Best Software and Tools for Designing Business Cards
Business cards are a must for any business. Whether you’re an online seller, business owner, or even a DJ, you need to have business cards to build strong relationships. Because you only have a few seconds to make a good first impression, your business card serves as a handshake for your business. In other words, it’s a powerful introduction. Let’s face it: designing business cards is a big task!
However, making your own business cards can be intimidating. While you don’t need to be a graphic designer to start print marketing for your business, you should still keep style and design at the forefront of your goals. Creating strong branding elements is one of the best ways to stand out with your business. Luckily, you’re not in this alone. While you can always hire a professional to create custom business card designs, you can also do this yourself if you’re on a budget. In this guide, we’ll share the best software and tools for designing business cards.
Downloadable Business Card Software
To begin, we’ll stare with downloadable software that’s used for designing business cards. These tools might take a bit of upfront learning, so they’re less user friendly than other options. However, there are sure to be some suggestions on this list that you’re already familiar with. Here are the best downloadable business card software options:
Adobe Photoshop: The best tool for designing business cards is Adobe Photoshop. You can start with a free trial, or you can purchase an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription if you plan to use it long-term. Adobe is a more complex program, but there are a number of free resources online to get you started.
Adobe InDesign: InDesign is another Adobe program that’s specifically used for print materials. This is a professional program, but it’s not too complicated to get started with.
Microsoft Publisher: The Microsoft version of InDesign is Microsoft Publisher. If you have a Microsoft Office subscription, this is usually included. Publisher is a great choice since it has templates available already.
Microsoft Word: Lastly, you can also use Microsoft Word to design your business cards. Again, you can use a template, or you can start entirely from scratch. This is the easiest program to use, but you’ll want to pay close attention to the sizing of your document.
Online Business Card Design Tools
If you’d rather use a digital solution, there are tons of tools online that make designing business cards a breeze. These are a better choice if you’re not very tech-savvy or if you can’t afford one of the programs above. In recent years, these online options have exploded, and they’re a common choice for designers and non-designers alike.
Canva: Canva is a free online design tool that’s perfect for business owners. It’s easy to choose a business card template or create your own with their drag-and-drop solution.
PicMonkey: Similar to Canva, PicMonkey has a number of great templates for designing business cards quickly.
Adobe Spark: Adobe Spark is a free version of Adobe that is created for quick graphic design. Though not as strong as Photoshop, it’s easy to use and has trendy elements.
What to Consider When Using a Design Tool
While design tools are a great option, there are still some things to keep in mind. First, always consider your branding elements, logo, colors, and brand tone. It’s easy to get carried away, especially if you’re using a free template. These are fun to explore, but you want to stay consistent with your branding across print marketing materials.
Additionally, it’s important to make sure you don’t rely on templates too much. Designing business cards doesn’t have to be complicated, and templates help with this. However, when you use only templates, you start to appear very cookie-cutter. Over time, customers have gotten savvier then ever before. They’re familiar with many of the most well-known templates, and these can be a turn off for some audiences.
When in doubt, always consult a graphic design professional. Though more costly upfront, they can be worth the investment depending on your experience level. Last but not least, always make sure you’re staying within your print size requirements set by your print marketing material provider.