Thread: Making business cards

Do you make your own business cards? If so, what software do you use? I don't currently have any good graphics software like photoshop. But has anyone ever tried using Gimp or other freeware?

I'm currently using gimp for any graphics editing I need to do, and that included making a couple of card mockups, but haven't got around to refining them, or getting them printed up yet.

But I don't see any problem with using gimp, and it's free which is more than can be said for potatoshop!

I did try making my own biz cards, but it turns out the cost of ink and paper for us was more expensive than having them printed through vistaprint =( Now we just use a full color glossy pic on the front, with information on the back-really simple to do in gimp or even Word if you don't need words on the front. I have been very pleased with VistaPrint, though!

If you do make them at home, make sure cartridges are affordable for you (my downfall) and I definitely recommend glossy on one side/matte on the other. Unless you have a laser printer, glossy/glossy seems impossible to find. We tried pics on the matte/matte and the picture just did not look as good. Also, make sure you get the cards with invisible perforation at the edges. Good luck!
Nikki

Cheapest cards ever: make 'em up in publisher or other programme, print or have professionally printed one page, colour photocopy onto card, cut them yourself.

It works and it's cheap as chips - and you can update them regularly if you want to!

GotPrint
Has template and a user friendly system that allows you to design your own cards.
It's inexpensive and the quality is good.

Thanks for the hints and suggestions.

This has been on my to-do list for a while, and I'm determined to get some cards before Thanksgiving!

It would be most cost-effective to just have them made. I know they make business cards at Office Depot and you can give them your stuff saved in Publisher and they will run it off. Maybe you can ask them if they can make you some cards that way.

I made some very professional business cards myself in MS Publisher, in color, printed with front and back.

What I did was bought some clean-edge, non-perforated, punch-out business card stock from the office supply store and ran them off at work. So it only cost me the price of the card stock. If you have access to a color printer at work, run them off there.

The other option is the invest in a small color laser printer. They are pretty inexpensive these days. Yeah the cartridges are expensive put unless you are doing lots of heavy duty printing every day, they last a very long time--much longer than ink jet and you can just run your cards off as you need them.

But the best thing would be to design them yourself and then have a professional service run them off. 250-500 business cards don't cost that much and will last a long time.