---
title: Key Questions to Ask Before Printing Business Cards
description: There are two primary reasons outsourcing and business cards don’t naturally come to mind. Here's the questions you should ask when you take the plunge.
---

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# [Key Questions to Ask Before Printing Business Cards](https://www.plasticprinters.com/business-card-questions)

 Written by [Nate](https://www.plasticprinters.com/inspiration-blog/author/nate) | Dec 4, 2013 4:00:00 PM

The decision to outsource a service rather than handle it in-house is really an **act of trust**. From data management to inbound marketing, sometimes the necessity of securing effective and quality services far outweighs the **risks** that can come from third party involvement. There's no doubt you need reliable providers, but it’s also a balancing act of priorities and expertise.

These collaborations are usually born out of something you lack; be it time or know-how. There’s nothing wrong with that. We all need to know and accommodate for our limits, but when it comes to **outsourcing business card printing**, the idea is initially met with more than a few raised eyebrows.

At [Plastic Printers](https://www.plasticprinters.com/aboutus.aspx), we decided to find out **why**. There are two primary reasons outsourcing and business cards don't naturally come to mind:

1. Businesses haven’t considered the promotional impact of a professionally designed card.
2. They have a lot of unanswered questions.

This article will address three of those questions and talk about the importance of **impact-by-design**.

## **Find the Expert; Don’t Fear the Question**

We have started to delve into this topic with our FAQ Series, but the fact of the matter is there are a lot of business card companies out there. Some are reputable, **some are not**, and some offer DIY services through online business card design.

How do you know you’re investing in the **best** outsourcing money can buy? It begins with asking the right questions.

Outsourcing business card printing is like any other investment you make; it pays to **find the expert**. You just need to know what to look for. Here’s a short **3 question interview** you can use to narrow down the right printing services:

### **Question #1: What are the cards printed on? **

If the answer is flimsy 8 gram or pre-perforated paper that you supply; **move on**. No one wants to hand out business cards that smudge or run. You’re not doing your business any good by promoting it or yourself on-the-cheap.

Sure, some outsourced business card printing offers a matte, gloss, or satin-coated finish, but how many companies do you know that offer **hand-printed plastic promotional products** that include business cards? Not just any plastic either, there’s:

- [Frosted](https://www.plasticprinters.com/businesscards)
- [Clear](https://www.plasticprinters.com/clearplasticcards/)
- [Custom die cut](https://www.plasticprinters.com/die-cut-cards)
- [Pop-out](https://www.plasticprinters.com/die-cut-business-cards/)
- Pop-up
- Prop
- And more

We even designed birthday invitations for **Sylvester Stallone**!

Our company has been [printing on plastic for over 15 years](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM4XFzio9II&feature=player_embedded). We not only pioneered the process, **we perfected it**. We are experts in the outsourced printing industry.

### **Question #2: Who’s on the design team? **

**You are**, of course! As the client who’s paying for outsourced printing, we believe you should have input in the final design. The level of involvement is up to you.

- Some clients already have an idea of what they want. If that’s you, simply upload your mock-up into our [online artwork review tool](https://info.plasticprinters.com/artwork-checker) and we’ll give you **professional feedback** within 48 hours.

- Then there are the clients who like to discuss a concept before setting it in plastic. If this is you, [contact us](https://www.plasticprinters.com/contactus/) or chat live right now and start your **collaborative design session**.

- For the hands-off or time-sensitive projects, we recommend contacting our staff through the company website: [www.plasticprinters.com](https://www.plasticprinters.com). We just need about **30 minutes** of your time to talk about your business in more detail. **We’ll handle the design** process from there.

The great news is, no matter which approach you choose, every client gets **free digital proofs** and the final say on the approval! Beware of any company that doesn’t give you design and approval options during the process.

### **Question #3: What’s the bottom line?**

Cost has to enter into the conversation sometime, right? If it doesn’t; **walk away**.

While we can’t give the exact figures for every print job--they are all custom-created and vary in design and scope--we can give you a few **cost-effective pointers**:

- **Black and white** is usually cheaper than color

- An eye-catching use of [negative space](https://blog.plasticprinters.com/inspiration/bid/348414/How-to-Turn-a-Negative-into-a-Positive-using-Nothing-but-Space) or a [barcode](https://blog.plasticprinters.com/inspiration/bid/341229/The-Secret-to-Creating-a-Barcode-that-Actually-Increases-Sales) can be as effective as a **pop of color** or a different finish.

- At half a cent per impression; outsourcing business card printing is a **very savvy use** of your marketing budget.

- Professionally designed cards have a recall rate of **83%**, a retention rate of **60%**, and a **pass along rate of 21%**.

All of this translates to a healthy **return on your investment** when you [collaborate with the experts in printing on plastic.](https://www.plasticprinters.com/getstarted.aspx)

Make sure that you get each question answered when you talk to a printing company. It is **never** a good idea to go blindly into a business transaction. Your satisfaction needs to be priority number one.

Go ahead, [contact our staff](https://www.plasticprinters.com/contactus/) for an impromptu interview. Even if your questions aren’t listed here; **we’re up to the challenge** any time. All you have to do is ask.

[View full post](https://www.plasticprinters.com/business-card-questions)

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