How to Prepare a Business Card: An Entrepreneur’s Checklist

Start by deciding who you will give the business card to and what the recipient should do: contact the person responsible, visit your website, or find your store. Choose the contact details and design to suit that purpose.

Before ordering a print run, check the accuracy of the information and both sides of the exported file. If you add a QR code, test it on a paper proof at actual size. Agree on the layout’s technical specifications with the print shop you choose.

Identify the recipient and purpose of the business card

Write down who the card is for and why you will hand it out. This will help you choose the right format and decide what information to include.

For example, if a customer needs to find a store, include its address. If they need to contact a specific person after a meeting, give that person’s name, a clear role, and contact details.

Choose the contact details you need

Make a list of details that match the purpose of the business card:

• the responsible person’s name and role;
• contact details for getting in touch;
• a website or professional profile, if the recipient needs one;
• the address of a physical store, if the card should help the recipient find it.

Before printing, check every entry: name, role, phone number, address, and links. Make sure the contact details are correct.

Choose an easy-to-read font

Use a font that is easy to read. Make sure it works with the fonts on your website and in your other brand materials.

When checking a paper proof, read all the contact details at the business card’s actual size. This lets you check the text’s readability before ordering a print run.

Get the print shop’s technical requirements

Get the template for the exact business card format you are ordering. Use it to check the layout size, bleed, and safe margins. Do not reuse specifications from another format without checking them.

Before exporting, confirm the color requirements and accepted file format. If the print shop recommends CMYK, prepare or export the layout in that color mode according to its requirements.

A high-resolution PDF may be a preferred format for a particular print option. Confirm the format with the print shop before sending the file.

Check the file and QR code before the print run

Open the exported file intended for printing. Check the front and back if you are ordering double-sided business cards. Verify the contact details again.

If the layout includes a QR code, print a proof at actual size. Scan the code from the paper and check that it opens the intended page.

Pre-order checklist

• The recipient and purpose of the business card have been identified.
• The contact details suit that purpose and have been checked for accuracy.
• The font is easy to read and consistent with other brand materials.
• The layout has been checked against the print shop’s template for the selected product.
• The color and file format requirements have been confirmed.
• Both sides have been checked in the exported file.
• If there is a QR code, it has been tested on an actual-size proof.