6 Useful Printing Tips for Express Name Card Production

These days, there are many name card printing services that can be found offline and even online. With the advancing technology, it is now possible to get your name cards produced in a shorter time with express name card printing. It does cost more than the regular name card printing service, but definitely useful if you are in a hurry.

Before you use express name card printing service, however, you have to make sure that your design is perfect. Here are some tips to create a design that looks good and suitable for high quality printing.

1. Use Vector Based Program

If you want a high quality outcome, of course you must use professional designing software. But, you have to use a designing software that is vector based, such as InDesign or Adobe Illustrator. Software like Adobe Photoshop exports text elements as a bitmap that is made of pixels instead of vector objects, so you won’t get a crisp result.

2. Three Printing Plates At Most

Printing plates are used to give color to the name card paper stock. If you use more than three colors, you will risk your name card looking muddy instead of nice and vibrant. The plates also might not line up, making it look soft or blurred, meaning that your name card won’t look sharp and crisp. Also, with too many printing plates, your paper stock will get too wet and ink transfer chance is higher.

3. Balance Text Size

The text or font size that you choose for your name card should not be too big but also not too small. Just make sure that your name card can be read from a reasonable distance so that people won’t have to put extra effort into trying to read your name card. Also, remember to create a good hierarchy or balance between the focal point, the main content of the name card, and extra footnotes.

4. Stay Away From the Edge

If you put elements too close to the edge, there is a chance that they will get cut off during the trimming process, especially if you don’t include a bleed area. Even with a bleed area, there is still a chance that this might happen. As much as possible, try to keep everything closer to the middle and avoid using borders as well for a uniform looking name card.

5. Bleed Area and Crop Marks

If the background color of your name card is not white, then remember to include a bleed area surrounding the design as well as a crop mark. This ensures uniform trimming and makes it easier for the printer to position the printing plates to the design of your name card.

6. Finishes

If you want your name card to look more attractive and stand out more, consider choosing a finish, such as UV coating, foil stamping, laminating, embossing, die-cutting, or other types of finishes available in the printing shop of your choice. Adding finishes can also make your name card more durable and resistant to various damages and risks.