{"id":1476,"date":"2006-07-07T15:57:28","date_gmt":"2006-07-07T10:27:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/"},"modified":"2026-10-21T15:27:51","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T09:57:51","slug":"create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Card Design Tips: 10 Ways to Make a Lasting Impression (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When you hand someone your business card, you&#8217;re handing them a reminder of you that they might keep for years. In 2006 we picked up some memorable ideas from Robert Scoble&#8217;s business card advice: braille printing, unusual materials, both languages for international contacts, and checking for typos three times. These <strong>business card design tips<\/strong> bring that advice up to date for 2026, when a card often works alongside a QR code and your online profiles.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-67867\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/business-card-design-tips-2026.webp\" alt=\"Business card design tips - two people giving a high five on first meeting\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/business-card-design-tips-2026.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/business-card-design-tips-2026-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/business-card-design-tips-2026-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/business-card-design-tips-2026-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/business-card-design-tips-2026-768x403.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Keep a standard size (3.5 x 2 inches in the US, 85 x 55 mm in Europe), include only your name, title, phone, email and website, use clear fonts and plenty of white space, add a QR code that links to your contact details or portfolio, print on good-quality card stock, and proofread everything at least three times before printing. Free tools like Canva have ready-made templates.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aebd20ca3822\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aebd20ca3822\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#10_business_card_design_tips\" >10 business card design tips<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#1_Stick_to_a_standard_size\" >1. Stick to a standard size<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#2_Include_only_what_matters\" >2. Include only what matters<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#3_Make_it_readable\" >3. Make it readable<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#4_Add_a_QR_code\" >4. Add a QR code<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#5_Be_Googleable\" >5. Be Googleable<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#6_Choose_quality_materials\" >6. Choose quality materials<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#7_Think_about_accessibility\" >7. Think about accessibility<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#8_Use_both_languages_for_international_contacts\" >8. Use both languages for international contacts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#9_Triple-check_for_typos\" >9. Triple-check for typos<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#10_Be_different_within_reason\" >10. Be different, within reason<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#Tools_to_design_your_card\" >Tools to design your card<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#Digital_business_cards\" >Digital business cards<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#What_is_the_standard_business_card_size\" >What is the standard business card size?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#What_should_be_on_a_business_card\" >What should be on a business card?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#Should_I_put_a_QR_code_on_my_business_card\" >Should I put a QR code on my business card?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/create-a-great-business-card-everlasting-first-impressions\/#Are_paper_business_cards_still_worth_it_in_2026\" >Are paper business cards still worth it in 2026?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_business_card_design_tips\"><\/span>10 business card design tips<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Stick_to_a_standard_size\"><\/span>1. Stick to a standard size<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This was the best advice in the original post, and it still is. Odd sizes and shapes may look clever, but they don&#8217;t fit wallets, cardholders or scanners, and often end up in the bin. In the US and Canada the standard is 3.5 x 2 inches; in much of Europe it&#8217;s 85 x 55 mm.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Include_only_what_matters\"><\/span>2. Include only what matters<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Name, job title, company, phone, email and website are enough for most people. Add one social profile, such as LinkedIn, if it&#8217;s important for your work. A crowded card is hard to read.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Make_it_readable\"><\/span>3. Make it readable<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Use simple fonts at a comfortable size, strong contrast between text and background, and plenty of white space. Avoid tiny grey text on dark backgrounds.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Add_a_QR_code\"><\/span>4. Add a QR code<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A QR code bridges paper and digital: link it to a digital contact card (vCard), your portfolio or your LinkedIn page so people can save your details in seconds. You can make one with our free <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/tools\/qr-code-generator\/\">QR code generator<\/a>. Test it with several phones before printing.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Be_Googleable\"><\/span>5. Be Googleable<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The original advice was to get your own domain and a professional website so people can find more about you. That&#8217;s still smart: a simple personal site or portfolio with your own domain looks more professional than a free profile alone.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Choose_quality_materials\"><\/span>6. Choose quality materials<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Scoble once had cards made from a rubbery material, and the feel of a card does make an impression. Thick card stock, a matte or soft-touch finish, or recycled paper all stand out without changing the size.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Think_about_accessibility\"><\/span>7. Think about accessibility<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Scoble&#8217;s Microsoft cards included his details in braille, a thoughtful touch for blind contacts. Even if braille isn&#8217;t practical for you, high contrast and readable type help everyone.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Use_both_languages_for_international_contacts\"><\/span>8. Use both languages for international contacts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you do business in two countries, printing the second language on the back is a courteous gesture that can help break the ice.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Triple-check_for_typos\"><\/span>9. Triple-check for typos<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A typo in your phone number or email makes the card useless and suggests carelessness. Proofread every detail, ask someone else to check it, and test the phone number, email and QR code before you order.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Be_different_within_reason\"><\/span>10. Be different, within reason<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Add one memorable element, such as a bold color, a clean logo or an interesting back side, while keeping the essentials clear and the size standard.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tools_to_design_your_card\"><\/span>Tools to design your card<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canva.com\/create\/business-cards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Canva<\/strong><\/a> has a free business card maker with a large library of customizable templates you can download or print. Word processors and design apps also have business card templates. For a matching color scheme, our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/tools\/hex-to-rgb\/\">HEX to RGB converter<\/a> helps you get the exact brand colors for print and screen.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Digital_business_cards\"><\/span>Digital business cards<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Many people now also share contact details digitally through a QR code, a contact file or a link in bio. A digital card is easy to update, but a printed card is still useful at events and meetings where a quick, physical exchange is natural. Many professionals carry both. If you market a small business, see our tips to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/05\/market-business-to-mobile-users\/\">market your business to mobile users<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_standard_business_card_size\"><\/span>What is the standard business card size?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>3.5 x 2 inches (about 89 x 51 mm) in the US and Canada, and 85 x 55 mm in much of Europe.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_should_be_on_a_business_card\"><\/span>What should be on a business card?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Your name, job title, company, phone number, email and website. Optionally add a QR code and one key social profile.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_I_put_a_QR_code_on_my_business_card\"><\/span>Should I put a QR code on my business card?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, if it links somewhere useful, like a digital contact card or portfolio. Test it before printing.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_paper_business_cards_still_worth_it_in_2026\"><\/span>Are paper business cards still worth it in 2026?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes for many people, especially at events and in-person meetings. Pair them with a digital option for easy follow-up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you hand someone your business card, you&#8217;re handing them a reminder of you that they might keep for years&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":67867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1476"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67868,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1476\/revisions\/67868"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}