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Business Cards
I'd be interested in seeing your business card; esepecially if you've created it yourself. Since I'm thinking of creating my own card, any tips would be appreciated as well. Do and don'ts... what you'd do different next time, etc. Regards. Aug 14 06 06:32 pm Link A tip: Hire a professional. Ought To Be Shot wrote: Aug 14 06 06:38 pm Link If you want to create a business card using one of your own images and don't want to spend a lot, I might suggest Vista Print. I particularly like the fact that, after I ordered my first box of 250 cards, they constantly send me offers for more *free* business cards (ok...so I pay $2.99 shipping, big deal). So now I have several different cards with totally different looks (I even made one for the occasional wedding shoot!). My total outlay has been maybe $20 and the cards are very good quality. And I can't bitch about the design to anyone but myself! Aug 14 06 06:42 pm Link I use vista print - and I can't complain. The price was right, and the cards are pretty good. Aug 14 06 06:45 pm Link These threads may help. Forum search for "cards": https://www.modelmayhem.com/search.php? … mit=Search Aug 14 06 06:46 pm Link Dave Wright Photo wrote: I will be getting them professionally printed, but I want to create the image myself. Aug 14 06 06:49 pm Link Dave Wright Photo wrote: Haha ... that would be us, right? Aug 14 06 06:50 pm Link Ought To Be Shot wrote: This is one of my cards (personal info blurred because it is a public forum) Aug 14 06 06:52 pm Link Clarification: I'm all for people doing things themselves, if they actually know what they're doing. However, I've seen far too many awful business cards, done by people who are photographers (or models, or anything else). Hiring and working with a talented graphic designer is not something you'd be likely to regret. A photographer is not necessarily a designer capable of producing an effective business card, logo, website, whatever. Dave Wright Photo wrote: Click Hamilton wrote: Aug 14 06 06:58 pm Link Another Vista print fan here. I ordered a box from them and think they're great. Aug 14 06 06:59 pm Link Ought To Be Shot wrote: After making 4 different cards and having them printed up, I got a professional to make one. Best money I ever spent--I could tell my designs were weak, but couldn't tell how to make them better. Even the designer's weakest thumbnails were stronger than mine, and she whipped out half a dozen styles in under an hour. (Refining took a little longer.) Aug 14 06 07:02 pm Link Another solution that I recommend is White House Custom Color. You go in Photoshop and create a 2x3.5 file at 300 dpi (leaving some room on the edge for cropping) and have them print it. 250 cards are $25 in full color or you can do two side cards for $30. I like WHCC because if you can create it in Photoshop, you can print it on your cards. No templates, etc. whcc.com They also do killer prints. Business cards are not as cheap is $2.99, but they are glossy and again, only your imagination will limit what you can do. (PS Their website stinks and is uninformative at times. So good luck) Aug 14 06 07:06 pm Link Correct me if I'm wrong, but vistaprint puts their logo and website on the back of YOUR business card, and lets everyone know that you paid nothing for your primary business tool. If that's true, I don't believe that's a good idea if you are looking to be taken seriously as a professional individual. Aug 14 06 07:07 pm Link I used Vista Prints myself. Though I paid the extra $ so as not to have there info on it. I also custom desined it on both sides. One side is light grey with my website address only,(Dark grey and orange), the other side is dark grey & black textured with my business name(orange & olive), phone number and email address (orange). I get lots of compliments on them when I hand them out. I think I ended up paying $40 +/- total for 250. I'm really pleased!! Aug 14 06 07:09 pm Link Professionally printed. White or off-white card stock with black, dark brown or dark blue lettering. An easy-to-read font. Name, title, contact information (phone and/or email address), possibly a website URL, possibly a mailing address. No pictures. If you use a picture, you'll get tired of it before you've used the cards you had printed, and it will too tightly define what you do. These are the guidelines for business cards, no matter what the business. They'll be taken seriously. If you want to spend more at the print shop, pay for better card stock and embossed lettering. Nothing is taken less seriously than an obviously printed-at-home business card. -Don Aug 14 06 07:15 pm Link Well, whatever it costs to not have their logo on the back... it's worth it! $40 for 250 seems pretty steep, though. Aug 14 06 07:17 pm Link Great advice so far... thanks all. Do any of you recommend using an actual port shot as the main picture element on the card? Might this, albeit unintentional, typecast the card? Aug 14 06 07:22 pm Link Click Hamilton wrote: Dave Wright Photo wrote: Haha ... that would be us, right? WRONG! Aug 14 06 07:22 pm Link Definitely hire a professional designer. As a professional designer myself, I can say from experience that there are various concerns in the realm of printing that you might not be aware of or equipped to deal with. Some printers will try to charge you extra for services that are easily and more cheaply done by someone with experience, too, and that generally sucks. ;p I also agree that it'd be better to use a logo or something simple and to-the-point, rather than incorporating a photo. Well, unless you think you have one image that can sum up *everything* you do in the world of photography, but I'm sure that's a tall order!  Aug 14 06 07:27 pm Link D. Brian Nelson wrote: Wow... you answered my next question before I asked it! :-S Aug 14 06 07:28 pm Link Ought To Be Shot wrote: Folks will see the card and decide exactly what you do based on the picture, right or not. A picture on a business card is a bad idea unless it's of you and you're a used car salesman. Aug 14 06 07:31 pm Link Aside from being a photographer the other side of my business is graphic design. They fit together very nicely. My business cards are small samples of my work printed on coated cardstock. Both attractive and durable. They got such good reactions that I've been taking photos and designing business cards for a number of local clients. Aug 14 06 09:11 pm Link Mine are simple. Not a lot of design to them. Just the essential information. I have them professionally printed on sort of a parchment type stock. It's semi-transparent when placed flat, and opaque when held up. Aug 14 06 09:16 pm Link I'm a graphic designer with a passion for typography as well as a photographer, so mine are Text only, made in Adobe InDesign using Pantone process colors for consistency, printed on Avery coated matte, clean release business card stock. I make 'em when i need 'em. Aug 14 06 09:27 pm Link Relentless self-promotion, oh yes. I go through these at a rate of knots.   Aug 15 06 12:53 am Link The simpler the better. Not much space on a card and you don't want clutter. Keep it very simple, your name, service and basic contact info. Use a readable font, don't get artsy. You will have the chance to elaborate after contact is made. If you need to make a double sided card you are trying to say too much. And yes, I am a designer as well as a photographer (and an artist -guitarist-songwriter-oh God not another left handed......) Aug 15 06 01:40 am Link Mine does have one photograph that I like, I have another as well. One is basically purple and I frequently models as "I remember your purple card." Sounds strange for a color but it works. It was professionally printed Aug 15 06 02:27 am Link I'm another Vista Print fan. I made a custom 2 sided card, so there's no logo or watermarks of theirs on my card. They look good, they're cheap, and once you make a small order they constantly send you discounts for future printings. Aug 15 06 06:33 pm Link Actually designing a bus card yourself is a very poor idea. We are photographers, not graphic designers and graphic design is an entirely different set of skills. A business card is usually your first and often your only contact with a potential client. Too often a self designed card looks like what it is, a home made card and instead of showing creativity it shows "I'm an amateur who is too cheap to get a professional card". Hire a skilled grapic artist, it will pay you back in the long run! Here is my own card. http://www.distinctiveimages.com/buscard.jpg Aug 15 06 07:00 pm Link |
