5 Business Card Printing Mistakes to Avoid

Business cards are great for spreading the word about your business, services and products you offer. If you are not careful, you could decrease your potential sales by making mistakes when you are printing your business cards. Here are five common, simple business card printing mistakes you need to avoid.

1. Artwork Bleeding

When you are printing your business cards, consider the bleed on your artwork. The ideal amount of bleed should be the equivalent of 3mm which is roughly 1/8 of an inch. Business card printing is known as hand-held printing. Other forms of hand-held printing include letterhead and posters. Another factor you need to consider when you are printing business cards is the font and size of the letters you use. Large font requires a significant amount of ink and bleed.

2. Background and Text

Background and text are primary instances of a business card. Business cards that have a black background have rules and guidelines that should be followed. People believe a black background is universal and all colors can be used, but this is a myth. Yellow, magenta and cyan are the worst colors to use on a black background. Using these colors on a black background will cause the font to appear blurry. Some people prefer a white background for a business card because it is plain and one of the best ways to showcase your creativity and create a business card worth using.

3. Learning the Basics

Whether you’re a professional or not, you need to know the basics. Printing errors can be expensive. Conversions are part of the basics, as well as knowing the difference between basic formats, including CMYK and RGB. These conversions are great when you are using digital media.

4. Grammatical and Spelling Errors

Grammatical and spelling errors are frequent business card printing errors that can easily be avoided, but are commonly made. It’s vital to your business to proofread and double-check the information on your business cards. Simple grammatical errors can cause potential customers to overlook your business or set your business card to the side. Grammatical errors can be pricey. Reprinting hundreds of business cards can cost an astronomical amount of money.

5. Not Using Quiet Borders

Quiet borders are your friend! Quiet borders are great to use because they keep all text aligned perfectly. People refer to quiet borders as the buffer area. Quiet borders should be a minimum of 1/4 inch wide. This is the area that will remain blank. Logos, images, text and other graphics should not be placed on the quiet border. You can use the quiet border to ensure text and images are not cut off on the business card. It is in your best interest to use quiet borders to avoid printing mistakes.

Business Card Printing Tips

1. Have a Purpose

Your business card needs to have a purpose. Business cards can be used for many different purposes, but the primary purpose of these cards is to provide contact information.

2. Provide Clear Information

The information on your business card should be clear and concise. The most beneficial information that needs to be present is the name of the business, address, website, and phone and fax number. Business cards appear more professional when they have logos.

3. Style and Theme

The style and theme of your business card should match your website. The style and design should be simple, yet creative. The theme of the business card should match your website and incorporate the service of products you offer.