The rapid growth of technology and social media has changed the way we network. Online networking becomes increasingly prevalent among all industries with different business scales. Face-to-face meetings and offline networking events, however, still rule many business relationships. In these contexts, business card is an important piece of marketing collateral. There’s such a wide variety of business card types that make it hard for you to decide which one to choose for your company. So, in this article, we’ll provide you with the most used types of business cards and their distinct features. Let’s get started!

1. Standard business card

A business card needs to represent your brand and provide contact information. It doesn’t matter if you’re a startup or a company with many branches across different continents, a standard business card is a must for your business. It carries your company’s identity in a small piece of paper, and it’s the first thing to hand out or attach in the mail to your potential customers.

As it’s a standard card, all details are standardized:

  • Size: Even though the business card size might vary slightly by regions, 3.5 x 2 inch is widely accepted across countries.
  • Shape: Rectangular is preferred and used most. Other shapes, such as square, round or die-cut shapes are considered unconventional as they are difficult to sit and stay in the recipients’ card holder.
  • Color: White or cream on one side and the company’s key color on the other side
  • Printing/finishing/paper: Non-coated, no embossing

You can hardly go wrong with a standard type of card as it’s efficient enough for all kinds of business meetings. So, if you don’t have time to work with business card makers or to grapple with different complicated designs, go with a standard one. It’s a safe option for almost everyone.

2. Premium business card

As its name suggests, this type of business card can show a premium look of your business to your prospects or potential customers. Depending on your budget, the level of your premium-ness can be adjusted accordingly by using different designs, materials, etc. Below are key factors of a premium business card:

  • Size: 3.5 x 2 inch doesn’t have to be the only way to go. Die-cut would stand you out from the crowd and impress your recipients.
  • Shape: Size and shape go together. If you go with an unconventional size, it also means that your card’s shape can go out of the box. Square, round or even a unique shape to reflect your business nature can be a good option to choose from
  • Color: Business cards represent your brand. So, a premium card doesn’t have to stay with white or cream color. It can be designed to fit in with your brand colors.
  • Printing/finishing/paper: matte or high gloss.

If you’re keen on having a premium business card, paper quality is the first thing you need to look at. A high-quality paper will give your card a clean and modern look. Different color palettes also come out vibrant and clear if printed on good paper, too.

3. Matte business card

This is the right choice for business owners who don’t really need to have an innovative design but insist on having a professional look for their cards. Details vary by requirements of different companies, but below are the basics:

  • Size: 3.5 x 2 inch is preferred as this card stands out for its paper material, an unconventional size is not really important.
  • Shape: Same with size, the shape is not the decisive factor for the professionalism of matte card. Whatever shape you decide to go with, it needs to be in line with your brand.
  • Paper/printing material: With the feel of satin or silk, your card speaks for itself. It’s meant to be for those that want the best, and thus, it makes a clear statement about the quality of your business and your services.

4. Gloss business card

This is the perfect choice for those who are in fashion, design, beauty care, hospitality, cosmetics or those who want to use images in their cards. However, it doesn’t mean that this type of card is not a good fit for other businesses. As long as you want to stand out from your competitors, gloss business card is worth to be considered.

It gives your brand a beautiful, vibrant and luxurious look. This can be achieved because it makes your images or other details of your card truly pop off the card. It intensifies the colors of your business card design, and thus, brings out the most important elements of your card.

Another plus point of gloss business card is its durability. So, if you want your card to last longer in your customers’ cardholder, opt for this type of card. However, the readability of text can be a minus point because gloss business card is shiny. That said, during the design process, choosing the right typeface and making sure it’s readable even in small sizes is very important.

5. Embossed business card

This type of card delivers a high level of professionalism and premium-ness. Embossing does give not only your card an eye-catching effect but also creates a superior look and feel. It adds class and weight to your card. It allows you to highlight the most important elements of your design.

Picking and the embossed business card is a wise choice to stand out from the crowd as it looks completely different from other types of cards. In this digital age where almost anything can be done digitally, a tactile experience of embossed paper can become a unique point of your card. It gives your recipients a memorable physical feel, and thus, your business can easily be recalled when they’re in need of your products and services.

With this sophisticated type of card, it needs to be properly designed to have the right artwork for printing. Business card templates can be a good way to start before moving on to other stages of your design process.