What information goes on a business card?
Think of the card as the answer to three questions a recipient asks later: who is this, what do they do, and how do I reach them. The table sorts common details by how often they earn a place.
| Detail | Include? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Always | The card is useless without it |
| Title or service | Almost always | Explains why the recipient kept the card |
| Company name or logo | Always for businesses | Builds recognition |
| Phone | Usually | Fastest route for many clients |
| Usually | Preferred route for many professionals | |
| Website | Usually | Gives depth the card cannot |
| Street address | Only if people visit | Stores, offices, clinics |
| Social handles | One, if it shows current work | More splits attention |
| QR code | When it opens something useful | Pair it with a readable URL |
| License number | When your trade requires it | Check with your licensing body |
If the company name already names the trade, the title line can be shorter. An abstract brand name needs a plain service line.
What should you leave off a business card?
Cut anything that ages fast or adds no decision. Personal mobile numbers you may change, temporary promotions, a full list of services and every social account all compete with the essentials. Remove labels such as Phone and Email when the format already makes the meaning obvious, which frees space for larger type.
Old details are worse than missing ones. If your email, number or website is likely to change in the next few months, print a smaller run.
How should contact details be written on a business card?
Write them the way people will use them. Format phone numbers consistently, with dots, spaces or parentheses, and add the country code only if you work internationally. Use a business email on your own domain when you have one, since it looks more established than a free address and moves with you if you change providers. Drop the https and www from a website unless your address needs them, so the URL is shorter and easier to type.
Check every character twice. A single wrong digit makes a whole box of cards useless, and it is a common reason cards get reprinted. Ask someone else to call the number and send an email to the address on the proof before you approve it.
What goes on the front and back of a business card?
The front establishes identity: name, title, company and the main contact route. Someone who sees only the front should still know what the card is for. The back is for one supporting job, such as a logo, a short tagline, a QR code, a list of three services or an appointment line.
Do not move essential contact details to the back just to keep the front empty. Business card back ideas covers practical uses for the second side.
How big should the text be on a business card?
Keep body text at 7 to 8 points or larger, and the name at 10 to 14 points, depending on the typeface. Thin script fonts need to be bigger. Contrast matters as much as size: the W3C contrast guidance asks for at least 4.5 to 1 for normal text, and pale gray on white often falls short in print. The business card font size guide lists sizes by element.
| Element | Typical size |
|---|---|
| Name | 10 to 14 pt |
| Title and company | 8 to 10 pt |
| Contact details | 7 to 9 pt |
| Fine print or license | 6 to 7 pt, bold weight helps |
How do you lay out a business card?
Start with the longest real content, not placeholder text. Type your actual name, the longest email address and the full title into the template, then build the layout around them. Keep all text inside the safe area, usually at least an eighth of an inch inside the trim, so the cutting blade never clips a letter.
Group related items. Name and title belong together, and contact routes belong together. Leave space between the groups rather than filling every corner. The business card brief tool records the details you want before you start designing.
Should you put a QR code on a business card?
Add one only when it opens something a person would want: a booking page, a portfolio, a menu or a saved contact. Print the URL next to it for people who do not scan, and test the code at final size. The QR code needs a clear margin four modules wide on every side, as DENSO WAVE specifies.
Do some professions need extra details?
Yes. Many licensed trades, real estate agents, insurance agents and financial professionals may be required to show a license number, brokerage or regulatory disclosure on advertising, and rules vary by state. Confirm the exact wording with your licensing body or compliance team before you approve the proof. Keep the text small but readable.
Checklist before you order
- Name, title or service, company, one or two contact routes and a website.
- Remove any detail that is likely to change soon.
- Front for identity, back for one supporting job.
- Contact text at 7 points or larger with strong contrast.
- All text inside the safe area.
- Required license or disclosure text confirmed.
- A printed proof checked at actual size.
When the content is settled, the business card maker builds a layout from your details, and standard cards come in matte, glossy and uncoated 14pt stock.
Frequently asked questions
What are the five things on a business card?
The five essentials are your full name, your job title or service, your company name or logo, one or two contact routes such as phone and email, and a website. A street address, a QR code, one social handle or a license number are added only when they help the person receiving the card.
Should I put my address on a business card?
Include a street address only when people visit you, such as a store, office, clinic or studio. If you work from home or travel to clients, a city and state, a service area line or just a website is enough. Leaving the address off also frees space for larger contact text.
What should be on the back of a business card?
Give the back one job. Good options are a logo, a short tagline, a QR code with a clear reason to scan, three core services, an appointment line or a portfolio image. Keep the essential identity and contact details on the front, so the card still works when someone sees only one side.
Is it okay to leave a business card simple?
Yes. A simple card with a name, title, company and one clear contact route is easier to read than a crowded one. Use the space for larger type and more contrast. A simple card still needs accurate details, a readable size and a proof check before you order a full run.
Sources & specification notes
The references below support the relevant technical or product details in this guide. Examples and checklists are not claims of practical testing or universal supplier requirements. Confirm the current specifications for your chosen product before production.
- W3C: Understanding WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3, contrast minimum ↗
Text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1, or 3 to 1 for large text of 18 point, or 14 point bold.
- DENSO WAVE: QR code minimum size and quiet zone ↗
A QR code needs a margin four modules wide on every side, and more data moves the code to a higher version with more modules.
