---
title: Anatomy of a Business Card
description: Transform your business with Custom Business Cards. Custom Business Cards designed with your brand, your style, and your business in mind.  Get motivated to create your own amazing business cards! Learn all about business card design, size, history, content, and famous examples. Get started now!
---

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# Everything You Ever Need to Know About Business Cards

Run through all the basics to ensure your business card is the best it can be.

#### Get In Touch

## The Anatomy of a Business Card

When it comes to representing yourself, everything has to be just right. Business cards are a reflection of their owner, so constructing an impression that fits you or your business is important. Never fear, there are plenty of factors that can be customized at every level to make sure the card represents you perfectly. To make a great card, you need to know what makes up a great card, something you can learn right here.

![Business Card Design](https://www.plasticprinters.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Design2-1.png?width=172&height=132&name=Design2-1.png)

#### Business Card Design

Business card design is everything. The way you present yourself and your business through your card tells your customers who you are. Your aesthetic appeal can help improve your sales, and a clear and effective design can improve your customer relations and reduce confusion. Your creativity and acumen can shine through your business card, you just have to design it.

[Read More](https://www.plasticprinters.com/business-card-designs?hsLang=en-us)

##### Just the Facts:

- Business card design is everything that improves customer retention, which includes a lot of different facets. Material, type, size, embellishment, thickness, shape, each choice allows you to say something about your business.
- Focus and knowledge of a customer base allows for clear and effective card design.
- Business cards are a way to expand your brand, and brand consistency is key to an effective sell. That means a consistent font, color scheme, and logo.

##### Just the Facts:

- The European standard size, 3.35“ x 2.17”, is larger than the traditional U.S. standard, 3.5“ x 2”.
- Traditional business cards had square corners, but custom business cards often have rounded corners that help the card fit easily into customers’ wallets.
- Custom shapes can heavily increase customer retention, but will also heavily impact the size of your card. It can be easily worth it to have an eye-catching, custom card shape.

![Business Card Size](https://www.plasticprinters.com/hs-fs/hubfs/size.png?width=172&height=124&name=size.png)

#### Business Card Size

There is a lot to consider when looking into business card size. The standards between countries can vary, and the traditional business card size is too wide to easily fit into an average wallet. The standard business card size in the U.S. is 3.5“ x 2”, but we recommend you use the credit card size, 3.375“ x 2.125”, so your card can fit smoothly into your customer’s wallet. When it comes down to it, depending on the impression you're trying to make, any size is possible.

[Read More](https://www.plasticprinters.com/business-card-size?hsLang=en-us)

![Business Card Construction](https://www.plasticprinters.com/hs-fs/hubfs/construction.png?width=172&height=132&name=construction.png)

#### Business Card Construction

After deciding size and shape, the next step is to choose what material to construct your card with, and what finish or embellishment you want to adorn it with. Many, many materials have been used to make business cards over the years, with paper and plastic being the two most popular. Soft to the touch, metallic and sleek, your card’s construction can be as unique as your business.

[Read More](https://www.plasticprinters.com/business-card-construction?hsLang=en-us)

##### Just the Facts:

- Beyond simply choosing a material type, you can also fully customize what to do with the material. You can have transparent cards, frosted cards, or your choice of different metal looks.
- Business cards have been made out of everything from cotton to cork, the possibilities are endless.
- As time goes on, business cards get more and more impressive. NFC (near-field communication) and QR cards can simply add your contact information to your customer’s phone, making business cards easy to customize and easy to share.

##### Just the Facts:

- You can make business cards into shapes that emphasize exactly what you offer; if you are a photographer, make a card shaped like a camera lens, or a photograph.
- Color and font are important choices that will impact retention with customers, and can increase your brand consistency.

![Business Card Content](https://www.plasticprinters.com/hs-fs/hubfs/content.png?width=172&height=132&name=content.png)

#### Business Card Content

How your card looks is a major part of the design process, but what your card actually says is equally important. Business cards are made to transfer your information to your potential customers or employers, and that information can come through text, images, or even shape.

[Read More](https://www.plasticprinters.com/business-card-content?hsLang=en-us)

![Business Card Examples & Popular Cards](https://www.plasticprinters.com/hs-fs/hubfs/examples.png?width=172&height=132&name=examples.png)

#### Business Card Examples & Popular Cards

You’ve seen business cards in movies, TV, magazines, books, tacked to coffee shop cork boards, and stationed at check-in counters; business cards are recognizable, and they are everywhere. It can be a big help to look at some already designed business cards before taking the steps to design your own.

[Read More](https://www.plasticprinters.com/business-card-examples?hsLang=en-us)

##### Just the Facts:

- [50 Cool Business Cards that get a second look.](https://www.plasticprinters.com/inspiration-blog/50-cool-business-cards-that-get-a-second-look?hsLang=en-us)
- [50 Eye Catching and Unique Business Cards.](https://www.plasticprinters.com/inspiration-blog/50-eye-catching-and-unique-business-cards?hsLang=en-us)
- [Business Card Design.](https://www.plasticprinters.com/business-card-design?hsLang=en-us)

##### Just the Facts:

- Early business cards were used to develop personal relationships and self-advertising, used to share condolences or congratulations.
- Trade cards were small ads for product or person, and were often packaged with purchased items.
- Depending on where you are in the world, business cards will come with a strict etiquette built on centuries of practice.

![The History and Culture of Business Cards](https://www.plasticprinters.com/hs-fs/hubfs/History-1.png?width=172&height=132&name=History-1.png)

#### The History and Culture of Business Cards

Business cards, or something similar, have existed since the 15th century. While Johannes Gutenberg was inventing the printing press, the Chinese aristocrats were utilizing calling cards and visiting cards. These cards merged with European trade cards to create what we know as business cards today.

[Read More](https://www.plasticprinters.com/history-of-business-cards?hsLang=en-us)

## Our Business Cards

Designing a card that’s right for your business has never been easier.

Whether it’s plastic or metal, transparent or frosted, NFC or traditional, customizing a business card alongside the dedicated team at Plastic Printers is a fun, creative, and productive experience. The freedom to choose is Plastic Printer’s bread and butter, and you’ll leave with a card that builds lasting connections and shows off your brand.

[Get Started](https://www.plasticprinters.com/business-card-anatomy#)

###### Talk to Us

[1.800.808.7472](tel:8008087472)

###### Have questions?

[Chat with an Expert](https://www.plasticprinters.com/business-card-anatomy#hs-chat-open)

###### See for Yourself

[Order a Sample Pack](https://www.plasticprinters.com/samplerequestsignup?hsLang=en-us)

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