Creative Business Card Ideas - Improve & Customize Templates

I love creative design and looking at articles showcasing interesting, effective and creative business cards and logos. Although often the ideas featured, while incredibly creative, aren't using techniques that a majority of companies would find feasible to implement. But, even if you are a one-man show just getting off the ground, doesn't mean that you can't be creative and add a little flair to your business cards that will make you stand out from the crowd. Here are a few ideas to start you thinking about the possibilities of what you can do even if you are making your own cards using a business card template instead of going to a high priced design firm:

Pick the Right Paper

Not all paper is created equal. The same design can have a different effect when printed on a different kind of paper. Heavier card stock will help create an impression of strength and stability. An interesting or unusual texture will stand out and grab a closer look. Use vellum or a transparency sheet to let the light shine through, or create an earthy feel with a natural paper. Small changes like the type of paper you pick can help support your brand and help your business card stand out.

Change the Color

One of the fun features of CardWorks business card software is the option to change the color scheme of a template expanding the range of possibilities. This not only gives you more choices and flexibility in finding a single card design for business; this can be a fun way to add a little variety by printing several cards using the same layout but different color schemes.

Change the Cut

Even with a template, you can change the size of your business card. A fancy cut may not be reasonable, but with some designs taking a little more off one of the sides would only require moving a few items. Business cards have a very standard size, so changing the proportions will be a noticeable change that will help your card unique with little extra effort.

Add Some Personality

Even the text on your business card is a place to spice things up. You have probably seen companies that use creative titles like "Sandwich Artist" or "Sales Ninja." In addition to the job title, you can also consider using the space that was designated for a company slogan or tagline to add a call to action or quote to make you more memorable.

Add A QR Code

The templates available for CardWorks business card software have space for a photo. Adding your picture can make a business card feel more personable, but to change things up, you can also use that image space to add something else like a QR code that will open your website or go to a special offer. This will make your business car more engaging, and pique people's interest and curiosity.

Display Your Location

In The Tipping Point one idea Malcolm Gladwell discussed was how adding a map showing the location of the college health center on an immunization flier increased the number of students who came in the door, even though students would have already known where the health center was. A map can help people figure out how something fits into their lives/plans, and remind them where to go. Help people find you by changing the image on the back-side of your business card to be a map. Instead of using the default back-side of a template or leaving the back blank, load a map to be the background image to help customers remember where to find you.

Try PhotoPad photo editor to clean up your photo, crop a map or edit any other digital images before you place them on your business card in CardWorks, then have fun taking those business card templates to the next level and making them the right fit for you and your business.