Do-It-Yourself Custom Business Cards

I am a huge fan of custom business cards! But too many small businesses produce amateurish cards, and without having met the business people, I am already left with a bad impression.

With do-it-yourself kits available at any Office Supply store, there is the temptation to save a little money and maybe even a little time.

Do not get me wrong, some of those do-it-yourself kits can produce nice custom business cards. However, the only kind of card these kits are capable of creating are usually just simple black print on a white background. Beyond a simple card design, these kits usually produce cards that look like they were printed at home.

If you really want professional appearance, you are probably going to have to talk to a professional. Incorporating your business or company logo, especially if it has a color, can present lots of very frustrating problems. In addition, you have to consider such elements like typography and print size. The professionals know exactly what is appropriate.

I have been in situations where I just needed a bunch of custom business cards fast. I did not have a couple of days to wait for the local print shop to prepare my cards. Moreover, I did not need the 1,000 or so minimum order that they required. Therefore, a quick jog down to my Office Supply store for those do-it-yourself kits saved the day. I had to understand the limitations of the kits, so I kept my design very simple - just my company name, a black and white logo, and my contact information, nothing more.

So, think it through before you run down to the Office Supply store for those do-it-yourself kits. They have their place, but you have to know when and where to use them. Having these advertising tools is a great way to stand out in the crowd, but you do not want to give your customers the wrong impression that an amateurish card can make.