Making your own business cards gives you the ability to print as many as you like, anywhere and anytime - and it's never been easier! Perforated business card sheets, ink cartridges, and abundant software get you on the road to having total control over your business cards without having to step outside your home.

How To Make Your Own Business Cards

Want to give your networking efforts a boost? Here's how to make your own business cards...


Find the software on your computer, or use websites that provide templates. Word processing software usually has a template for business card creation that lets you insert images, choose from hundreds of fonts and position the content wherever you want them. Creating business cards requires some skill with the mouse and the commands that the software requires. It helps to give yourself some extra time to experiment with it before you start. Tutorials can help you and don't forget to use the help menu when you get stumped.


Identify the artwork you want to use on the business card. If you can't use anything from your own resources, consider websites that provide free artwork, such as photos or drawings, that don't require attribution or royalties. Some websites suggest a small donation to use their stock. The colors you get from ink cartridges are remarkably true, so unless you've changed the settings on your monitor, you should get what you see.


Lay the card out, keeping in mind that your business and personal name are key, followed by the contact information. The rule of thirds works well for designing business cards. Divide the card into thirds horizontally and vertically and try to balance the content based on each third. Use a larger font size for these elements and smaller fonts for the rest of the material. Don't overload your card with content and leave plenty of blank space, also called white space.


Proofread it once and send to someone else to review, preferably someone who isn't working on the project with you. After you work on a project for some time, you may not catch small errors. A fresh set of eyes can spot them quickly and the feedback may include objective suggestions about making the card easier to read. A good way to proofread your work without any assistance is to read the content backwards. It's surprising how many errors instantly appear when you read content out of context.

Printing A Sample

Print a sample on low-quality or economy printing, which gives an idea of how the cards lay on the sheet, saving the content of the ink cartridges. Some packages of card stock include a sheet that has the margin printed on them, making it easy to spot issues with the margins throughout the sheet. You can also copy that proofing sheet if you're planning on printing the cards in batches. Make any corrections to the sheet of business cards so that each card fits exactly on the card stock as you intended. Once you've made all the layout nudges you need, change the printer's settings to high quality and print the cards. Let them dry a few minutes before breaking the perforations or cutting them. Photo Credit: Shutterstock