Five Current Business Card Trends

							Five Current Business Card Trends

Business cards have broken out of their traditional corporate pigeon hole
and become a whole lot more creative in recent years. While there is
still a place for the traditional engraved card, those in creative
industries are finding new ways of expressing their individuality through
their cards. Here are some of the current trends we've noticed.

Rounded corners
Giving a softer edge to your cards, rounded corners are a great option
when you want a friendly, approachable feel to your brand. Cutting the
corners adds slightly to the cost of the card as it is an additional
process.

Folded cards
Folded cards are great when you need more space for text or pictures, but
still want to keep to regular business card sizes. There are plenty of
cleverly designed folds where the front flap is only partial, leaving the
contact information uncovered but opening to reveal additional photos or
graphics to make your card more memorable. Folding cards can also have a
longer life as useful bookmarks.

Matte finish
Glossy cards are hard to write on, which makes them inconvenient for that
networking tip of jotting notes or numbers onto your cards before handing
them over. A matte finish allows for writing on, with a subtle and
attractive sheen and gives a good protection to the card so that it lasts
longer.

Pictures on cards
They always say that a picture is worth a thousand words and, on a
business card where space is limited, pictures can make all the
difference in making your brand memorable. The trend is moving away from
headshots and towards more creative uses of photography integrated into
the design of the whole card, so for example a landscape photograph takes
up the whole card with the contact details superimposed over a light
background area of the photo.

QR codes
Love them or loathe them, they are   making their presence felt on business
cards everywhere now. The trick is   to use them creatively, both in the
design and in where they lead to -   a url taking visitors to a newsletter
sign-up page is one functional use   for them.

Of course there are plenty more creative business card ideas out there:
die cut shapes, unusual materials, funky fonts. Let your creativity flow,
but do make sure that the basics of a business card still are functional,
that the contact information is clear and easy to read, that the card
will fit in a wallet and of course that it really does represent your
brand.