DV Info Net

DV Info Net (https://www.dvinfo.net/forum/)
-   Taking Care of Business (https://www.dvinfo.net/forum/taking-care-business/)
-   -   Business Cards (https://www.dvinfo.net/forum/taking-care-business/301840-business-cards.html)

Lalo Alvidrez August 20th, 2009 04:12 PM

Business Cards
 
1 Attachment(s)
I want nice looking business cards preferably gloss. I usually order through vista but they only support cmky color and I am using RGB color for my card. Do you use RGB and if so what company do you use to print your cards? Here is the card I created. Give me your thoughts.

Zachary Fink August 20th, 2009 05:10 PM

I've had great success with Full Color Offset Printing, Apparel Printing & Embroidery, Sticker Printing, Wide Format Printing | Jakprints, Inc

Shaun Roemich August 20th, 2009 06:22 PM

RGB colour space is used for colour additive light emitting sources (like video and computer screens) whereas CMYK colour space is used for colour subtractive sources like printing inks. Depending on the printer:
- they may not accept RGB files at all
- they may convert the file to CMYK and charge you for the edit
- they may have equipment that "overlooks" the RGB and prints anyway

Remember though that even if they go ahead and print it without input from you, the colours in RGB and CMYK may not overlap (meaning that "stunning blue" you chose may not translate into CMYK and it comes back purple or black or...)

Better to redesign or change colour space at your end and "soft proof" than chance it IMHO.

Andrew Smith August 20th, 2009 09:21 PM

Download a 30 day trial version of Adobe Photoshop and convert it to CMYK colour mode.

Or get a graphic designer to handle it for you.

Andrew

Oren Arieli August 20th, 2009 11:25 PM

Just a thought, but your font and logo seem painfully small on that card. If you're using 10 point fonts (or smaller), people will have to squint to read the info (not a good impression to make). You've got a limited amount of real-estate on a business card. Best to take full advantage of it. I've got 20-20, but not everyone you hand the card to will be so lucky.

Aaron Fowler August 21st, 2009 12:10 AM

I agree with Oren. If noone can read your details you're not going to get any calls.

If you would really like to keep all the negative space on your card you might want to consider making a double sided card and keep the logo on one side and your contact information on the other.

Just a thought.

Shaun Roemich August 21st, 2009 08:45 AM

Also, the text on the bottom of the card is very "edgy". Normally stuff for print is designed using vector text so that it is infinitely scaleable. This is obviously raster based design.

Jim Andrada August 21st, 2009 11:37 AM

Just wondering if the color gradient might be problematic in print - I guess it would depend on the process a lot.

High quality printing on top of the line paper can make anything look good, but business cards don't usually get as much tender loving care as fine art photos.

I'd be concerned about "steppiness" or "banding" in the gradient.

Of course, I could be full of ----!

Corey Williams August 21st, 2009 12:07 PM

I use GotPrint

Shawn McCalip August 21st, 2009 01:16 PM

Shaun is correct. RGB color space is only used when you're dealing with on-screen graphics and video because it's an additive color space (Red Green and Blue mixed together create White). Obviously, you can't mix inks or toners to create white. CMYK is used for printing all the time, even with your home printer. Your software and printer automatically adjust the colors to a CMYK scheme. Because of this, like Shaun said, that vibrant and bright blue will NOT look like that when you print it out. Super saturated colors in RGB will always appear more matted and dull when you print them out. Sorry, but it's a fact of life.

As far as banding in your gradient, It shouldn't be an issue unless you're printing these things on the cheap on shoddy printers. Also, you can avoid unwanted artifacts by following the directions on how to properly save and upload your file. Obviously, there will be issues if you save as a JPEG with low/medium quality settings.

I will second Corey for GotPrint . They do good work, and they're usually a little less expensive than Vista Print. Another company that creates awesome cards is Taste of Ink Design and Print Studios : The Specialty Printer. Innovative Print and Logo Design. SEO and Website Design. Powering the World of Ecommerce. . They cost a little more, but the results are, in my opinion, much more impressive.

Shawn McCalip August 21st, 2009 01:42 PM

Oh, I forgot to attach the rest...

As far as your graphic design goes, make your phone number larger. If people have to squint or use a magnifying glass to call you, you're not starting off on the right foot. Overall, you're using too many different fonts or variants of the same font. Pick 2 different fonts or variants and stick with those 2. More than that and it looks very unorganized, amateurish, and is difficult to read. This is especially evident with your business name. Make it all the same font, or make "productions" it's own font. The "photo/video" text in the middle looks out of place. Maybe try putting "Professional Photography & Video Production" underneath your business name. With your text, I suggest sticking with keeping everything capitalized, everything lower-case, or capitalizing the first letter of each sentence/word. Speaking of fonts, don't be afraid to experiment with fonts that look a bit more bold and eye-catching. Look at your layout and use your negative and positive spaces to achieve balance.

Also, take another look at the layer styles/effects you're using. Drop shadows and beveled edges have a tendency to be overused, so, I'd suggest either dropping them or using them with a lighter touch.

Your logo has quite a dark outline, and you have it on a very dark background. It's already somewhat difficult to see clearly, and this problem will be magnified if you get these printed. If you want people to start remembering and recognizing your logo, you'll need to create contrast so it's easier for people to see. Try using a different colored stroke or outline. You can use a very small amount of a complementary color (such as orange or golden yellow) to make the design really pop out.

I hope this helps. Please understand that I'm not ripping on you or trying to be condescending. I learned that being direct and blunt with critiques is the best approach, and it's the same thing I expect when I present my work to clients or the boss.

Diane diGino August 21st, 2009 10:32 PM

I agree with everyone about changing the color profile to CMYK, which is definitely what you need, and also about enlarging everything on your design - it's way too tiny, and barely readable. What I do when trying to design a card on a computer is to take some business cards I have lying around (other folks') and hold them up to the screen at a distance where they become the same size as my onscreen version, and then I compare the text sizes next to each other. Does that make sense? Your font is about the same as this one card I have that someone gave me that I have to squint to see. She used a very delicate serif font and it's difficult to read, so I think yours has the same problem.

Regarding a source, Staples has their own very reasonably priced printing division, and you can design your own using their templates and order them either to be delivered or you pick them up a a nearby store. You can also upload your own graphics if you use IE, they say, but can't with Firefox for some reason. They have a pretty wide selection of design templates - some are just goofy, there's definitely not enough for film/videomakers, but there's plenty that would work well with your own customization. Glossy is an option, too! Go here:

Staples Custom Printing

Hope this is helpful!

Lalo Alvidrez August 25th, 2009 09:49 AM

3 Attachment(s)
I decided to change the look of the card all together. I appreciate all your input on the previous card and would like your input on this next design. I used only black/white on the front but tried some color to see what you all think. I also included the back of the card. The last design just seemed kinda amateurish and like some of you all stated "you want to make an impression".

Shawn, I appreciate your directness and wouldn't expect anything less.

Aaron Fowler August 25th, 2009 08:27 PM

I like it Lalo. It's nice and simple but has a certain style to it at the same time.

I prefer the colour but you could save money with black and white when your getting it printed.

Just my opinion, but if you were to go with colour I'd suggest that instead of a yellow fill for the text you try a gradient (yellow to white?) and it should fit into that "classy" impression you're trying to make. It might look better, it might not (maybe you've already tried it), but they're just my thoughts.

Lalo Alvidrez August 26th, 2009 12:19 PM

How do you do just a gradient on the text?


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:04 AM.

DV Info Net -- Real Names, Real People, Real Info!
1998-2024 The Digital Video Information Network