Business cards are a great way to grow your business – when you meet someone who is a prospective client or business partner, it is important to cement the connection by swapping business cards.
Your business card should provide a professional, memorable, and lasting momento of your meeting.
But what makes a good business card? We’ll discuss business card design elsewhere: today we are going to talk about the technical aspects of a good quality business card – this can mean the difference between your business card tearing, smudging, or being crumpled and discarded, or looking fresh and professional for years to come.
Business Card – Mates Rate Deals – Printing Cairns
WHAT makes a GOOD QUALITY and EXCELLENT VALUE Business Card ?
1) Thickness of the Business card
Thickness is measured in GSM ( or Grams per Square Meter ) the larger the number eg 400 vs 300 the thicker (heavier) and consequently Better Quality ‘feel’ the Business card has in your hand.
2) Type of Printing
Whilst there are multiple methods of Manufacture to Print a Business Card
(from Metallic foil (Heat Pressed) to SPOT COLOUR (Old Inky way) and LENTICULAR)
Two Commercial Economically Valuable & Volume viable Options Dominate
a) Digital Printing*
b) OFF SET or Web*
Whilst the Improvements and Developments (Strengths and Weaknesses) in both could be argued for hours
The Basic differences are;
a) DIGITAL Business card Printing uses Powders or Toners (similar to a Photocopier) and fuses them with heat and Oil.
b) OFFSET Business card printing uses traditional Liquid INKS
From a Client Point of View;
DIGITAL is Quicker with Less Setup Time ( no INK Plates required ) without the Cost and BIG Machine Price Overheads DIGITAL is best suited to Short Run (less than 500) BUT the use of Powders or Toners has cannot always achieved the Magazine Quality (depth) (particularly evident in some Images, colours & shades) that Traditional INK OFF SET can and most Digital machines cannot Handle a Business card thickness greater than 300GSM.
OFFSET or Web printing on the other hand Traditionally requires far Larger more Expensive Machinery ($1M+) with much greater LONGER setup times, cost and expense BUT can Handle much Thicker GSM of card (400GSM +) and can Consistently Produce a Magazine Quality Print Quality
*We do BOTH Digital and OFF SET Printing – depending on the CLIENT’s NEED as – We are CLIENT Driven – Working for the Client’s NEED not the Machine or Print Company
3) Coating on the Card
Commonly called Cello or Cello Glazes – you may be familiar with a similar Product called CELLO TAPE – this is an after Printing and Drying application that puts a protect ‘plastic’ layer over your printed Business card – that protects the Printing from RUB and Scuff ( eg from Business Cards remaining in your wallet, purse or pocket for some time – the unprotected INK or Powder may Rub off over time ) Some DIGITAL Printing due to the use of fuser oils make Protective Cello Application difficult to adhere and or cost Inhibitive.
What does it cost to get a GOOD QUALITY and EXCELLENT VALUE Business Card ?
This month – a lot less than you’d think! Our Current MATES RATES Business Card Promotion Until the end of February is for;
1) 400 GSM Card
2) OFF SET or Web Printed
3) GLOSS CELLO Glazed Front for Protection
From $ 85.47 Including per 500 GOOD QUALITY and EXCELLENT VALUE Business Card
