What have you found worthwhile to put on there? Or do you use something other than business cards? Roll your own or have them printed? Multi-color or not?

I keep mine pretty simple: name, title: Vocalist - Keyboard Entertainer, telephone number, and website address, with an added line inviting people to listen to my song demos there. It's proven effective at securing gigs (at least for me).

Scott

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http://scottyee.com

Ditto!

Gary

I ordered mine from a web printing company that has since disappeared. That's too bad because my card is awesome - a grey background with a close-up picture of a keyboard on the right side along with my logo, name and contact info on the left - all on glossy stock. It looks great and I've been told several times that it's one of the best looking business cards around. It only cost me something like $55 for 1000. The company I bought them from had an online web design page that I used to design and order from, but as I said they no longer exist.

I can't say enough about getting a professional-looking biz card because sometimes that's the only thing that some of your clients will see. I see a lot of cheap home-made cards floating around that look terrible. This is the single most important promo money you'll spend IMHO - go for the best.

I make my own, multicolored, and print them as needed, always sure to have a good supply with me, of course. One advantage of making your own, is that you can occassionally tweek them plus have a few different styles, each having a slightly different emphasis.

If you do make your own, be sure it looks professional and of high quality. Otherwise, have them made by a print shop.

Glenn

You should be able to give a card to a local printer and have it duplicated. Or scan it into your computer and make your own.

Glenn

I dunno - the image is super clear and clean and the stock is glossy. It really stands out against any home-printed card by far... I love it when people see my card and say "wow"! I did the roll-your-own thing and thought it was cool until I saw this. No going back for me now. I have about half of my cards left so I have time to search around and find another specialty print shop to do the reprint order. If I find one I'll pass the info along.

I can tell you in the business world, especially at the IBM or Toyota level, a "roll your own" card is the kiss of death. Most high level purchasing agents use the quality of the card as an indication of capability and professionalism.And you can spot "roll you own" deals a mile away.

But, this is coming from someone who uses a corporate business card with no information about music at all...someone who dosen't have a web site, a promo package, or even a publicity photo....and I'm in the communication business.


Go figure


Russ

With today's software, anyone can print a very professional, custom business card, one that some printing companies cannot even match. The main difference is the card stock you print that card upon. Paper grades vary dramatically, and if you select inexpensive card stock, you'll end up with cheap looking cards. High-quality card stock, especially glossy, is fairly expensive, and in some instances, it's less expensive to design a great looking, professional quality card at home, one that looks exactly the way you want, then take it to a local printer and have it duplicated on quality card stock with raised lettering.

Cheers,

Gary

We have found that "roll your own" business cards are more than satisfactory in the market we are attempting to serve. (Music Industry) I agree with Russ about the "Corporate World" but it is a far cry from the twangalongs of Nashville.

I agree with Russ......the first thing a client sees & feels is the raised letters on a top notch business high gloss looking card......
its the "gateway" to your business.....a few bucks more goes a long long way....get the best you can imo.

There are $100 printers these days that are amazing with their quality. The issue with biz cards is not so much the print but the card stock. Anyone found a high quality card stock for use in printers? The ones you tear off that have perforated borders, those are too flimsy and the edges are not sharp enough. So, I'm wondering if high quality roll-your-own stock even exists.

Most of the high quality card stock is avalable in 8-1/2 X 11 format and must be cut with a card cutter such as this one that sells for $89 at Cyberguys



Cheers,

Gary

I think this topic cuts to the core of some of our professional practices.

I am playing for a corporate party tomorrow night - my second this week. Last Sunday I played for an exclusive dining club's brunch. All of these are primo gigs, corporate and otherwise, so I have to look as professional as my clients are or more. I have the biz cards of several of my competitors and they are all either homemade or the stereotypical/forgettable locally-made business cards we've all seen thousands of. I love the expression I get when I present my card... that essential first impression is in the pocket.

Having a card that stands out head and shoulders above the rest is well worth extra money, but I don't think I paid more for mine than most would for homemade in the long run. I just did my homework and went to a little extra effort - but I do that anyway when it comes to my services and I want my clients to know that.

BTW: my biz card has become the centerpiece of my entire promo package - all of my handouts, 8x10's, songlists, posters, etc. have the same coordinated look and theme as my card. Each of these things took a little extra effort but the result is priceless.

If you compare image quality of any compute printer output, even the $5,000 printers digital houses use, with a conventional offset press image, the difference in quality is really obvious.

Thermal engraving (raised lettering) is done by putting a material similar to yeast in the ink and actually subjecting it to heat to get the type to raise before it's dry.

Paper comes in various weights and is either coated or uncoated. You need a coated stock if you use half-tones (photography).
It is usually not possible to get a card done with a high quality photo image and thermal engraving. If that is the look you want, you have to go with embossing.

There are many specialty houses around the country who use high quality offset presses
and can deliver 1000 cards in the $60-100
range. They can do it by combo runs of up to 60 different cards at a time. Many have free design service. No matter how good the stock is, design and content are what makes a great card.

For postcards for big clients, including Toyota,Lexmark, etc., I use Modern Postcard, and I believe they do business cards. Specialty houses can deliver for a fraction of the cost of one purchased from a local printer, because they do gang runs.

If you design your own card, you can email the file to the specialty house (they'll tell you how to format the file). Turn around is usually less than 7 days, and rush service is acvailable for a premium.

For ideas, it might be fun to share images of our cards. Sharing ideas and business practices is a really useful benefit of being part of this group.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Russ

Pro is right...the use of coordinatd graphics, type style, stock, colors, etc.
is the best way to maximize effectiveness, whatever you're marketing.


Russ

Is it possible to scan a copy of the card and post, so we can see the card that has raised so much discussion?

Regards,


Jerry

Gary....sadly, the vast majority of fine printing stock isn't available in 8 1/2"x11". It is shipped to printers from mills in much larger sheets.

If you want an 8 1/2" x 11" finished image and the project is a "bleedd" (photos, colors, typography, etc.right to the edge),
the sheet must be larger, overprinted and then trimmed to size. Availability depends on mill runs.

AS you can tell, I'm way into production
(overkill, in this case). One of my current projects is a $250,000.00 production for an Italian staircase company selling their product line to Loew's. The run is over 2,750,000 sheets. Some are laminated. The Lowe's spec for production and content is over 180 pages.

I apologize for the excessive length..this stuff has been my lifelong passion.

The key is to use what works best for you.
If you're working, you have to be doing things right.

Happy Holidays!


Russ

My option was for a classical card.
White opaline card
Just my name,musician,address,phones and email .

Chico

Haven't done it yet, but I plan to make some of those little small CDs,the kind that fit in the inner part of the player, with my info on the outside. Of course they would mostly be for prospective clients.
Right now I print the cards myself. You can get almost any kind of card stock from Office
Depot. I have had a paper cutter for years.
Most good print programs have templates that you can modify.
DonM

Not only do they make small cd's, they make cards the shape of credit cards. I just thought these things were the cat's meow, since you can always have a couple in your shirt pocket. How can you carry a full-size CD? Not easy.

BUT others have said, forget it, people don't know what to do with them. What a drag.

Plus, I don't know if these things will play in a car CD player. I know they wouldn't in mine, I have a six-CD changer and I don't see how it could work.

So, I'm back to full-size CD's and they are a pain to carry around, as I said.

A couple of years ago a friend told me about Vistaprint and I've been using them ever since. You design the card on their website and then they mail them to you - professionally cut and finished.

Their basic card designs are free if you let them put their little ad on the back (you pay shipping only for 250 cards). From this point you can add upgrades like not having the ad, full color, glossy, double-sided etc.

I know I probably sound like I have shares in the company but I'm just a satisfied customer.

Here's their site:
http://www.vistaprint.com