Posts Tagged ‘business cards’

Business Cards, Printed Using an Online Printer

July 7th, 2009

This is part 2 in the series about the pros and cons of online printing. Read the first part.

Several months ago, I redesigned the Visible Logic web site. We reorganized and updated the content of the site and at the same time, introduced a new tagline. While the overall branding was not new, we made some adjustments and freshened things up a bit. You can read more about the process in this newsletter archive. After doing that, I decided that our business cards really should be updated too, to reflect these changes.

As you may imagine, a graphic designer designing the business cards for their own company is a painful and prolonged production. We’re our own worst client. So, I hemmed and mulled and tinkered and got a design I sort of liked. I really needed new cards, and really needed to order cards for a designer on staff, so I decided to print some online just to see how they look.

My experiment

This also became an experiment for me to see how I felt about the quality of the printing.

Old Visible Logic card, printed one color.

In the past, my business cards were printed one color on a very thick, bright white, uncoated card stock. The new design I envisioned was four-color. One reason I even let my creativity flow in this direction is because I knew that there are low-cost online printing services available. A few years ago this was not true and that is why my identity was long-ago been built on a one-color design.

While I researched the online options, I was particularly interested in trying to find a thick, non-glossy paper. I chose PsPrint because they had a thick-ish matte paper. I knew it would not be as thick as my old cards, and I knew it was a coated paper even though it was a matte paper.

What we ordered

New, four color business card

I needed to order two sets of cards, some for myself and a smaller quantity for DeAnne McCaslin a junior designer in the studio. This was ideal for my experiment because the smaller quantity would be printed digitally and the larger would be printed offset (both from the same online source). The two files that were sent were identical except for the specifics of the name and contact info.

The process

One of the “cons” of online printing is that it’s got a “self serve” mentality to it. Unlike when you send a file to a reputable, local printer, no one is really checking to see if it’s set up correctly. They provide lots of guidelines, but basically if you set it up wrong, you lose.

Since I’m a design professional, I wasn’t worried. However, I do think that anyone trying the DIY route may likely compromise the quality of their cards before they even hit the presses. This is because they do not have the professional tools to begin with, or they do not set up the files as ideally as they can be.

Having said all that, I designed my cards using Adobe Illustrator, worked with the printer’s template file, and uploaded an eps file.

Proofing is not included

At PsPrint, you are able to review your file online before submitting it, but an actual proof is not included. To receive a proof costs extra in both time and money. So I skipped the proof. The online sample looked fine, but this is nothing like being presented with a high quality, contract quality proof, which would be part of the deal with a traditional offset print job.

Read the next post to see how the cards turned out.

Tags: business cards, design, printing
Posted in Branding, Design Basics, Starting a Business | 4 Comments »

Do-It-Yourself Business Cards, or Hire a Pro?

June 1st, 2009

If you’re starting a business you’re going to need business cards. But if you’re starting a business, you may be looking to save money on the myriad of upfront costs involved with getting the company up and running. Let’s look at the different levels of professionalism and brand identity that you could consider when getting your first business cards.

Design & Branding Fees vs. Production Costs

There are two steps to creating your business card: first is the design of the card, and the second is the printing of the card.

For the design, you will likely start by developing a logo or a logotype (a specific, customized typesetting of the business name). In addition, you will need to typeset your contact information, and then you will need to look at the layout of the entire card. You could try to do these yourself, or you could work with an experienced designer.

For the production, you will need to find a printing source. This can range from your own desktop printer, to an online discount printer, to a local offset printer. You will also need to consider what paper stock to use and sometimes you’ll have choices about the types of inks or finishes you’ll use. Cards can print one-color or full-color; digitally or offset. You can also consider special techniques like letterpress, foil stamping or spot varnishes. Also, you can print anywhere from 1 to a million depending on your needs.

Where is the value?

Let’s look at the spectrum from low-cost on both design & production to high-cost for both. And what the value is of those elements.

No business card. Obviously, this is a very cheap option. However, you look kind of silly when you have to tear a sheet of paper from a notepad and scribble out your contact information.
Will this work for you? I doubt it.
Design it yourself, print it yourself. Find some clipart or other images. Do your own typesetting. Buy some perforated card stock at the office supply store and run it through your desktop printer.
Will this work for you? I have seen a few photographers use this system. But they usually own a high-end color printer and they use their own images from their portfolio. For everyone else, clip art will look amateurish, and the paper will be very thin if it is able to go through your printer. You end up looking like you’re not taking yourself seriously.
DIY, but with caution. Skip the clipart, but typeset your own card, and find a low-cost printing solution such as a copy shop or an online printer.
Will this work for you? This is a temporary, stop-gap measure. If you cannot afford a designer you are making a smart move to minize your design elements to your basic contact information. While the end result is not as ghastly amateurish as option 2, you’ve shot yourself in the foot by not taking the time to develop a brand identity. However, if you’ve got a logo in process and have sales calls, to make this is a low-cost way to make sure you have something with your contact information on it.
Hire a designer to design a business card only (not a complete logo & identity package) and have them help you select a printer.
Will this work for you? This works for solopreneurs or consultants who do not necessarily need a logo for a separate business entity. A qualified graphic designer should be able to develop a simple brand for you building on the layout & design of the card, rather than the the development of a logo. He or she may decide to use speciality papers or finishes to create a memorable look, so be open to using a traditional offset printer, rather than relying on online sources (who can generally only print on white paper).
Hire a designer, monitor your production costs. Work with a designer to develop a branding program for you, but let them know that you need to keep production costs in check.
Will this work for you? This is a great solution for a small business to be able to develop and build an identity without breaking the bank. Make sure you are upfront with the designer about wanting to keep printing costs to a minimum. A smart designer will be able to design something with these limitations in mind. It can be done by developing only a 1-color logo, or developing a design that will print successfully using an online digital source. It may even be a unique hand-done approach you hadn’t considered. A few examples from our portfolio include Cream & Sugar Bakery, 3-Fitness Coaching, and New England Breeze. Another great thing about this way of working is that as you grow and need additional business cards, your repeating production costs are containted.
Hire a design, and the sky is the limit.
Will this work for you? Sure, if you have the money. And there are certain businesses where having the most unique and outlandish business card around is a true asset. But for many of us, keeping production costs low while developing a professional look and feel is a smart way to develop your brand.

Tags: business cards, graphic design, Starting a Business
Posted in Branding, Business, Design Basics, Starting a Business | 4 Comments »

How to Keep your Brand Looking Fresh

May 4th, 2009

In my last post, I wrote about the importance of consistency in branding. However, I want to take the time to also talk about ways to keep your identity and branding from looking stale.

Probably the most important thing to keep in mind is that your brand is a living entity and will experience growth and change. The key is to have enough elements remain consistent that you can play with other elements.

Timeless brands are like timeless fashions

A good analogy is how individuals wear their clothes and style their hair. There are some people who are always up-to-date with fashion: if you first met them in 1982 and they were wearing parachute pants, you may not be surprised to see them in 1992 wearing an oversized flannel shirt. In contrast, there are some people who have a timeless style. They purchase classic clothes, and are never very trendy.

A third group is those folks who seem stuck in a different era. They are still wearing their Flashdance inspired cut-off sweat shirts, and have a poofy perm.

Of all these groups, I’d suggest you want to avoid the third category for you logo and branding. And while many aspire to be cool and trendy, it can be more upkeep than starting with a more classic look. Just like having some classic pieces in your wardrobe and spicing them up with accessories, it is far better to pick a timeless, non-trendy design and then you are able to work with it and incorporate smaller design elements to hang off of it. A well-designed logo will be a good investment for your company.

What does this look like?

Updating your brand means that while you keep things consistent, there are elements that change over time. Here are few examples you may want to try:

Changing your non-key colors: Your web site should stick with your main color palette, but background could colors change. A few years ago, there were many web sites with gray backgrounds to the main body area. Recently, white backgrounds are favored. This is a change that would freshen up your site while maintaining your corporate color palette.
Updating photographs: In both web design and print design, outdated photos will make everything look old. The hairstyles, clothing and even styles of lighting and posing models changes over time. Take a look at any stock or royalty-free photos you are using and see if replacing them might make your materials look more up-to-date.
Cleaning up contact info on business cards: Over the past few years business owners have more and more ways to keep in touch. First it was fax machines, then it was email and cell phones and now you may also use Skype, Facebook, Twitter or Facebook. If you’ve been squeezing this new information on your business cards without looking at the design, take a step back and reassess. By adjusting the layout and re-typesetting your cards you can make them more readable and freshen up the look without tinkering with the logo or other key elements.
Scaling elements differently: In both web and print design you can work with the same elements but emphasize them differently. A decision like this could be purely visual—decide to make your headlines larger, but in a lighter font. Or, they could be driven by your changing business—reorganizing web site navigation or elements on a printed page will make certain information more prominent. If you have changed the scope of services you offer, this is a particularly helpful change to consider.

To get impact from your identity and branding, you need to maintain consistency. This is what helps you become recognizable and build the trust of your prospects. However, you want to make sure your web site, printed marketing materials or identity does not look stale or out-of-date. Work with your designer to help them design materials for you that keep building your brand, while remain fresh.

Tags: brand recognition, Branding, business cards, color, Consistency, graphic design, identity
Posted in Branding, Design Basics | No Comments »

Your Logo is Like Your Interview Suit

April 27th, 2009

Everyday on my way to the office I pass by the University of Southern Maine. Recently, I saw what must have been a student prepped for a job interview: poorly fitting navy blue suit, well-combed hair and still carrying his collegiate backpack.

The scene reminded me of my own transition from student to an adult living in the real world. As college graduation neared, I was eager to get out on my own, and start my career. I didn’t want to move back to my parents’ place. Therefore, I had to be able to afford an apartment, which meant I had to get a job. So I worked on my resume, learned to network, and started applying for jobs. Eventually, I landed an interview.

Suddenly I realized that I needed a suit. Well, honestly, I had known it for a while, but since I had little money, and suits are expensive, I put off buying one.

No suit for the interview, no branded business cards for the business meeting

This scenario is very similar to start-ups and their approach to their logo, identity and branding. The owner knows a logo needs to be developed. He or she understands a proper identity system are critical to looking like a real business. The entrepreneur realizes that well-designed, and printed businesses cards are essential for a business meeting. But they put off the development of their logo and other identity materials because of the cost.

Even while I imagined myself as a professional in my spiffy suit, I didn’t go purchase it until the last minute. You may even be able to picture a rough idea of what your logo will look like, but have you started with a designer to get it done?

The results can be similar, too. You delay the actual development, you avoid paying the money, but eventually you will be presented with a business opportunity, and you will suddenly need to pull something together. Now, just like the ill-fitting suit on the recent grad you may end up with an ill-fitting logo. You’ll likely be rushing and may try to cut corners by not having the identity professionally designed.

So, if you are starting up a new business, budget in the time and money for your “first impression”; which is your logo or logotype.

It doesn’t have to be navy blue

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be standard or match everyone else. In fact you’ll likely have better success with a unique and memorable logo. However, it should look professiona, but professional does not have to be conservative and stodgy, but it should be high-quality.

I think cost is the main reason people don’t spend the money for a professionally developed logo, are there other reasons?

Tags: Branding, business cards, identity, interview, logo
Posted in Branding, Business, Starting a Business | No Comments »

Business Cards Dos & Don’ts for Start-ups and Veterans

April 14th, 2009

If you’re in business, you need a business card.

bizcards-whitebkgd When you launch your business there are a lot of details to juggle, and a budget that can only stretch so far. But when you neglect your calling card you are showing to others that you don’t take yourself seriously. Here are few tips to keep in mind.

Business cards for a start-up:

Do: Get cards printed. There are many low-cost options from online sources, to paper you can run through your own printer. You need a physical card to start networking. This seems so basic, but some people think they can skip cards altogether. If you aren’t bothering with cards, you probably aren’t really bothering to set up a sustainable business.

Don’t: Print too many or spend too much on the printing. It’s likely many details are still in flux—such as your address changing as you move from home office to rented space.

Do: Spend your money on branding. While the actual printing of the card can be done on the cheap, your business name and logo are here to stay. Hire a designer with expertise and don’t rush the process.

Business cards for the established business owner:

Do: Think about quality in your cards. A good, thick paper stock shows that you are beyond the start-up phase. Once you know that your contact details won’t be changing frquently you can afford to purchase a larger quantity of cards and therefore reduce your per-card costs.

Don’t: Feel you have to include all your information on your cards. For example, you may have a fax number, but it may not need to be on your card. Think about whether you really want to hand out your cell phone number to everyone.

Do: Take a good look at your card and see if there are adjustments that can be made to increase the readability of your business name or your contact information. Small adjustments to the layout and design keep a brand fresh without throwing away everything you’ve built.

Don’t: Change things too much. Consistency in branding will help you immensely in terms of recognition. If you decide to make a change, make sure there is a good reason to do so.

If you want some inspiration for look of your card, take a look at: The card observer. If you need help designing your business card, please contact us.

Tags: Branding, business cards, design
Posted in Branding, Business, Starting a Business | 2 Comments »

Search

Recent Posts

Categories