to www.vistaprint.com for a quality. low-cost low cost solution of which you can be proud.

You'll thank me later.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

Vista plasters their name all over the back of your cards. I guess if you don't mind advertising for them while trying to run your business, go for it. With any printing service, you get "X" amount, all the same and have to wait for delivery.

When you print your own, you can print 10, 20, 50 or 5 at a time. You can change them at will, print on different paper, add or delete graphics and have the new version in seconds.

I believe Avery still has free, dowloadable software for cards and labels.


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## dmurphy (Sep 28, 2006)

jdogg said:


> I was wondering what program or software you use to make business cards at home?


I never bothered.

Staples charges $20 for 1,000 cards..... seemed like a good deal to me for pro-grade cards.

http://www.staples.marktheworld.com/products.asp?prod=business_cards


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## Sharkie_Fan (Sep 26, 2006)

Nick said:


> A self-printed 'micro-perf' business card will always look _and_ feel second-rate. If a cheap, throwaway business card is your goal, go ahead. But if a top-rate design-it-yourself product that makes a good first impression is essential to your business, then go to www.vistaprint.com for a quality. low-cost low cost solution of which you can be proud.
> 
> You'll thank me later.


I agree with the first part, Nick.... If someone comes into my office and gives me a card they printed on their home computer, it's probably going to find it's way to the round file without even looking at what they're selling.

As to vistaprint.... You get what you pay for.  Those online places are making their money by doing hundreds of small orders a day.. often times ganging your job with several others. The goal is to get the job done as quickly as possible and have them all look "OK". You might get what you're looking for, or you might not. I've seen dozens of jobs done at those online outfits that look OK. I've seen just as many that look like somebody slapped them together with their eyes closed! One designer I know tried 4 times to get his business cards printed at an online store before he finally came into our shop. He paid more, but he got exactly the result he was looking for.

So, if you're particular about the look and feel, those online places can be a crapshoot. If you go to a local printer, generally, each job is run as it's own job. So you pay a little more, but the focus is on making each project look exactly the way the customer is envisioning it.

My recommendation. If you want to print them at home, do so on whatever nice paper stock you can find. Then find a small local commercial printer in your area and ask them to cut the cards for you. Avoid the pre perfed cards at all costs, IMO.

Even better is to find a small local commercial printer (Not Kinkos) and see what they can do for you. IMO, you'll thank yourself in the long run.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

SayWhat? said:


> Vista plasters their name all over the back of your cards.


They didn't do that with mine.
Mine are blank. No ads or anything. Blank.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

Sharkie_Fan said:


> Even better is to find a small local commercial printer (Not Kinkos) and see what they can do for you.


I've got one two blocks from my house.
At 6X Vista's price, they're not going to be getting my business.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Nick said:


> A self-printed 'micro-perf' business card will always look _and_ feel second-rate.


I made some business cards when I attended CES and they were great. I think I gave one to Smiddy (and maybe rich) so if he sees this he can give his opinion, but IMO, I couldn't tell the difference between my real business cards and the ones I bought from Staples for $15 and then printed. They were textured, heavy stock with clean edges, and if I do say so myself, a fantastic design. Spent about 30 minutes on them.


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## Nabisco (May 18, 2007)

Thanks guys!!! Just placed my order with vistaprint.com, made my own custom design for what i think is a fair price! cant wait to get them... tired of writing my number on the work order, which they rarely call back!!! i think the cards will be a great tool!


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

SayWhat? said:


> Vista plasters their name all over the back of your cards. It's not exactly plastered all over the back. I guess if you don't mind advertising for them while trying to run your business, go for it.


 You tend to exaggerate just a tad, don't you?

It's true that VistaPrint (VP) prints a small halftone logo on the back of their 'free' cards, but what do you expect for nothing? If you're too damn cheap to cough up a few bucks to spring for a first-class product with a blank reverse, then that's _your_ problem.

Even Woody Allen knows that, in life, you get what you pay for.*

I've used VP many times and, in my professional opinion, VistaPrint pricing is fair and reasonable, and when you pay actual money you get a plain back, or the cordial message of your choice. The reverse of my VP business card reads _"Thank you for your business."_ in a tasteful grayscale half-tone.

Let me give you a little "free" advice, my frugal friend: In life, you get what you pay for, there's no such thing as a free lunch, and except for mine, advice is usually worth what you pay for it.

* _"I've had sex for money and I've had sex for free. Sex for money is cheaper."_ - Woody Allen


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

jdogg said:


> Thanks guys!!! Just placed my order with vistaprint.com, made my own custom design for what i think is a fair price! cant wait to get them... tired of writing my number on the work order, which they rarely call back!!! i think the cards will be a great tool!


I've used Vistaprint in the past, and they worked out to be just fine.


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Mine are from uprinting.com ... Great looking cards.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

I designed my own in Photoshop and print and cut myself using glossy HP paper. Now, if only the cards generated more business.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

The only time I ever had any professionally done... I drew them up myself in Adobe Illustrator and then took the source to a local Office Depot store and had them make them from my design source.

I've seen some newer home-printing business card stock that says perf-free, but I haven't tried any of those yet if you wanted to make some on a budget.


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## funhouse69 (Mar 26, 2007)

I'd stay as far away as possible from Vista but that is me... They've been in trouble for some of their practices. 

I've been using OvernightPrints.com for years... You can make your cards right online and they are reasonable and their quality is excellent. 

As mentioned you get what you pay for and I would stay away from making them at home unless you are only handing them out to friends or something.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

I print my own on the Avery non-perf stock. They come out well, although I do wish the stock was a little heavier. I end up printing on both sides as I usually put a coupon or special on the reverse side. By printing myself, I get to print out a few at a time and can change up the back whenever I want.

- Merg


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

I always liked Jim Rockford's methods myself.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I'd recommend hiring a trained professional and getting quality work. There is a difference.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I'd recommend hiring a trained professional and getting quality work. There is a difference.


I think it depends upon the training and the professional... I've worked with lots of fellow technical writers and illustrators over the years, being one myself... and I have to say first hand that it's like any other profession. Some people care and are good at what they do... others are just there to punch the clock.

Knowing what I know from the other side of the fence, I unfortunately can't make the wholesale "always go to professionals" like I might do with some other professions.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

I hired a "trained, professional" interior designer to do the layout of the house that I rebuilt here. He came recommended by a local real estate agent. I paid him to do the plans and when I received them I had to highly modify them to make them acceptable. I pretty much tossed them and started over using my own basic (very) CAD system. The fellow had no clue of sight lines, yet he has been doing interior layouts for many years. Many "trained professionals" don't have a clue.  Anyone wanna buy a house?


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Sorry, gents, while I agree that there are plenty of so-called designers who aren't worth the money, you're not going to convince me that an amateur can create graphic designs to rival a career professional. 

The day that my skills can really be supplanted by a machine or web page is the day I retire.


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## houskamp (Sep 14, 2006)

To me it depends on what the buisness is.. If it's a design type buisness you need a very nice, well thought out card.. if it's a trade type buisness then a basick text card works fine..


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Stuart Sweet said:


> Sorry, gents, while I agree that there are plenty of so-called designers who aren't worth the money, you're not going to convince me that an amateur can create graphic designs to rival a career professional.
> 
> The day that my skills can really be supplanted by a machine or web page is the day I retire.


I wasn't speaking of you and your skills.. just the notion of always trusting a "trained professional" without checking their actual work experience.

There are lots of folks out there with credentials and experience who really aren't very good... but enough people think they are better than a completely unskilled person, that they earn a living and get by on their poor skills.

I can guarantee if you met some of the people I've worked with, you'd share my opinion about their "trained professional" status not meaning very much once you see their actual work.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

I've known a lot of 'trained professionals' that couldn't find their own butt cheeks with both hands, but I don't know what that has to do with business cards.


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