Business Cards: Finding a Professional Printer

A few weeks ago, we gave a few tips on how to design your business cards. Having a well made business card is one of the best investments for the money you can ever make. That card costing pennies to make, could lead to that big sales deal worth thousands of dollars. You may be tempted to make your own business cards using whatever software came with your printer, but stay away from that junk. It’s too easy to tell the difference between a professionally made card and one made on software designed for your grandmother to use and printed out on a printer thats cheaper than the ink used to print it. Professional printers can be found locally and online, and designers can be found right here at OrangeSlyce! We’ll go over a few options when it comes to printers.

Finding a local printer
One of the benefits of using a local printer is you can pick them up the day they’re ready. If you’re on an urgent deadline like a networking event or convention, a local printer can often get your cards finished much faster than an online shop. You can also feel the paper they are going to use before they print. Many times they will also have a portfolio on file of either previous print jobs, or samples. Look through them carefully. You’re going to be trusting the shop with your company’s brand and identity. Check to see if they have satisfaction guarantees and shop around for pricing. You might find Kinko’s will charge less but will have lower quality. A smaller print shop might charge more but the quality is exceptional. Check online ratings sites like Rate it all! or Yelp for reviews.

Online printers and deals
If you’re not on a time budget, there are deals to be found online. Here are just a few I found when searching online.

123print.com – Comes with an easy way to upload your design as well as an online app for creating your own. They all offer thousands of designs to choose from if you aren’t interested in making your own. Packages start as cheap as $3.95 for 30 cards and you can get 5000 cards for just under $100. Be sure to check out their price chart.

Overnight Prints – By offering prints overnight, this aptly named company can be a solution to someone who needs cards quick, but can’t get to a local printer. Prices start at $1.98 for 25 cards with regular ground shipping, with priority shipping available. Use the promo code 20BCARDS to get 20% off.

Vistaprint – For those on a budget, Vistaprint offers cards at the right price – free! Though you still pay for shipping, have a limited selection of designs, and they slap the Vistaprint logo on the back, it’s a great option for those on a budget. They also have premium cards which allow you to upload your design. When you’re done ordering your business cards, check out the other products they offer like stamps, pens, checks, car door magnets, post cards, brochures, flyers and many more.