What a business card actually needs
Most beginner cards fail because they try to say too much. Strip it back to the essentials:
- Your name (and what you do, in 3–5 words)
- One way to reach you — phone OR email, not both unless needed
- Your website or booking link
- A clean logo or wordmark
- Optional: QR code linking to your site or portfolio
Layout principles that always work
Good layout makes a cheap card feel premium and a premium card feel intentional.
Use a clear hierarchy
Your name should be the largest text. Title goes underneath. Contact info is smallest.
Give it breathing room
Leave at least 4mm of padding around the edges. Crowded cards feel cheap.
Pick one alignment
Left-align or center-align everything. Mixed alignment looks unfinished.
Keep it to two fonts
One display font for your name, one clean sans-serif for everything else.
Want optional setup services?
Done-for-you technical setup is available as a separate service.
Choosing colors and typography
Pull from your existing brand. If you don't have a brand yet, default to one strong color + black + white. Avoid neon colors that look bright on screen but dull in print.
- Use 1 brand color, plus black, plus white
- Convert colors to CMYK before sending to print
- Use modern sans-serifs (Inter, DM Sans, Sora) for body text
- Use a distinctive display font for your name, not for paragraphs
Sizing, bleed, and print specs
Get these technical details right or your card will arrive with cut-off text.
- Standard U.S. card: 3.5 × 2 in
- Standard EU card: 85 × 55 mm
- Bleed: extend background art 3mm past the trim
- Safe zone: keep text 4mm inside the trim
- Export at 300 DPI in CMYK, PDF/X-1a format
Want optional setup services?
Done-for-you technical setup is available as a separate service.
QR codes — do you need one?
Yes, for most modern service businesses. A QR code on the back of your card lets someone book, follow, or visit your site without typing a URL. Point it at one specific page — your booking link, portfolio, or contact form — not your homepage.
Common business card mistakes
Avoid these and your card already beats 80% of what's out there:
- Tiny 8pt text — minimum 9pt for readability
- Glossy finish on a card meant to be written on
- Listing every social handle (pick one)
- Using a stock template that 10,000 other businesses also use
- Forgetting to proofread your phone number