Your business card is often the initial interaction people have with your brand, so it’s important to make a good first impression.
Just like your about us page template on your website, your business card needs to explain what you do, convey a sense of trust, and introduce your brand. Your business card also has to contain the important information people need to get in touch.
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If you’re still bootstrapping your business or cash flow is tight, you don’t need a pro designer to make custom cards. There are tons of free business card makers and templates you can use to DIY it.
- How do I design my own business card?
- Best free business card makers
- Business card best practices
- Design your custom business card today?
How do I design my own business cards?
Because business cards can be relatively simple to design, there are many ways you can do it yourself online. And an added bonus: there are plenty of free business card makers out there if you’re on a tight budget.
Before you jump into designing your card though, consider the context. Where will you be handing it out? Who is going to receive it? What do you ultimately want the person receiving it to do? The answers to these questions will guide what you include and prioritize in the design.
Based on this information, you can create a shortlist of what you want to include on your business card. Remember, space is limited—you’re not writing a whole bio. Anything longer than a tagline is probably best used elsewhere.
Some business cards list a website URL, while others use a QR code to take consumers directly to an ecommerce site, landing page, or product page. Some do both or neither. Solopreneurs and employees might display their name, job title, email, phone number, and maybe even a headshot.
Once you have your list of elements, you need to figure out where to place them on the card. Typically, business cards are 3.5 inches by 2 inches. Traditional cards use a landscape format, but some businesses use a portrait layout. Your business card could be one sided or double sided.
After you’ve placed all your elements on the business card, work on design touches like fonts, colors, logos, and other visual aesthetics. Everything should be cohesive with your company’s overarching visual branding.
Best free business card makers
- Free Business Card Maker
- PsPrint
- Jukebox
- Business Card Star
- DeGraeve.com
- Canva
- FreeLogoServices
- Business Card Land
- Design Mantic
- Business Card Maker
1. Free Business Card Maker
Free Business Card Maker is a tool from Shopify that takes all your contact information, as well as your logo, and turns it into a simple, printable business card. It only takes a few seconds to generate a design, and you can print it right away. You can also download our free business card maker app for your Android device.
2. PsPrint
PsPrint is a highly customizable online business card maker. It takes longer to create a business card with this tool, but you can add text, images, objects, borders, shading, and just about anything else you can think of.
3. Jukebox
With Jukebox, you can create your own free business card design from scratch or choose from a variety of templates. You can modify each one to include your name and contact information, as well as your brand colors.
4. Business Card Star
Business Card Star is one of the best business card makers, and it offers a large collection of business card layouts to choose from. All the layouts are categorized by style, such as "“corporate” or “ornate,” and can be customized with your branding and contact information.
5. DeGraeve.com
DeGraeve.com offers a simple, one-page business card maker. You can choose which lines of text to bold or enlarge, and you’ll be able to preview the design as you edit.
6. Canva
Canva, which is often used to create social media images, can also make business cards. Choose from one of the suggested layouts or build your own from scratch. Business cards take longer to make with this tool, but they can be completely customized.
7. FreeLogoServices
FreeLogoServices offers both a logo maker and a variety of business card templates. Templates can be customized, and they’re sorted by industry to help you find the best layout for your business. Each element on a business card can be changed or moved around.
8. Business Card Land
Business Card Land has a simple business card maker with only a few steps involved. First, choose your layout Next, fill in a form with all your contact information. And finally, customize the colors on your template to match your brand.
9. Design Mantic
Design Mantic offers a collection of modern templates for you to choose from. Once you’ve picked a design, you can add your personal information, upload your logo, and change the font or text color before printing.
10. Business Card Maker
Business Card Maker offers a collection of free colorful business card layouts. Each one can be edited with a few simple clicks. You can upload your logo and move the text boxes around before saving your file.
Free Reading List: How to Brand Your Business
A great brand can help your products stand out from the crowd. Get a crash course in small business branding with our free, curated list of high-impact articles.
Get our Branding reading list delivered right to your inbox.
Almost there: please enter your email below to gain instant access.
We'll also send you updates on new educational guides and success stories from the Shopify newsletter. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe.
Happy with your design? Don’t order prints just yet. Get a second set of eyes to review for you. Unlike a typo on a product page, mistakes made in print last forever.
How to make a business card template
Ever work so hard on a digital creation only to lose it due to some technological glitch? Auto save doesn’t always come to the rescue. When creating your design, you can also turn it into a free business card template for future use. When you need to order more, make a change, or make cards for your staff, it’s easier and more cost effective to return to your original template instead of starting over.
To create your template, save it in the program you’re working in and export it to your computer. Extract the vector graphic from the file so you can open it in an Adobe program for future edits.
Business card design template
Templates are especially helpful when you’re in a bind and need to whip up a design on a tight deadline. Here are some options to check out:
No matter which business card maker you choose, consistency is key. Your brand needs to be cohesive and that includes the look and feel of your business card. In many cases, this is your chance to make a first impression.
Treat your business card template with similar principles to a t-shirt mockup: easy to repeat and scalable while aging gracefully with your business.
Business card best practices
Keep the design simple
A business card has one purpose: to help people contact you. If your design is too complex, it will be harder for the person holding your card to find the information they need. They should be able to quickly glance at your card and learn everything they need to know to contact you.
Use a single image
In most cases, a simple design means sticking to one image, typically your logo. The image you choose should quickly and clearly convey your brand. Anything else is just a distraction.
Remember important information
Your business card need to have a clear design, but the content it contains is just as important. Make sure that any important information, such as your name and contact information, is included and easy to find.
Choose an easy-to-read font
In the name of clear communication, your font choice should be simple. While you can use a more elaborate font for your logo, information like your name, phone number, and email address should be easy to read—even for people with slight vision problems.
Invest in high-quality
Finally, your business card is like a mini version of your business. If your business card is low quality, people will assume your business is low quality too. No matter what, make sure you work with a good printer and use a high-resolution version of your logo. And use the best card stock you can afford!
Design your custom business card today
If you need business cards but haven’t gotten around to making any yet, now’s the time. There are many free templates and business card makers available to help you design your own. Choose one and get started today.