A business card is about the size of a credit card, and most people try to fit far too much onto it. The cards that get kept are the ones that are easy to read in a second and easy to act on later.
The five things that belong on the front
- Your name, in the largest type on the card.
- Your role, so people remember why they met you.
- One phone number. Not three.
- An email address, ideally on your own domain.
- A website, if you have one worth visiting.
That covers almost every reason someone keeps a card. If they need anything else, the website can provide it.
Things to think twice about
- A street address. Worth including if customers visit you: a shop, a clinic, a studio. Otherwise it takes up space and dates quickly.
- Every social network. Pick the one that matters for your work, or none.
- A list of services. One short line on the back is enough. A paragraph will not be read.
- Tiny type. Anything smaller than about 7 points is hard to read for many people, especially in poor light.
Use the back
The back of a card is free space that most people waste. It is the right place for:
- Your business name and logo, large and clear
- One line saying what you do, such as "Wedding and portrait photography"
- A plain background in your brand colour
Keeping the front for your details and the back for your brand makes both sides cleaner.
The print details that matter
Size
The standard size in Europe, Africa, Australia and most of Asia is 85 by 55 millimetres. North America uses 3.5 by 2 inches. They are close, but a print shop will ask which you want, so check before ordering.
Bleed
Cards are printed several to a sheet and then cut. No cutter is perfectly exact, so any colour that runs to the edge has to extend a few millimetres past the cut line. That extra margin is called bleed. Without it, a slightly off cut leaves a thin white line along one edge.
Safe area
Keep text a few millimetres inside the edge for the same reason, so a cut that strays does not clip your phone number.
Make yours
The business card maker designs the front and back together. Add your details and logo, choose a colour, and download a print-ready PDF that already includes a 3 mm bleed and crop marks, or PNG images to share online. It is free, there is no watermark, and nothing is uploaded.
Want to show the design off before it is printed? Our guide to making product mockups covers business cards as well as clothing.