How to Update Your Business Card and Incorporate Today’s Trends

Business cards remain a fantastic way to advance your networking opportunities. However, if your business card looks outdated, potential connections may be wary of working with you. Keeping in mind the design of today and the future, it’s time your business card reflects the present. It’s crucial for your business card to stand out and remain relevant, especially since people throw away 80 percent of business cards within a week of receiving them.

Some tips on updating your business card and incorporating today’s trends include:

Quality Material

The material of your business card plays a substantial role in its perception. Those who receive a card made of flimsy material, instead of something more substantial, are likelier to lose or rip the card accidentally. Sophisticated printing techniques, such as silk lamination, can provide business cards with a sturdy and legitimate feel.

A business card with a glossy look or matte coating can stand out from ordinary paper. Additionally, many of these effects can provide resistance against moisture and other potential damage. Textured business cards are also an option, making a business card look striking. Textured images, stamped lettering and forms of embossing create a raised image that stands out to anyone looking.

Silk, gloss and velvet lamination, linen paper, metallic foil and raised foil cards are other options with striking features. Foil stamps, in particular, lend elegance and a feeling of luxury to the card, with silver or gold lettering.

Creating a sleek look that exudes professionalism. However, reduce the likelihood of the card being lost or damaged. Quality material for your business card is a prudent investment.

Sleeved Cards

Adding sleeves to business cards you hand out provides an elegant and important feel. This also gives the recipients the feeling of opening a gift. The sleeve can also say something like “Nice to meet you!” as your business card sits snugly inside, waiting to get opened. In addition to being difficult to lose, sleeved business cards create visual interest while enhancing an opulent feel.

Minimalist Approach

Minimalism helps cards stand out among a crowded and colorful market. It helps value cohesiveness and to-the-point information, rather than an overstuffed appearance. Minimalist cards usually feature letter-pressed black font against a white background. Do you not like colorful themes?  Would you rather not opt for a raised image or lamination type? Well, then minimalism is an option that may be perfect for you.

3D Lenticular Cards

A modern and nifty business card approach involves 3D lenticular printing, which creates images with depth and motion as an illusion. As you move your card and alter its depth perception, those viewing the card can see various images or what appears to be an image in motion. 3D lenticular printing alone can inspire conversation and give recipients an extra reason to keep your card around.

Die-Cut Cards

Die-cut cards let you choose a variety of shapes — from rounded rectangles to nontraditional shapes like ovals — to make the card stand out. A restaurant or caterer, for example, can even have business cards with a bite mark in one corner. With a variety of options, ranging from default shapes to experimental custom types, die-cut cards value innovation regarding the card shape.

Wooden Cards

Likely the most durable type of the bunch, wooden business cards will appeal to those who value the feel of a card. Wood provides cards a natural and earthy look. It’s perfect for industries like hunting and home construction. Plus, it provides a uniquely memorable presence. Although wooden cards may lack the bendable flexibility of other cards, their innovation helps counteract flexibility issues.

Large Photo Emphasis

A modern approach to a business card involves prominent featuring of an image, specifically at the top of a vertical layout. Especially for occupations that can showcase their skills with a single photo — such as graphic designers, fashion designers and skin care professionals — having a large photo as the focal point of a business card can make sense.

Similarly, if you’re proud of your business’ logo, placing the graphic in the card’s center or top of a vertical placement can be effective and memorable.

Folded Cards

Business cards that are designed to fold can be very useful when you’re trying to include more information on the card. For example, the card can open like an envelope to reveal contact information, with the front of the flip-over showing your business’ logo. Half-fold and tabbed-fold options are available, with the ability to be flat by default so the card can fit into wallets.

Custom Illustrations

Custom illustrations can make a business card feel like a mini art exhibit. This makes the card stand out while showcasing yourself as artistic and supportive of creative niches. Especially if you already have a custom illustration involving your business, career or relevant hobbies, featuring the custom illustration on a card can contribute to positively exuding your personality.

Technological advances in printing and readily available materials have made the business card industry ripe for creative flexibility. You should take advantage of this flexibility to use a business card that reflects your personality.

Whether you opt for a simplistic design or something more intricate, like 3D lenticular cards, it’s important to involve your unique branding elements and personality in the general design, in both the color scheme and formatting. Business cards in 2021 and beyond are no stranger to uniqueness and creativity.