You may know the famous 'business card' scene from 'American Psycho'; four men try to outdo each other with seemingly identical cards. In daily life, we are not so focused on our business cards, yet that piece of cardboard is very important. It is often the only tangible reminder of a business lunch or networking conversation.
When you come home with a newly acquired contact and store your business card, a striking card will remind him or her of your conversation. Since designing such a striking card is an art in itself, you might want to leave it to someone who has been trained for it. When making cards, it is important to let the designer know what paper you want to use.
Do you go for the beautiful texture of uncoated paper or do you prefer the smooth, coated paper? Do you choose economical, but somewhat thin 250-gram paper or do you go for luxury and opt for thick, but pricier 400-gram cards? You can also choose whether you want the card to have a finish in the form of a transparent varnish.
Test
We put it to the test and ordered business cards from various providers. The offerings are diverse, which means we could not always choose the same options. Therefore, we do not compare the cards directly, but assess them based on the ordering process, the paper, the printing, and the finishing. Where possible, we ordered a card with the unusual but striking dimensions of 90x50mm. Not all providers can print in this format, which is why for some cards the more common 85x55mm format is mentioned.
Ordering: After easily placing an order, you receive a digital proof for confirmation. The email contact is good and you can check the status of your order via the website.
Paper: Different formats are available. The choice of paper consists of white or cream 300-gram paper.
Printing: The text is printed clearly and sharply, and the colors are well represented. The cards do not smudge.
Finishing: Sometimes a thin white cutting edge is visible on the colored back. Additionally, the text is not always neatly centered.
- Format: 90x50mm
- Paper: 300 gr. white cardboard, digital printing
- Price: €75,- (excl. VAT, for a print run of 150 cards)
- Website: www.drukenbestel.nl
- Score: 7.0
Ordering: Ordering is easy via the website. There is a check before the cards are printed. However, it is unclear on the website whether it is 400 grams or 350 grams paper. For an additional cost, the delivery time can be shortened from six to four or three days.
Paper: We chose the silk MC paper without UV varnish. The texture is beautiful and looks luxurious. Unfortunately, you cannot order different formats.
Printing: Neat printing with good color representation. The cards may smudge. You can also choose laminated cards.
Finishing: Well finished with neat cutting edges and centered texts.
- Format: 85x55mm
- Paper: 400 gr. silk-MC paper, digital printing
- Price: €23.75 (excl. VAT, for a print run of 150 cards)
- Website: www.drukland.nl
- Score: 8.5
Ordering: The delivery time was two days instead of the promised one day.
Paper: Drukkert has several types of paper, but for a format other than 85x55mm, you are stuck with the 350-gram smooth cardboard.
Printing: The halftone printing is somewhat coarser than with some competitors, small letters with a light color may become a bit blurry. Colors are good and the cards do not smudge.
Finishing: The cards are nicely straight and tight, but occasionally there is a card among them where the cutting edges are slightly less neat. Plastic protective boxes are included.
- Format: 90x50mm – other formats than the standard possible.
- Paper: 350 gr. smooth cardboard, digital printing
- Price: €39,- (excl. VAT, for a print run of 100 cards)
- Score: 7.5
Ordering: The cards we received had the wrong text. After reporting the incorrect deliveries, however, we had no further contact with the company. The website also does not list a phone number.
Paper: The biotop material is somewhat yellowish, but has a nice texture. Different formats are not a problem.
Printing: The halftone printing is somewhat coarser than with some competitors. Fine letters with a light color become somewhat blurry. The fully printed back is not evenly colored and looks a bit blotchy.
Finishing: The cutting edges are not always very neat, but the cards come in a nice plastic storage box.
- Format: 90x50mm
- Paper: biotop 250 gr. matte
- Price: €48.95 (excl. VAT, for a print run of 100 cards)
- Score: 5.0
Ordering: Ordering is done via the website, where you immediately get a preview of the card. Questions are answered quickly and correctly. The cards are delivered within two working days, but for an additional cost, a delivery time of one day is also possible.
Paper: We chose 350 grams wood-free MC paper without UV varnish. Good paper, although it does not make a particularly luxurious impression. Different formats are not offered, except for double cards with a fold.
Printing: Colors are good, exactly as ordered. The text is displayed clearly.
Finishing: The cards come in a cardboard protective box, in which the cards have some room to slide back and forth. Because of this and the lack of a laminate layer, many cards already have some stains. What a shame.
- Format: 85x55mm – standard format
- Paper: 350 gr. wood-free MC paper, digital printing
- Price: €17.26 (excl. VAT, for a print run of 100 cards)
- Website: www.drukwerkdeal.nl
- Score: 7.0
Ordering: Virtual Printer keeps a close eye on your order. They check the business cards in advance for color and discuss this with you.
Paper: The 400 grams coated paper is nice and sturdy and leaves a luxurious impression. However, the card is sensitive to greasy fingers.
Printing: The color on the front is neat, the back deviates slightly from the other cards. With our approval, they adjusted the color to compensate for a color difference due to the printing technique used. In our opinion, the color has changed just a bit too much.
Finishing: These cards are slightly too high cut at the top, causing the text to be aligned lower. The cutting edges are neat and the cards do not smudge.
- Format: 90x50mm – different format
- Paper: 400 gr. matte coated
- Price: €94,- (excl. VAT, for a print run of 250 cards)
- Score: 7.5
Ordering: Logiprint can only print business cards in large quantities and does not offer a choice of format. On the other hand, it has a very competitive price.
Paper: At 280 grams, the paper is one of the thinnest in the test, but the used Invercote paper leaves a good impression. Not very luxurious, but the price reflects that.
Printing: The colors are as per the supplied image.
Finishing: The cards are delivered in a large cardboard box, but are packaged in such a way that they do not get damaged. Unfortunately, both the front and back of the card are not well centered, the cards are clearly cut too low.
- Format: 85x55mm – standard format
- Paper: 280 gr. Invercote double-sided coated
- Price: €39.90 (incl. VAT, 500 pieces)
- Score: 7.0
Ordering: Ordering via the website is easy. Afterwards, you are kept well informed about the phase your order is in. You can determine the delivery time of the cards yourself. In a hurry? Then it is possible to receive the cards the next day.
Paper: Sturdy paper with an attractive matte finish. Cards with UV varnish or on recycled paper are also options at Reclameland.
Printing: Neat printing with good color representation. The halftone printing is somewhat coarser than with some competitors, which makes some text look a bit less sharp.
Finishing: Neat cutting edges, unfortunately the text is not perfectly centered on all cards, but has a slight deviation.
- Format: 90 x 50 mm
- Paper: Matte MC, 300 grams
- Price: €57.50 for 150 cards (€17.50 if 85 x 55 mm)
- Website: www.reclameland.nl
- Score: 7.5
Ordering: iDrukker keeps you well informed about your order, and the order is handled well. Unfortunately, we had to wait quite a long time for the cards, over a week and a half. Nevertheless, we are satisfied with the ordering process.
Paper: Beautiful sturdy paper with a fine texture. Not particularly luxurious, but modest and neat. Unfortunately, no different formats are available, but there is a choice of various types of paper.
Printing: Very good printing with good color representation. The text looks sharp. Nothing to complain about.
Finishing: Neat cutting edges, delivered with interleaving papers, so that no stains occur on the cards. The text is well centered. Again, nothing to complain about.
- Format: 85 x 55 mm
- Paper: Natural cardboard, 300 grams
- Price: €55,- for 250 cards
- Website: www.idrukker.nl
- Score: 8.5
