How to Make Business Cards With Photoshop CS3

A business card made with Photoshop

The best way to get the word out about your business is networking and that means handing out business cards to people you meet. You could have someone else design business cards for you, but if you've got a computer and Adobe Photoshop, you can make cards that really express what your business does.

Things You'll Need

• Adobe Photoshop CS3
• Printer
• Business card stock

Instructions

1. Decide whether you want a photo, a graphic or just text on your business card. Traditional business cards have just words and the company logo. These can be elegant and simple, yet convey just what you want to get out. If you have a flair for graphic design or a piece of artwork you think sells your business, use that. The best business cards have a photo across the entire 2-by-3.5-inch card face with the company representative's name, the company name and contact information.

2. Open Photoshop CS3 and create a new document of at least 600 dots per inch. This high resolution will mean a big file size, but it will give you sharp detail for images, graphics and words. Set the width at 3.5 inches and the height at 2 inches. This way, you will be working within the bounds of the final card.

3. Open the photo you're going to use. Tone it to your specifications. You may need to fade it later so the text shows up better, depending on the density of the photo. The photo should be something that instantly identifies your company.

4. Choose one or two fonts for the entire card. You can use different Styles from the Window>Styles palette, but keeping the font consistent will look more professional. Since the business card is small, use about 30-point type for the company name. Put it up at the top and choose a Style that will make it standout. Red Paperclip from the Styles palette, for example, has a nice, rich red tone and a shadow to give it depth. If your company name is a pre-designed logo, import the logo and drop it into the space.

5. Add the name, contact number, e-mail and address. You also can add a company motto at the bottom.

6. Go to Layers>Flatten Image and the card is done. Purchase business card stock paper and print. Business card paper now comes without perforation marks, so you can make these in a small office with a regular inkjet printer. If you prefer, save the file as a PDF, put it on a CD and take it to a print shop.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't let the card get too busy or people will forget it.