Types of business cards: choose by what happens after you hand one over

The types of business cards worth knowing split four ways: the stock (silk, uncoated, textured, recycled, creative papers, triplex or plastic), the film on top (matt, gloss or soft touch lamination, or none), extra effects (metallic foil and spot UV) and the shape (standard, square, rounded corners). The quickest way to pick is to think about what happens to the card after you hand it over. Will someone write on it, will it live in a van, or does it need to make an impression across a desk? If in doubt, a 350gsm silk card with matt lamination is the safe everyday choice.

Four questions that pick the card for you #

1. Will anyone write on it? Appointment times, a quote number, a mobile? Choose uncoated. Laminated film shrugs off a ballpoint.
2. Will it get knocked about? Cards left in vans, toolboxes and back pockets want lamination and a heavier weight such as 450gsm silk.
3. Is the look part of the pitch? Soft touch, spot UV, foil or a triplex edge make people turn the card over.
4. Does it need to survive water or daily use? Plastic, the thickness of a bank card at 760 micron.

Laminated silk: the everyday workhorse #

Our standard business cards are 85 × 55 mm on 350gsm or 450gsm silk, left plain or laminated on both sides in matt, gloss or soft touch. They dispatch in 3 working days on Standard. The film stiffens the card, guards the print against scuffs and stops the edges fraying in a wallet.

• Matt is the quiet one. No reflections, so small text reads easily under strip lights. Hard to go wrong with.
• Gloss makes colours deeper and photos brighter, at the price of a bit of shine when the light hits it.
• Soft touch feels almost like suede. It is the finish people comment on without being asked.

350gsm is a sensible everyday weight; 450gsm is noticeably thicker and stiffer in the hand.

Papers you can write on #

Uncoated business cards have no sheen and no film, so they feel like good paper and take pen and pencil. Stocks are 300gsm brown kraft, textured, smooth white or natural, or 350gsm recycled, with square or rounded corners. Smooth white is best for writing on; kraft gives a hand-made feel that suits joiners, landscapers, bakers and makers. Standard dispatch is 4 working days.

There are also dedicated textured cards (300gsm textured uncoated or 250gsm textured card, 5 working days) with a surface you can feel under your thumb, and recycled cards (5 working days) for firms whose stationery should match a green message.

Creative papers

Creative paper business cards push the texture further: 375gsm woven bamboo, 325gsm hemp blend, 350gsm textured linen, plus pearl, cotton and kraft, with square or rounded corners. Allow 6 working days on Standard.

Types of business cards that catch the light #

Spot UV

Spot UV business cards start as 350gsm silk with matt lamination, then get a clear, raised gloss coating printed only where you choose, such as the logo or your name, on one side or both. In a photo the effect is quiet; in the hand, the shine against the matt is obvious. You supply an extra artwork layer marking where the gloss goes. Standard dispatch is 4 working days.

Metallic foil

Metallic foil business cards carry gold, silver, copper or red foil on the front. Pick 350gsm uncoated, 350gsm recycled silk or 400gsm silk, soft touch lamination on the front or both sides, and square or rounded corners, at 85 × 55 mm or 55 × 55 mm. Foil looks best on a short name or a logo mark, not fine print. These take longer: 7 working days to dispatch on Standard.

Thick, square and plastic #

Triplex

Triplex business cards are a sandwich 810gsm thick. The outside layers are white or kraft, and the filling is coloured, so a thin line of colour runs round the whole edge. Choose that line in white, black, red, orange, yellow, green, pastel green, turquoise, blue, purple or pink to echo your logo, then a matt, gloss or soft touch face. Standard dispatch is 6 working days.

Square

Square business cards are 55 × 55 mm, on 350gsm silk or 350gsm recycled uncoated, with no film or matt, gloss or soft touch lamination. They stand out in a pile but will not fit every card holder. Standard dispatch is 6 working days.

Plastic

Plastic business cards are 86 × 54 mm in white PVC at 570 or 760 micron, with the option of gold or silver foil on the front. They suit membership cards, gyms and clubs, and anything that must cope with water. Standard dispatch is 8 working days.

Which types of business cards suit which trade #

• Trades on the road (plumbing, electrics, heating): heavy 450gsm silk, matt laminated, because the box of cards will ride around in the van for months.
• Anyone booking appointments (hairdressers, therapists, tutors): smooth white uncoated, with the next date scribbled on the reverse.
• Makers, cafes and gardeners: kraft or one of the creative papers, which feel as natural as the product.
• Advisers, agents and consultancies: soft touch, a spot UV logo or a touch of foil.
• Creative studios: a triplex card, where the coloured edge does the talking.
• Gyms, clubs and members’ schemes: plastic, built for a life in wallets and gym bags.

Weight explained properly is in which gsm paper.

Setting up the artwork #

For a standard card, make the page 91 × 61 mm: that is 85 × 55 mm plus 3 mm of print bleed on each edge. Keep text at least 3 mm inside the trim. Standard cards can be built in the free online designer, where you check the layout on screen before ordering. For every card type, uploaded files get a free check by a person. Prefer someone else to do it? The paid artwork service covers typesetting, which includes 1 design and 2 rounds of changes, and design from a brief, which includes 1 design and 2 rounds of changes.

UK mainland delivery is £7.95, free on orders of £100 or more after discounts (artwork fees excluded). At the end of their life, uncoated and recycled cards with no film are the easiest to put in paper recycling; Recycle Now shows what your council accepts. Weighing up two types of business cards and cannot decide? Contact us.