1. Business Card Design Guide: Tips for a Card That Gets Kept

    A business card has one job — to make sure the person who receives it remembers you and can get in touch. But the best business cards do something more than that: they communicate the quality and character of your brand the moment someone picks them up. In this guide, we cover everything you need to design a business card that works — from what to include and how to lay it out, to choosing the right stock and setting up your artwork for print.

    What to Include on Your Business Card

    Space on a business card is limited — 85×55mm is not a lot of real estate. Be selective about what you include. Every element should earn its place:

    • Your name — the most important element. Make it prominent
    • Job title — helps the recipient remember the context in which you met
    • Company name and logo — your brand anchor. Use a vector file for the logo — never a low-resolution JPEG
    • Phone number — mobile is usually more useful than a landline
    • Email address — keep it professional. A branded domain address is always preferable to a generic one
    • Website URL — short and memorable. If your URL is long, consider a redirect
    • Physical address — relevant for retail, hospitality and professional services with a premises
    • Social media handles — optional, but useful for creative, hospitality and client-facing businesses
    • QR code — a practical addition linking to your website, portfolio or booking page

    If your card starts to feel crowded, remove rather than reduce font size. A clean, spacious card communicates confidence. A card crammed with small text communicates the opposite.

    Layout Principles

    Establish a Clear Hierarchy

    Your name and company name should be the most prominent elements — the largest, most visually dominant text on the card. Contact details can be smaller and lighter. The logo should be positioned to anchor the design without competing with your name for attention.

    Use Both Sides

    Double-sided printing gives you twice the space at minimal extra cost. A common and effective approach is contact details on the front and a brand pattern, bold colour, tagline or QR code on the reverse. A solid brand colour on the back of a card with no text looks clean and premium and immediately sets your card apart from single-sided alternatives.

    Leave White Space

    Resist the urge to fill every millimetre of the card. White space — the empty space around your design elements — is what makes a card feel considered and professional. Cards that look crowded feel cheap regardless of the stock they're printed on.

    Align Everything to a Grid

    Consistent alignment creates order and professionalism. All text elements should align to the same left, right or centre axis. Random or inconsistent alignment looks unplanned even when the content is correct.

    Typography

    Font choices on a business card communicate your brand personality before the content is read. Key principles:

    • Maximum two fonts — one for your name or company name, one for contact details. More than two looks cluttered
    • Minimum 7pt for contact details — smaller than this is difficult to read. 8–9pt is more comfortable
    • Clean fonts for contact information — decorative or script fonts are difficult to read at small sizes. Use them for display elements only — your name or company name — never for phone numbers or email addresses
    • Outline or embed fonts — always outline or embed fonts before sending artwork to print. See our guide: Typography and Fonts: Essential Tips for Effective Print Materials

    Colour

    Your business card colour palette should match your brand identity exactly — same CMYK values as your website, letterhead and other materials. A few additional considerations for business cards specifically:

    • Dark backgrounds look premium — a dark card with light text and a well-chosen finish (velvet lamination, foil, spot UV) communicates luxury more effectively than a white card with the same content
    • Full bleed colour on the reverse — a solid brand colour filling the entire back of the card with no text looks clean and deliberate
    • Always design in CMYK — see our guide: What is CMYK and Why Does it Matter?

    Choosing the Right Stock and Finish

    The stock and finish you choose determines how your card feels — and that tactile impression matters enormously. Options at Dipol Print include:

    • 350gsm uncoated — natural, tactile, writeable. Popular with creatives and professional services. Pairs beautifully with foil. See our uncoated business cards
    • 350gsm silk — smooth, professional, cost-effective. See our economy business cards
    • 450gsm silk — heavier and more substantial. See our standard business cards
    • Matt lamination — sophisticated, premium feel
    • Velvet lamination — extraordinarily soft and tactile. One of the most memorable finishes available
    • Spot UV — high-gloss coating on selected elements against a matt base. See our guide: How to Design Business Cards with Spot UV
    • Foil embellishment — metallic gold or silver on selected elements. See our foiled business cards
    • Triplex — super-thick with a coloured core on the edges. See our triplex business cards

    Not sure which finish suits your brand? See our full guide: Which Business Card Finish is Right for You?

    Size Options

    • Standard (85×55mm) — fits all wallets and cardholders. The most widely used format
    • Square (55×55mm) — distinctive and memorable. Won't fit a standard cardholder — which means people store it differently, often somewhere more visible
    • Rounded corners — available on most stocks. Softens the card's appearance and reduces wear on corners

    Artwork Setup

    • Finished size: 85×55mm (standard) or 55×55mm (square)
    • Size with bleed: 91×61mm (standard) or 61×61mm (square)
    • Bleed: 3mm all round. See our guide: What is Bleed and Safe Zone?
    • Safe zone: 3mm inside the trim line
    • Resolution: 300dpi minimum. See our guide: Understanding DPI for Print
    • Colour mode: CMYK
    • Format: PDF with fonts outlined or embedded
    • Proof check: Dial the phone number, send a test email, visit the URL. See our proof checking guide

    Print Your Business Cards in Brighton & Hove

    Dipol Print offers the full range of business card stocks and finishes for businesses across Brighton & Hove and the wider UK. Visit our print shop at 97 St James's Street, Brighton BN2 1TP to see and feel samples of all our stocks and finishes — or order online for UK-wide delivery. Get in touch if you need advice on the right option for your brand.