designing new business cards

[Biker Scout]

You can still use 4/C solids... don't have to use all the colors because they are available. My cards are Red & Black and lots of white space. (Company Colors) yet they are printed at 4Over.

 

[juniorferg]

I cant agree more that the dark blue on the dark gray doesnt bring out the lettering at all. Perhaps change the shadow to a white or an outline to make it pop would be a better use of the card. That might have been said already but I wasnt reading all these posts just to give my 2 cents bud . Good luck with the cards.

 

[Gino]

Very interesting thread...........


Quite a bit of information for any individual to absorb and remember.

lil'.... if you remember two or three of the many many points that were given to you.... you've learned a wealth of information... and all over what that video said...... a worthless business card.

Good Luck...............​

 

[B Snyder]

perhaps you should sub out the design.
If you have a style your stuck on, but can't replicate it... You're out of your league.
Sub it out, and get exactly what you want, with a professionals touch.
It will pay for its self.

+1

Don't create your own cards until you learn layout and design. And don't offer layout and design services to the public until then either.

 

[Pat Whatley]

Hey, I was just wondering where you'd gotten with this project.

 

[lil Details]

I just shut it down for now. Not something I HAVE to get done right now and after all that was said I decided to just hang on for a bit.....

Hate to have my "style" that you stated "Honestly, you don't have a style." to go so against the grain of what is "right"....


If you could see all the business cards that I see day in and out you would understand that they are all just text on a card...no real layout at all....

 

[TheProfessor]

i'm actually curious as to what your style is... Unfortunately I don't think your layouts, so far, have been conveying it to us. Do you have any examples to show us of things that are more "your style" and maybe we can take the finer parts of what you like and make them into something that still rings true to the feel you are looking for while also looking prefessional. I feel you are looking for something probably on the edgier side, and there are ways to be edgy and professional...

 

[Rick]

If you want help, some of us really do like to contribute. I was thinking the same thing as Professor, I think in order for you to learn, maybe you can show us what you think is good design or style that will fit your card. Some may shoot you down, just wade through that crap and find some useful points.

 

[lil Details]

so this is a screen capture of a card that I really liked and made for the inspiration to try and do a crumpled paper background. The card image is from www.graphicdisorder.com They did a friends business cards and shirts...loved those overall...

I just thought the weathered paper and print was cool. I like my "lil Details" done with the "littlehand" font that I have used. It just fits...

Otherwise there isn't much to my design goals on a business card. Like I said most cards around that I have ever seen were just some white card with a lot of print that was formatted along the lines of my "old" cards...other than the rainbow color for the lil Details.....

Thanks for the kind posts here and I do appreciate the insights into better design....when you have no clue and have nothing that you can really base the knowledge on... GIGO right...

I know that with just a little bit of design skill I can blow away the competition around here. I need to take a pic of the sign at one of the local "sign" shops. I am sure you will laugh hard.

 

[Service Sign Co]

You don't have to be the best,just the best in your area

 

[lil Details]

I know that my images that I posted of the first card was not done with a great design, but I was just playing with the images and the layout. I planned to send it to someone that does it to do the actual images and layout...that was not supposed to be a final proof image by any means. Guess I never said that one...

 

[kev3232]

i just have 3 words to say about your card ideas: "hire a designer"

k

 

[weaselboogie]

I still think you're a good distance away from understanding what actually makes a good design, much less being capable to do it.

If you really want to blow the doors off of your competition, hire a good freelancer and start out of the gate with a full lead. While this guy is doing your design work, learn from him or her and build up your skills. You're still VERY green and once you 'get it' and stop trying to talk us into liking your stuff, you can learn to become a great designer. Don't look as hiring a designer as 'expensive' because the customer should be paying for his time, not you. Work it into your pricing. What you may perceive as a more expensive product, your good customers will see a paying a higher premium for a better design.

The main reason why you will do well is that you obviously take criticism well. Keep your chin up.

 

[Jillbeans]

If you could see all the business cards that I see day in and out you would understand that they are all just text on a card...no real layout at all....

All the more reason to make your card stand out in the crowd.
The screen capture card looks great. I think the fonts are from Sign DNA
Maybe you should consider hiring this company to do your cards until you have a better grasp on layout.

 

[rm25x]

+1

Don't create your own cards until you learn layout and design. And don't offer layout and design services to the public until then either.

I am in the same boat, just learning layout and design. I do offer my services, but I wholesale it out to signamigo.com now

 

[TheProfessor]

lil: ok so I think I understand more of what you are looking for now. You like old school chop shop kinda 50's look. (That is totally an inference based on the design you displayed, I could still be way off here). And the card you showed did look good on the crumpled paper background, but only because of the style of the logo. The distressed look and font styles all point to a 50's style gas station or custom car business. This said, it is conceivable, design wise, to make the card look like it has been around for a while in your pocket. The background is actually part of the concept and look and feel of the card as opposed to just looking neat cuz you like it.

To me, there are a couple main problems with the logo you have now.
1) its at such a slant that it takes up alot of space, which is a problem at times when you only have a limited area to work in.

2)the white lettering and white drop shadow with the outlines dont look strong, bold modern, old school, or really professional. Maybe if you took the drop shadow and just made it a solid blue it would have a better feel to it. I know you love it because it looks like what your buddy drew, but kinda part of the problem is the fact that it looks like your buddy drew it. Based on the logo you like, I know you are aware you can be alternative and still look professional, but unfortunately the design you have now isnt really doing anything for you.

and on to the card... I noticed you added a shape behind your logo, sort of in the same vein as the style card you supplied. The only difference/problem is that the shape you added doesnt really have a reason for being there. It doesnt pull the design together it just separates the logo. The card you like has a shape that defines the space of the logo, but also has a concept, being that it resembles at 50's style bakelite Mod gas station sign. as for the smaller sets of words, I know the over use of font styles has been mentioned, heed that advice

but the other part of what needs to be fixed is the blue text with the white drop shadow... Think of your business card as a comedy duo... abbott and costello, laurel and hardy... comedy duos work great when you have one funny guy and one straight guy. Both are very important to the duo because obviously the straight guy by himself is boring and two funny guys will just compete til it becomes obnoxious. The problem you are having now is you have too many funny guys and not enough stright guys. For all the smaller text get something like univers condensed and use the straighter boring fonts to set off your more extreme graphics, plus at small sizes like on a business card they are easier to read

Hope any of that was helpful...

 

[luggnut]

I am in the same boat, just learning layout and design. I do offer my services, but I wholesale it out to signamigo.com now

this would be a smart move for you too lil details.... neato doesn't charge much and will make your company look like you have a professional in house designer. you can learn from the designs he does for you and basically get lessons by studying what he supplies you with, now you may never be as capable of a desiner as neato but by studying you can become pretty good and sub the really difficult ones to neato. it would be a good business move, your product would be more valuble and you could charge appropriately.

 

[slappy]

the custom's font is from Steve C's signfonts.com called Rhino

 

[slappy]

that site you posted, that has to be a member here. That shirt in the bottom looks identical to Phillip's shirt I have, but with Phillip's logo......

http://www.graphicdisorder.com/tshirtdesign.html

Phillip, if you read this, you know what i'm talking about. Post that logo so i know i'm not crazy. It's even the same font.

 

[neato]

Ha! You're right, that is EXTREMELY close. Here's my old logo.

I'm going to write it off as a coincidence.