Business Cards!

[imported_JeromeL]

As summer approaches, I've been considering creating a few stacks of business cards to pass around to market myself. I intend to focus on classmates looking for senior portraits and families looking for family portraits. Anyone have experience with this? Is it effective? Discuss.

[Abel]

business cards are always a plus... cant go wrong.

theyre cheap to make yet very effective in marketing when you meet new people etc. i've used overnightprints.com and they done a decent job for the most part. i will say that the one time i had a problem with their print, they reprinted and shipped out a new set without hassle.

one thing i would recommend is depending on who you go with to print, only get glossy on one side, leave the back side the stock matte non glossy finish. my first run of card i got glossy on both sides and i often found myself needing to write on the card for somebody that im handing it out to and the glossy coating would not allow it. ugh. i always get the matte on the back so i can write on it much easier.

also, feel free to post a business card design up here on the site and get some feedback before you send it off to print. its always good to have another set of eyes on it before its finalized

[chrisfotos]

i would also recommend overnightprints.com. i designed and ordered batches for other people (just not myself) and they all turned out great. they are fast as well. printing is usually completed within 1-2 days, and shipped out right away.

[imported_JeromeL]

sounds like a plan in motion. as soon as i get a concept, ill post it here for the world.

[jnjphotography]

I just ordered my business card through "Prints Made Easy" http://www.printsmadeeasy.com/ Very userfriendly. I used a template and cant wait till they arrive.

[Hikin' Mike]

I just do Landscape, Nature and Wildlife. I will be ordering some cards because I do Galleries and Arts and Craft Shows. I haven't decided to have matte or glossy on the front. Blank on the back.

Looking at VistaPrint or Mpix.

[icxmanny]

Business Cards are always a plus. In the nighlife scene, people at clubs always want their pictures taken and where they can get it.

[Abel]

hey mike.. i really like that logo design. did u do it yourself?

[Hikin' Mike]

Originally Posted by Abel

hey mike.. i really like that logo design. did u do it yourself?

Yes. I did it on CS2. I will "admit" me and a friend brainstormed the logo a few years ago He's a graphic designer by trade and he also is a backpacker/photography too. I wanted the mountains, tree and sun for sure and he thought of the bear. The mountain was also my initials "MM"!

[chrisfotos]

that is a nice BC. i like the dark grey background as opposed to just being black.

[imported_JeromeL]

very cool design!

[Snarfy]

well i like the gestalt principles used in the card design, overall i'm not huge on the logo though. i think its the black and white filmstrip frame. it vibrates a lot and distracts the eye from the rest of the icon. in my opinion, the icon would be much stronger without any frame or border.

[imported_JeromeL]

if you were to take out the filmstrip, you lose the photog connection. if someone were to see just the logo, they would think of some national park or org.

[Hikin' Mike]

Originally Posted by JeromeL

if you were to take out the filmstrip, you lose the photog connection. if someone were to see just the logo, they would think of some national park or org.

Exactly! That's why I used a filmstrip.

Thanks everybody (even Snarfy!)...didn't want to hi-jack the thread.

[Snarfy]

...but the signature of the logo says "images" and the secondary textual element says "photography"

perhaps try screening the black to match the gray used on the background, and perhaps shading the white to a 20% gray. there's just so much more contrast with the film strip than anything else.