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Make Business Cards Online

Create cool, memorable and inexpensive business cards

Are you looking for somewhere to make business cards online? It's definitely one of the simplest and most effective ways to get hold of decent business cards.

Using an online printing company gives you the best of both worlds: A good deal of creative freedom in coming up with the design, and a simple, speedy, user-friendly process.

I've created quite a few photography business cards online, using a number of different companies. The results have been mixed, but generally I've been pretty pleased!

So here I want to share my top tips and suggestions on where to go and how best to make business cards online.

To cut to the chase, the most impressive quality business cards I've seen have come from MOO.com. They're immense! Little works of art worthy of tiny frames; I get a kick every time I hand one out!

MOO business cards are a tad on the expensive side. So I'd say they're not ideal if you're really watching the pennies. That said, you get what you pay for and they will help you win custom.

The most inexpensive business cards I've had printed came from Vistaprint. The quality was fine - not a patch on MOO - but fine! Considering the price they were actually a really good choice. I'll give you some pricing details below.

What Should a Business Card Be?

Before setting off to make business cards online you should have a clear idea of what they're purpose is. What is the point of having business cards?

Well, they're simple but essential promotional tools of course. They're function is to create a link with a customer or potential customer by giving them your contact details. But to perform this function they need to be in some way memorable.

I tend to come across 3 varieties of business cards:

The boring cliche. Mr. J. Dreary from Dull and Lacklustre Ltd - business cards that are so samey they become invisible. You know the ones: white background, black font, underlined name at the top, a grey-blue swirl in the bottom corner for 'interest'!

These get lost and forgotten amongst all the other random little bits of paper in our lives!
The cool but impractical. Sometimes people really make a major project out of business card design, drafting in the latest Turner prize winner to come up with some brilliantly original, 3-D masterpiece!

I've seen some really cool business cards - that often aren't cards at all, but some object that happens to have contact details on it, and that could no way fit into anyone's pocket!
The perfect balance. I think business cards should attract enough interest to be picked up or to make a positive first impression when handed out

They should be memorable in some way: bright, fresh, clear, colourful - generally pleasing to look at. Something people would actually really like to pin up on the cork board in their kitchen/office!

Contact details should be clear and easy to read.

These are the kinds of cards I've been able to produce using MOO.com. Vistaprint also have nice, and inexpensive, business cards. But the "Oooh" factor that MOO business cards elicit when I hand them out lets me know they are doing the job well!

Why Not Turn Your Photos Into a Cool Calendar?

Here's where I create brilliant personalized calendars with my photos!

Make Business Cards Online With Moo.com

So why MOO? Well, let's take a look at the vital statistics of their business cards:

make business cards online

Printed on 350gsm paper. This is heavyweight card of super high quality.
The card has a lovely satin finish. This gives a really nice gentle lustre; not sparkling glossy or smooth matte, just a nice 'in-between'.
Option to use 100% recycled paper. A great eco-friendly option, especially if that's important to you and your business.
Full colour designs on both sides of the cards is possible...at no extra cost.
Option to have a laminated finish. This gives a high quality, protective coating.
Option to choose from their own beautiful ready-made designs.
User-friendly website. Uploading your own images for photography business cards, or cards with any graphic design, is very easy.
5 cool types of business card holders are available if you want to buy one.
Good delivery times - because based in both USA and UK.
50 cards / pack
50 cards - $21.99 / £10.99. Expensive - but you get what you pay for!

Plus, the coolest thing of all...'Printfinity'!

'Printfinity' is a feature that allows you to have a different image on every card in a pack.

If you are a photographer creating photography business cards, this is brilliant. You get to show people a glimpse of your portfolio in miniature when you hand out cards.

When you make business cards online with MOO.com you can upload as many images as you want (up to 1 per card) and use their Printfinity technology to have a unique, diverse and high quality selection.

Quotable Quote:

By furnishing this already crowded world with a duplicate one of images, photography makes us feel that the world is more available than it really is.

- Susan Sontag

How to Use MOO's site

Simply upload your JPEG images and follow their instructions for designing Side A and Side B of your business cards.

Side A is the main design, with your cool picture on it. Side B features your details, the format of which you are free to play with (font style, font size, text alignment), a logo which you can upload and, if you like, another full sized image just like on Side A.

Inexpensive Business Cards from Vistaprint

make business cards online As mentioned, Vistaprint business cards have proved the best 'budget option' for me.

Their site is very user friendly and the 'working-out' phase was a few seconds! You can upload your own images or choose from their existing designs. The quality of the cards is perfectly fine, with 280gsm paper, but nothing to set the world alight.

But the big advantage of Vistaprint business cards is the cost:

250 cards with...

Matte finish: £2.99
Glossy finish: £8.23
Premium matte finish: £8.98

I would recommend going for the premium matte finish which looks really nice and professional. These cards do make a good first impression if they're nicely designed, and are unbelievably cheap. So if you want to make business cards online on a tight budget, I think it's worth considering Vistaprint.

Where's the best place to print gift cards?

Where I go, and why, when it comes to printing special personalized gift cards.

Have Your Say and Share Your Photos

Share your own experiences and tips on where to make business cards online! Who's service has impressed you the most? Any places you think are really worth avoiding!?

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