Business card design and wording, understood.
These guides cover what goes on a 3.5 × 2 in card and how to lay it out: which details to print and which to leave off, type sizes that stay readable, logo placement, color contrast, vertical or horizontal, one side or two.
They also answer the questions people ask once the design is done: whether cards are tax deductible, how to scan the ones you receive, where to leave them, and when an NFC card makes sense. Start with what to put on a business card, then use the design ideas guide for layouts. Paper and finishes have their own topic, and file setup sits under print artwork and files.
Start here: What to put on a business card: the essential details and layout.
All business card design and wording guides
START HEREBusiness card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
What to put on a business card: the essential details and layout
A business card needs your name, title, company, one or two contact routes and a website. See what to add, what to cut and how to lay out both sides.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Business card font size: the right size for every line
Most business card contact text is set at 8 to 10 points and the name at 12 to 16. See sizes for each line and how to run an actual size reading test.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Minimalist business cards: make every element earn its space
Minimalist business cards use the fewest elements a new contact needs. Learn what to keep, how to build hierarchy and which papers carry a simple design.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Business card color contrast: how to keep text readable
Business card color contrast: target at least 4.5 to 1 for small text, why paper lowers contrast, risky color pairs, white text on dark cards and QR codes.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Business card back ideas with a clear purpose
The back of a business card works best with one job: booking, portfolio, notes, a QR code or services. Compare ideas and what each needs before you print.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Vertical vs horizontal business cards: layout tradeoffs
A vertical business card is the standard 3.5 x 2 inch card turned to portrait. Compare line length, logo shape, holders and flip before choosing a layout.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Where to put your logo on a business card
Where to put a logo on a business card: six proven layouts, how big the mark should be, clear space, front or back, and how to check it at actual size.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Bilingual business cards: layout, fonts and translation
Plan bilingual business cards with one language per side or a shared face. Compare layouts, names, phone formats and fonts, then proof both languages.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
How to keep business cards consistent across a team
Keep business cards consistent across a team with a written specification, a template that fits every name, exact color records, clear approvals and reorders.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Business card redesign: keep what customers already recognize
Plan a business card redesign that keeps the logo, color and layout cues customers already know, fixes a real problem and tests the new card at actual size.
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Business card design and wording · 6 MIN READ
NFC business cards: how they work and whether you need one
NFC business cards open a link when tapped on a phone. See which phones read them, what to store, where taps fail, and when a QR code works better.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Where to leave business cards (and where not to)
Where to leave business cards so the right people pick them up: partner counters, boards and packages, why mailboxes are off limits, and how to track it.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
What title to put on a business card (and when to skip it)
Business card title ideas for owners, founders and freelancers, which licensed titles need a license, and when a short service line works better than a title.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Square business cards: sizes, pros and cons
Square business card sizes compared (2, 2.5, 2.55 and 3 inches), how they fit wallets and holders, pixel sizes for artwork, and who should choose them.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Business card taglines: 40 examples by industry and how to write yours
40 original business card tagline examples across 10 industries, a simple formula for writing your own in under eight words, and the claims to avoid printing.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Personal business cards: networking cards for job seekers and students
What to put on personal business cards for job seekers and students: name, focus, email and a LinkedIn QR code, what to leave off, and how many to order.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Printing business cards at home vs ordering them printed
How to print business cards at home on perforated or clean edge sheets, the printer settings that matter, real cost per card, and when ordering wins.
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Business card design and wording · 7 MIN READ
Business card design ideas that work in the hand, not just on screen
Eighteen business card design ideas grouped by goal, with the layout, type and paper choice that makes each one work when printed at 3.5 × 2 in.
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Business card design and wording · 6 MIN READ
Free business card templates: how to pick one that prints cleanly
Where to find free business card templates, how to judge one before you edit it, and the file checks that stop a free design from printing badly.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Business card with photo: when to use one and how to print it well
Put a photo on your business card the right way: who benefits, choosing the shot, resolution math, layouts that work, and the paper that keeps faces natural.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Business card for two businesses: one shared card or two?
Running two businesses? Decide between one shared business card and two separate cards, with decision rules, layouts for dual cards and licensing notes.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Business card mistakes that cost you clients and how to avoid them
The business card mistakes that cost clients and reprints: wrong details, tiny text, missing bleed, low resolution, poor stock and quantity, with quick fixes.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
Are business cards tax deductible? What the IRS actually says
Business cards are normally an ordinary and necessary business expense, which makes them deductible. What the rule is, what records to keep, and where the edges are.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
International business card sizes: what fits a wallet abroad
The US card is 3.5 x 2 inches, but Europe, Japan and much of Asia use different sizes. Which to print, what happens in a foreign cardholder, and how to design for both.
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Business card design and wording · 5 MIN READ
How to scan business cards into your phone and act on them
Get cards off your desk and into your contacts using the camera tools already on your phone, then add the one note that makes the contact worth having.
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