Not Sure Which Business Card Paper To Choose?

So you've decided to print your own business cards? Where do you start? First things first you're going to need some business card paper and some creativity.

The first important aspect is the dimension of the card you want to use. A "standard" business card is 85mm x 54mm. This is normally fine except if the business card paper you're going to use is a different size or you simply want a different size and type of business card.

Once you've decided on the dimensions of your business card you'll then need to choose exactly what type of paper you're going to use. Business card paper for your inkjet printer is availabe in a wide variety of colors and styles although white gloss or white matte is the norm for most business cards today.

A critical aspect of choosing your business card paper is whether or not you want to use micro-perforated or clean edge cards? A micro-perforated card will have a slightly rough edge to it whereas a clean edge card will look and feel exactly like one produced by a professional printer. The clean edge cards are normally 50% more expensive than the micro-perforated type but the final results are worth the extra cost.

Your business card paper can also have different types of coating on it so be aware of this in advance. Typical options are uncoated, matte, glossy or textured. Which one you choose will depend on:

A. Your budget
B. The desired result

Glossy and textured paper obviously cost more than standard uncoated business card paper but the final result will impress anyone who winds up holding one of your cards.

Bear in mind the thickness of the card you intend to use. Each inkjet printer has a maximum rated paper thickness that it can use. Trying to force your inkjet printer to feed through paper that's too big can results in damage to your printer.

Prices starting as low as $6.00 for 25 sheets at 10 cards per sheet or 250 cards. That's a really good deal considering what a local printer is going to charge you for 250 color business cards with your own logo on them.

Last but not least you need to consider the software. Business card paper can be used with DTP software or specialized business card design software. Something as simple as Microsoft Word can produce more than adequate results. If you are, however, looking for the best possible output then it would be worthwhile to investigate dedicated business card design software.

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