Choosing Your Card Paper Ink Fonts Text Attributes Spacing and Bullets

Style: To select your card style, just answer the question “How much information do I need to share to get my message across?” The more information you share, the more your contacts will have to think about.

The card styles available include Single-sided, Double-sided, and Tent cards (which provide three “sides” for printing). Single and Double-sided cards are available in both Horizontal and Vertical layouts.

Card and Quantity: Partially personal preference, partially based on the type of information you need on your card. The key difference between cards is the mix of paragraphs and bullet lists — some cards also include space for a photograph or logo.

Paragraphs are effective for sharing detailed descriptions, while lists are ideal for standalone information such as degrees, certifications, programming languages, etc.

For tips about selecting card quantities, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Page layouts.

When descriptive text is needed to communicate your key credentials or product details, cards featuring a paragraph are ideal

When the information speaks for itself, you can share your information in convenient bullet lists

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Paper Stock: Your paper selection is as personal as the information on your card – you can use it to capture your personal taste and the character of your profession or product.

You have 38 papers to choose from, each with a unique color and texture combination. Colors range from our clean “Premium Bright White” to the eye-catching “Fluorescent Mango”.

Click on swatches to see a description and available ink colors

Examples:

Woodgrain paper would be ideal for a craftsman or vendor of wood products, but may not be a good match for other professions.

Aside from our specialty papers, most papers are suitable for all professions

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Ink Color(s): The ink colors you select will go a long way in creating an attractive, readable card. A few simple tips will help ensure that you perfectly match your ink colors and paper selection.

First Color: We recommend selecting a strong color that has good contrast with your card paper (such as a dark ink on a light paper). The first color is usually used for main information, like your Name, and Headings.

Second and Third colors: Selecting more than one color is an excellent way to enhance your card and call attention to specific information. Second colors are typically used for supporting information such as paragraph text and bullet lists. We recommend that a third color only be used to call attention to specific information, such as your name, a website address, certification, etc.

Examples:

Too many colors can make an otherwise effective card difficult to read, and may obscure major points of interest

Here, two main colors have been selected and used to provide contrast and help readability. A third color has been used to call attention to specific information

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Fonts and Sizes: The fonts you select help determine the character of your card. The font and size you select will also determine how much text you will be able to include.

We recommend using a maximum of 3 fonts on any card side. Also, keeping your font sizes consistent will help ensure that your card is visually pleasing and easy to read.

The default fonts & sizes on each card have been matched to create a balanced appearance – you can use these defaults, or customize them to create a truly unique card.

Examples:

Too many fonts and alternating sizes can make a card difficult to read, and may obscure main points

Consistent fonts and sizes give information on the card a “hierarchy” and identifies important points to the reader

Bold, Underline, and Italics: Using attributes such as Bold, Underline, and Italics will enrich the appearance of your card and emphasize important points. These tools should be used sparingly though, and only when highlighting information will add value to your message.

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Examples:

This card captures important information but lacks separation between headings and details.

Text attributes help to call attention to important headings, and helps create a “hierarchy” within the text – drawing your eye to key headings and points

Spacing and Bullets: Using spacing and bullets on your card is an easy and effective design tool.

In paragraphs, text can automatically be flush left, right, or centered. You can achieve the same effect in text boxes by using a common tool – it’s your space bar! Use spaces to indent your information just a few spaces, or to center it on your card.

Bullets can also be added to text boxes by simply selecting the “Bullet” check box. You can create other effects by substituting bullets with numbers, dashes, asterisks, etc. Check out the second example below for some ideas.

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Examples:

In this card, bullets were used to create a bulleted list of achievements

The author of this card chose to turn the bullets off and instead create a numbered list. She has also used the space bar to center her name, title, and web contact information