You can tick all the right checkboxes when it comes to a client meeting: A snug fitting, brand new black suit, neatly ironed white shirt, shoes polished to a shine and a red power tie, but it can all fizzle down the second you hand over a pitiful looking business card. A business card is more than a piece of paper with your name on it. Business cards are personal, and they last forever (hey, at least the ones we print do). They remind your client and potential customers that you care, that you’re available and that they can trust you.

It’s also a part of your ensemble. You want to make a striking impression with your card, just like you do with your suit and your swanky presentation. There are numerous printing techniques today that ensure your card is unique and creative, and definitely memorable. Here are some ways to make classy business cards that stand out from the rest:

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Edging

The devil is in the details, and when it comes to business cards, even the smallest ones count. Edging involves colouring the edges of your business card with a shade that compliments the base colour, usually gold, silver or PANTONE colour. Coloured edges add a dab of flavour that makes the card pop. It also shows that your creativity goes beyond the obvious, and over the edge, resulting in a classy card with a colourful twist.

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Embossing

Nothing makes a business card ‘stand out’ more than embossing, quite so in the literal sense. Embossing is the process of ‘raising’ a design or text on the business card, giving it a three dimensional quality. The image, which is quite often the company logo, or the text, stands out as a bump on the card, making it instantly noticeable. You can choose ‘printed emboss’, where the embossed surface is also printed on, or ‘blind emboss’ where the embossed surface is not painted and stands out by itself. Embossing is a great way to converge focus to a point you want made.

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Debossing

The opposite of embossing in method, but equal in impact, debossing is indenting a logo or text on the business card. Debossing gives the business card depth, and you can choose to colour the depression making it more prominent. Debossing creates dented bumps on the card, and similar to embossing, pulls attention and helps make a strong impression.

Combining Embossing and Debossing sometimes works out the best, giving the business card a creative, playful vibe while maintaining subtle sophistication.

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Hot Stamping

Stamping your company logo or text with a shiny, classy coloured foil gives the business card an air of elegance. You can pick from glossy gold, silver, blue, green and red, or go classic with a matt finish. Hot stamping is done with a heated die that plasters the foil onto the card, and has a clean, rich finish. A business card with a classic colour and a glossy or matt print simply exudes sophistication.

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Letterpress

One of the oldest methods of printing, the letterpress method involves creating indentations of design and/or text on the business card. Unlike debossing, however, letterpress method does not use dies for creation. While debossing punches the card to create a depression, letterpress is more subtle and impresses a depression on the prominent side without creating bumps on the back end of the card. This gives the business card a creative feel without unnecessary bumps.

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Silk Screen

A method prominently used back in the 60s, silkscreen is a popular style even today, and gives business cards a classic vintage look. Silkscreen involves printing a colour of choice, which is most often white, over coloured cards. levitra CMYK printers used for printing business cards are incapable of printing the colour white, and silkscreen becomes the preferred method to print designs in white colour over business cards. Silkscreen is a great way to get an expensive looking card for a cheaper price.

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Spot UV

Spot UV is more of a coating process than a printing one, and involves using UV light to cure varnish that is applied on printed cards. The varnish seals the print’s colour, adds an extra layer of shine and also protects the underlying ink. UV coating can be applied to the entire card, or just to a particular spot, hence the name ‘Spot UV’. Little to no varnish escapes into the atmosphere, making this an environmental friendly procedure. The varnish instantly dries on UV exposure, giving the process high precision and impeccable finish, and the business card an expensive looking shine.

Get Your Card Printed By Experts, Today!

The number of options probably has your mind racing with ideas. We at PrintThatNow offer our expertise to help you design and print an eye catching, yet professional business card with any style and effect that you choose. Head over to our services tab or walk in to our office to get a first-hand feel for the material and options available. Still not convinced? Request a sample pack, we assure you, you will be left amazed!