business cards

[Imakesigns]

im kind of interested in business card printing lately and im wondering what it takes (software & hardware) to get started.

[ENTDesign]

Whatever you print them out on had better be waterproof and scratch/scuff resistant, unless you like unhappy customers.

You can do the designs in any of the usual layout programs: Illustrator, Corel Draw, InDesign. Perhaps you can use the other sign software like Flexi, I just don't know those programs. I never recommend Publisher due to my own intense dislike for bad MS behavior.

Something else you can research is being a distributor for Carlson Craft business products, which would give you a wholesale source for foil stamped and thermography business cards as well. There are other business card companies that have similar dealer set-up, like Business Cards Plus (have used them, they are in Michigan), and I believe there is one called Business Cards Tomarrow (never used them).

[Sign One]

I do a great deal of business cards, My customers love to have the same concept for their signs/lettering and their cards. Believe it or not, I design them in Gerber Graphix Advatage, draw a 2 X 3.5" box and go to town. I think of it as a little sign really. I then export to .eps and send via internet to Business Card Express (wholesle printing in New England) or to Carlson Craft, who offer multi colored thermography for a good pice, also foils and full color. I love getting a call from a realtor or someone for a 1,000 card reorder - I push a couple of buttons and make additional income. When someone comes in about cards - I show them my portfolio first before the sales tools the companies send me, people really like my cards a lot, very eyecatching!

[timmay]

I used to work for a printing company - they just offset printed them on 8.5 x 11 card stock and cut. Sure you could print on smaller equipment, but the cutter is key. We're talking big heavy duty cutter to be able to cut 500-1000 cards all the exact same size. Big $ I imagine. Outsource like the guys said above. I worked with Business Cards Tomorrow at another company - the markup was like 50% and they were easy to work with and had a 3 day turnaround. They had the "fill in the blank" templates you could use or you could send them your own layout. Was easy money in most cases.

[Bigdawg]

We use BCE for thermal printing, a local printing company for flat cards with spot color and for full color we use silkcards. BCE is just like Business Cards Tomorrow in that they will send you a dealer kit and it's basically fill in the blank.