Comments on: How to Make Business Cards on a Computer

on 10/17/2008 This was very helpful. I had been searching for a free business card maker and wasted a LOT of time. Thank you for saving my afternoon. These instructions were a bit simple for the clueless user (like me). But after a little playing around I figured most of it out. The only problem I still have is with margins. The printed cards are slightly too large for space allowed by the perforated paper I'm using.

on 9/17/2008 Thank you!

Great job. I succeeded on the first try.

I really appreciate this information.

Brenda in Spain

on 9/11/2008 Thank you very much,
I asked FedExOffice guy, he said that Microsoft Word doesn't have a template for business card, so I decided to do my google search and find this easy steps.
I have my business card printed tomorrow I'll just print in a hard paper.
Thanks
Margarita

on 8/12/2008 Hi, when it comes to this sort of thing I get so far then I find it won't print, is this program free and will it let me print, I only want to get some done with jokes on them for friends.

on 1/9/2008 I have a Hpdeskjet 940c Printer
is this good enough for business cards, card paper alwys jams why,
If i could do this i could find hundreds of customers, can you help me get started with a few tips please.
thanks,
Stuart

on 8/1/2006 Use glossy photo paper if you're adding your picture, it makes a great impression. Always use a heavy stock whether or not you're using graphics. Preview the cards in the program to get ideas and/or edit to your liking.

I have several card programs and they all allow you to format your card any way you wish. Very easy and simple.

on 3/21/2006 Remember that printing with an inkjet printer, your business card will not be waterproof unless your using 40.00 water proof ink cartridges. In that case, avoid giving your cards out in the rain or in a place where somebody will spill a drink on it.

on 3/21/2006 Don't use the pre-perforated business card stock. When I get a BC like that, I typically throw it away. It implies an unprofessional attention to detail.

Go to a paper house (even a print store) and get good cardstock and print on that. Invest is a small paper cutter that lets you cut straight lines easily.

The difference in quality is dramatic!

on 3/21/2006 If you have to do it yourself, and aren't going to use a professional printer, don't use the perforated Avery cards. They are so thin, and the perforated edges look so cheap! Do you want your business to look cheap? Your cards represent your business and its principles.

Buy regular cardstock (its cheaper anyways), and then find someone with a desk paper cutter (try Kinko's or a print shop), and cut them out with that. You'll have straight, clean edges, and will look a lot nicer for little extra effort.

Or, have a professional do it for you.

on 3/21/2006 In the 1980s, I designed business cards using a text editor (really), giving the printout to a professional printer, who would do the layout and printing for a nominal charge. More recently, I used a vector-based drawing program, creating an invisible "frame" for the outline of the card, along with another invisible frame for the "margins" of the card. Using the vector-based program allowed me to keep all the various objects (text, graphics, etc.) as objects, and I could freely to move them around within the margins. I then exported the result to PDF, and handed the resulting PDF file to the local Kinko's.
Basically, I don't see how Microsoft Word is any better at producing business cards, since there's no built-in way to emit PDF.

on 11/22/2005 By the way, you probably don't won't to give out your business cards on cheap, white paper if you are going for the best impression. Remember, HP has a ton of different types of paper you can by at Office Depot or Staples.

on 11/22/2005 in order to insert a picture into your business card template in MS Word and actually put it where you want it, you need to first insert the picture, then when it's selected you click on "format" from the main menu, choose "picture", select the "layout" tab, and click on the "behind text" box so the picture will be on its own layer (this will allow you to move the picture).

next, create a text box from the drawing toolbar where you want your text to appear, and enter your text in that box. you'll also now be able to move the text box to the position you prefer as it's also on its own layer. make sure you format the box so that there is no background color and no border lines (both can be accessed through the "lines" menu on the drawing toolbar).

finally, now you'll be able to actually continue making your card.

on 11/22/2005 If you're making your own business cards from scratch (in a program such as Adobe InDesign of Quark Xpress), remember that business cards measure 2 in high, by 3.5 inches long.