Business Card Printing: New Trends

With more than 300 years of history behind them, business cards are a great way to share introductions and contact information. They started off looking like the playing cards of today, evolved into brand-ambassadors of their owners, heavily embellished with precious metals, elaborately engraved and gilt-edged. In the 19th century, visiting cards as they were called, were the norm of the day and most wealthy households had even more elaborately decorated card-trays in their hallways to hold cards left by visitors.

Social scientists have been predicting the end of the business card for a long time, as technology advances and futuristic ideas include digitizing a business card by downloading an embedded app onto your smart phone via which the contact details can be directed imported into your phone. Another idea that's doing the rounds is using a bar-code on the card, which can be scanned and used to view contact details, websites, etc. Other path-breaking paperless ideas include the wearable interface through which you can instantly recognize the person and download their contact details onto your phone or tablet. However, these are all still no substitute for the comfort of a real business card which is handed over to you when you meet someone.

New trends in business card printing are keeping step with technological advances in the printing and design industry.

Creative Flourishes: Mirroring your unique personality is becoming more important. Business houses may have their own standard card formats, but less formal companies allow people to have some creative leeway in designing their business cards. The card is seen as a message and powerful branding and marketing tool, so presentation is becoming as important as the content.

Social Networking tie-ups: Getting a business card with your social networking handle or e-mail id and contact information is becoming very popular in the young business frate
ity.

Elegant and Uncluttered: is the new mantra. Very few people have the time or the patience to de-code exotic fonts and scripts. Today's business cards are printed to give a put-together, professional look, with big spends on paper quality and unique, simple fonts.

Materials and Shapes: New trends in business card printing display the use of unique materials and fabrics, textures and blends to create a memorable business card. Plastic, PVC, canvas, cloth, leather, sheet-metal etc are some of the materials used on business cards today as printing technology advances. Some creative firms have also abandoned the standard rectangular shape and are opting for interesting formats like flower shapes, leaves, shapes that represent their company's product etc.

Ultimately, the business card is here to stay, in some shape, form or interface. How you want to project yourself or your company is what determines how creative you want to get with it.