You may have heard of the importance of your business cards for marketing your company. Custom business cards are what remind customers of your conversation long after you have parted. Often, a prospect may not pull out a business card for weeks or even months after the conversation. This is why it is vital that your business card is memorable. Don't stress out when designing your card, though. Simply use the guidelines outlined below and your business card printing will be easy and effective.

Essential Information - Begin by sketching the information you need to include on a piece of paper. This will help you to determine your layout while also making sure that you have the necessary items. You may need to include the company name, your name, your title, and the contact information. You will also want a tagline, preferably the same one that you use for your other marketing materials. Depending on the purpose of your card, choose an image. Your logo is best when branding is the purpose, or you may choose to include a personal photograph if creating a relationship is the purpose. A bulleted list of products or services should be printed on the back of the card, if included.

Unique Aspects - To give prospects an incentive for contacting your company, print a discount offer on the back of the card, redeemable by visiting the website, for instance. You might want a unique paper type - plastic or magnetic, as an example. Although using a different shape can be interesting, be careful that the size and shape can still fit into a wallet or Rolex.

Design Elements - Choose a font that is readable at business card size but that also fits with your brand. Make sure that the most important text, the company name or your name, is the largest font. The colors should also match your brand but also make the text stand out from the background. Only use two colors as more can clutter your business card and take away from the purpose.

Layout - Place information logically on the card. Usually graphics are placed on the side while the text is the main focus. Place text in order of importance from top to bottom on the card. Most business cards order the information as follows: company name, tagline, your name and title, and contact information.

Printing - For professional business cards, use a business card printing company for producing high quality results. You don't want to design the perfect card and then have your business rejected because of an amateur printing job. A commercial printing company should provide the options you need for size, trim, and paper and also offer wholesale prices as this will greatly lower your costs.