Online Business CardsOnline business cards are a terrific illustration of how the one-two punch of the Internet and technology has not only improved a business process but lowered its associated cost. Though many business people still order business cards from a local printer, there are advantages to ordering online business cards that make it a worthwhile option. Ordering online business cards is easy and inexpensive, and you can usually choose to upload your own artwork or select from hundreds (if not thousands) of high-quality, professionally designed business card templates. If you've never ordered online business cards before, here's an illustration of the design process.
The site used for the illustrations is PrintsMadeEasy.com.
Online Business Card Design Templates (Backgrounds):
Prints Made Easy advertises more than 10,000 business card design templates (professionally designed backgrounds for business cards). That number seems a bit overwhelming, but their template selection is categorized and easy to search using keywords, so it's easier than you might think to find an appropriate design. Begin by selecting a category related to your business or to the type of background you'd like to have. At PrintsMadeEasy.com, you can search, as mentioned above, by keyword or category, or immediately upload any artwork you have:
When browsing the business card design backgrounds, ask yourself:
- Does this design work well with the amount and type of information I need to include? (You don’t want your text and the images to compete with each other. Generally speaking, if you need a lot of text, choose a less complex or smaller background image. If your text is minimal, the design can be bolder and busier.)
- Does this background suit the style of my business - formal, casual, artsy, traditional?
- Will it stand out without being too far out?
- Does this design tie in to any existing slogans, products or marketing campaigns?
It can also be a lot of fun to browse categories and cards at random until inspiration strikes. I crafted my own "Unforgettable" business card after seeing a business card background with an illustration of the "Mona Lisa" on it. I don't know why, but when I saw that card I thought of the song "Mona Lisa" by Nat King Cole, which made me think of the song "Unforgettable" by the same artist, and the word "Unforgettable" seemed to be a good slogan for a business card! You never know when and how inspiration will strike.
And remember that you can make a picture "fit" by broadening your search to look for backgrounds that illustrate product benefits.
For example, a background with a smiling baby may suit a daycare center, pediatrician or diaper service - all of whom would hope to have a smiling baby as a product benefit. Creative taglines can also tie a product or service to a particular background theme.
Working with the Online Business Card Template:
The design area of PrintsMadeEasy.com has been tested and refined to make it as easy as possible for you to enter text and format the card to meet your needs. Don't be afraid to play around and see what you can do!
Online business card templates load with pre-selected layouts that have been chosen especially to suit the card. However, you can change the layout (they show you several different options) to better fit what YOU have to say and the amount of text you want to include.
For my illustration, I typed the word “pets” into the keyword area (I also own PetBusinessCentral.com) and here are the results. You’ll see that there are 84 templates – I could narrow it down by searching for have also searched for dog (60 templates) or cat (30 templates): 
So I clicked on a card I liked. Next you're sent to the page where you edit your information:
A couple of tips when it comes to entering text; unfortunately, that's not explained much on the site (though there are customer service reps to answer questions). Though they don't specifically say so, the names of text fields are suggestions, not requirements. You don't have to put information in every text field, nor do you have to put your name in the "Name" field. If you want your website address to be where the company name normally goes, that's fine. Try it and see how it looks. You can also put an underscore (_____) or asterisks (***) in a text field for extra design flair.
Make sure font choices are legible. Be careful of all caps (especially in Script fonts), and make sure letters are large enough to read. (A font size of 12 or larger is a good choice for important information like phone numbers.)
Also, be sure there's sufficient contrast between the color of the font and the background of the card.
There's no substitute, really, for getting in there and just playing with it. Designing online business cards is fun to do and easy to try. There’s an “Undo” button, so you won't hurt anything, and you can start over whenever you want or save your current effort. You can add more artwork, too. Just click on the “Continue” button when you’re done.
Be sure to check spelling and verify numbers before submitting your card - that's your responsibility, not the printer's, although Prints Made Easy does have a team of top-notch designers who'll look at your card before printing. Business card orders also come with a money back guarantee, even on shipping arrival dates.
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