1. How to Design and Print Professional Business Cards

    In an age of digital communication, a well-designed business card remains one of the most powerful networking tools available. It's tangible, personal and — if designed well — genuinely memorable. The moment someone picks up your card, they form an impression of you and your business. Get it right and that impression is exactly what you intended.

    In this guide, we walk through every step of designing and printing professional business cards — from layout and typography to paper stock, finishes and artwork setup.

    Step 1: Decide What to Include

    Before you start designing, decide what information your card actually needs to carry. Less is almost always more on a business card — the goal is to give the recipient enough to remember you and get in touch, not to tell them everything about your business. Standard inclusions are:

    • Your name — prominently displayed
    • Job title — helps the recipient remember the context in which you met
    • Company name and logo — your brand identity anchor
    • Phone number — mobile is usually more useful than landline
    • Email address
    • Website URL
    • Social media handles — optional, but useful for creative, hospitality and client-facing businesses
    • Physical address — optional, relevant for retail, hospitality and professional services with a premises

    If your card starts to feel crowded, remove rather than add. A clean, spacious card looks significantly more professional than one packed with information.

    Step 2: Design with Hierarchy and Clarity

    Your business card design should guide the reader's eye naturally to the most important information first — typically your name and company. Key design principles:

    • Establish a clear hierarchy — your name and company name should be the largest, most prominent elements. Contact details can be smaller and lighter
    • Use your brand colours and fonts — your business card should be immediately recognisable as part of the same brand family as your website, letterhead and other materials. See our guide: Typography and Fonts: Essential Tips for Effective Print Materials
    • Use white space — don't try to fill every millimetre of the card. Space around elements makes the design feel considered and premium
    • Keep fonts legible — a minimum of 7pt for contact details at printed size. Decorative fonts should be reserved for your name or company name only — never for contact information
    • Use a high-resolution vector logo — never place a low-resolution JPEG or PNG of your logo on a business card. Always use an AI, EPS, SVG or PDF vector file. See our guide: Understanding DPI for Print

    Step 3: Choose Your Paper Stock

    The paper stock is what a recipient feels the moment they pick up your card — and that tactile impression matters more than most people realise. Our business card stock options include:

    • 350gsm uncoated — natural, tactile and writeable. A clean, understated choice popular with creatives, consultants and professional services. Pairs beautifully with foil embellishment. See our uncoated business cards
    • 350gsm silk — smooth, professional and cost-effective. The most popular all-round business card stock for everyday use. See our economy business cards
    • 450gsm silk — heavier, more substantial feel. The premium choice for standard business cards. See our standard business cards
    • Textured stocks (Rives Shetland, Mohawk Eggshell) — distinctive surface texture that makes your card feel genuinely different. See our textured business cards
    • Plastic — durable, waterproof and striking. See our plastic business cards
    • Triplex (triple layer) — super-thick with a coloured core visible on all edges. The most premium format available. See our triplex business cards

    Step 4: Choose Your Finish

    The finish applied to your card changes both its appearance and its tactile feel significantly:

    • Gloss lamination — shiny, vibrant and resistant to handling. Great for bold, colourful designs
    • Matt lamination — smooth, sophisticated and popular with professional services and premium brands
    • Velvet lamination — extraordinarily soft and tactile. The most memorable lamination finish — once someone touches a velvet card, they rarely forget it
    • Spot UV — high-gloss coating on selected elements (logo, name) against a matt or velvet base. Striking visual and tactile contrast. See our guide: How to Design Business Cards with Spot UV
    • Foil embellishment — metallic gold, silver or coloured foil on selected elements. Works exceptionally well on uncoated and dark stocks. See our foiled business cards

    Not sure which finish is right for your brand? See our full guide: Which Business Card Finish is Right for You? — or visit our Brighton print shop to see and feel samples in person.

    Step 5: Single-Sided or Double-Sided?

    Double-sided printing maximises the space available on your card. A common and effective approach is to use the front for your name, title, logo and key contact details, and the back for a brand pattern, tagline, QR code, social media handles or a list of key services. The reverse can also be left plain or printed in a solid brand colour for a clean, premium effect.

    Step 6: Set Up Your Artwork for Print

    • 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 — keep all text and logos away from the card edge
    • Resolution: 300dpi minimum for all images
    • Colour mode: CMYK. See our guide: What is CMYK and Why Does it Matter?
    • Format: PDF with fonts outlined or embedded
    • Foil or spot UV layer: Supply as a separate page in your PDF — solid 100% black shapes showing exact position of embellishment

    Step 7: Proof Check Before You Print

    Errors on business cards are expensive — you're reprinting the entire batch. Before submitting your artwork, check every single detail carefully:

    • Phone number — dial it to confirm it's correct
    • Email address — send a test email
    • Website URL — visit it in a browser
    • Spelling of your name, title and company name
    • Alignment and spacing of all elements
    • Logo quality at printed size

    See our full proof checking guide for a complete pre-submission checklist.

    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 — from everyday economy cards to premium triplex and foiled options. Collect from our print shop at 97 St James's Street, Brighton BN2 1TP or order online for UK-wide delivery.

    Want to see samples before you order? Visit us in store — we have physical samples of all our business card stocks and finishes available to look at and feel. Or get in touch and we'll help you choose the right option for your brand and budget.