photo business cards

wxnut · Jul 12, 2006

Any of you use your photos on business cards and get them printed on photo paper? I just sent one out to be printed today. Just orderd one sheet of them to see how they look. What do you think?

pacereve · Jul 13, 2006

To be blunt-it's pretty bad. Sorry.

You have a nice image, but the text makes the entire piece look cheezy. A basic rule of thumb: the signature (which is your name and contact information) should usually be set at the bottom of your 'business card'.

What you try to accomplish is to catch the viewer's attention by either using a catchy slogan or a sharp image. After you have their attention, they're eyes skim to the bottom and you seal the deal with your signature (name, phone number, website).

In yours, the views looks right away to your signature, which is very very difficult to read, and they don't get the urge to look at your website our call you. Deffinately try a differen't font too; you don't want anything too fancy for a signature, basic and easy to read will do just fine. As of the picture, it doesn't really catch the eye and make the reader want to look into things further. It's a nice image, but as an 'ad' you need something that will grab the eye.

So a quick overview in my brain dump:
- Catch the viewer's attention; in your case a photograph that directs the reader's eye to one specific spot in the ad.
- Give them a taste of what you have to offer. In your case, your expertise etc.
- Seal the deal with your business name, website, and contact information. If they're impressed, they'll look at your website for more "awe" and if they're interested, you'll get the phone call or email.

I hope that helps!

Funkyflame · Jul 13, 2006

the pic looks good, bit the text is not so advance

hot shot · Jul 13, 2006

looks kinda cheesy i have picture one side and then signiture and stuff on the other side just and idea

markc · Jul 13, 2006

The image isn't the size of a normal business card, which is 2"x3.5". Most image will either need to be cropped, or as others have suggested, have space at on end for text.

I agree with others about a different font and image. I'd prefer an image with a bit more "pop".

jdunphy · Jul 13, 2006

Don't be afraid to leave some space at the bottom or top for your text. While the idea of a continuous image on one side of a card is often nice, in this case your text and the image seem to be fighting each other for space and attention. If you separate the two, it will probably make the card feel less cluttered. Also, if you're going to overlay text and image, you should either find an area where the contrast will be high enough that a glow isn't necessary, or resort to a different tactic than the glow. A low opacity white box under the text would give a nice shape to that portion of the card and distinguish the text from the image in a less distracting manner.

Also, I don't know what your niche is, but the ceremony taking place in the photo looks "more religious" than the one I had. I think a photo that concentrates more on the bride and groom, and less on the ceremony itself. All I see of the bride and groom are the backs of their heads, and that really doesn't inspire much interest in their roles in the image.

To summarize: Simple, simple, simple. Use clean fonts, and only overlap items if you're sure they're going to improve the overall composition of the design. For some people a card is very important, and you want to be sure that when they find it on their coffee table three days from now, it gives them a good impression of you.

Christie Photo · Jul 13, 2006

wxnut said:
Any of you use your photos on business cards and get them printed on photo paper? I just sent one out to be printed today. Just orderd one sheet of them to see how they look. What do you think?

It's not a bad first effort. I don't use photo cards. I suppose I should. I have made some for clients. I suggest you look into having them done on an offset press. It's pretty cheap these days. You can buy small amount too (100). I've used a place called Overnight Prints and had good results.

Pete