Do you need a special printer for business cards?

Every business needs a way to connect with potential customers and make a great first impression. One of the easiest ways to do this is through your business cards, yet not just any business card will do. In order to stand out from the competition, you’ll need an eye-catching design that’s crisp, clear, and printed to perfection.

Thankfully, BeFunky’s Online Business Card Designer can help you with beautifully designed business cards. But when it comes to getting your cards printed, you might be wondering if you can print your business cards on a regular printer at home, or if you should outsource this task to a company.

In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the printing process, including what you need to print your own business cards at home. We’ll also help you weigh up which printing route you should go down!

Can You Print Business Cards on a Regular Printer?

If you want to print your business cards using your own printer at home, then you can! Whether you have a laser or inkjet printer, this process can be easy and save you some additional costs – providing you have the right materials and equipment on-hand of course.

What Do I Need to Print My Own Business Cards at Home?

To print your own business cards at home, you'll need a few things:

A Printer

You can use any inkjet or laser printer that has color printing capability. Keep in mind that some printers (such as laser printers) are better suited than others for printing on thick materials like paper or card stock. It’s also important to have a printer that can print on both sides of the paper if you plan on having a front and back design on your business card. Most printers have this feature, but if you have an older model, you may need to use a printing service instead.

High-Quality Paper

Make sure to use smooth, bright white paper with high-quality, thick stock. Most business cards are printed on 14 or 16pt stock paper. However, some can use extra-thick stock measuring up to 32pt. One benefit of choosing a thicker paper stock is that it can maximize the durability and longevity of your cards. However, the thicker your paper, the higher it costs.

You’ll also want to think about what type of paper you want your business cards to be printed on. For example, will they be matte, semi-gloss, or glossy? Smooth or textured? You’ll then need to have plenty of this paper on-hand for your print job.

Ink

You’ll also need to ensure your printer is well-stocked with high-quality and compatible ink. The type and color of ink you use will affect how your business cards look, as well as how long they last, so ensure you’re using a reputable brand.

Business Card Design Software

Before you print your business cards at home, you’ll first need to have their design ready to go. While many think you need to outsource this part to a professional graphic designer or utilize expensive software, this isn’t true.

BeFunky’s Online Business Card Designer is quick, easy, and inexpensive to use. Among our wide range of pre-designed business card templates, you’ll even find free designs that you can tweak in just a few minutes! Plus, with a huge collection of custom fonts, design elements, and graphics, creating a business card tailored to your own branding has never been easier.

What Format Do I Need to Print Business Cards?

Once you’ve got the design of your business card sorted, you’ll also need to ensure it has been saved in the optimal format for printing at home. BeFunky’s Online Business Card Designer makes this super easy, as it allows you to save your card design in a print-quality PDF format for the crispest result.

The Designer’s business card templates are also pre-sized to the most optimal measurements for printing: 3.5” x 2” (or 1050 x 600 pixels). Not having to worry about resizing your design or working out the perfect business card resolution saves you a lot of time and headaches!

Should You Outsource Your Business Cards to a Printing Company?

In some cases, you might lack the equipment or materials required to print your own business cards at home. Alternatively, you could find the process to be a little too confusing. In these scenarios, you might consider outsourcing the printing of your business cards to a professional printing company.

As with everything, there are advantages and disadvantages to both of these methods. Therefore, it’s best to weigh up the pros and cons of each to determine which route is best for your needs.

Printing Business Cards at Home

Pros:

• You can print business cards on your own time and schedule.
• You don't have to worry about shipping or delivery times.
• There’s no minimum order amount, so if you only need a small batch of business cards printed, this could work in your favor.
• You can customize the design on the go if you notice any errors or have a change of heart.

Cons:

• The cost of ink, paper, and other materials can really add up, especially if you're printing a lot of business cards.
• The time and effort required to do the job yourself.
• Not having access to professional equipment (for example, a printing company has a colorimeter that can measure the amount of ink on your business card).
• You may experience a learning curve when using your own printer, especially if you haven't printed business cards before.

Printing Business Cards Through a Professional Printing Company

Pros:

• Higher quality printing services, due to using larger and often much more expensive printing equipment.
• A wider range of options regarding business card paper, finish, size, or shape.
• They have more printing expertise and can offer great advice regarding paper types and finishes that suit your budget.
• Saves you both time and effort in printing your business cards yourself.

Cons:

• This can be an expensive process, however, some professional printing companies offer discounts for large orders, so it’s always a good idea to ask about these before making your decision.
• You may have to pay for shipping if you’re not local. You'll also need to factor in shipping time, which could be up to several days.
• You will have to wait for the printing process to be completed.
• You don’t have the ability to spot a mistake during the printing process. This could lead to an entire batch of unusable business cards and having to repeat the order from the start if anything were to go wrong.

If you do decide to outsource the printing of your business cards, there are plenty of reputable companies you can choose from. Vistaprint, GotPrint, and MOO are just some of the most popular online printing choices. Alternatively, you can Google printing companies within your local area. Just be sure to read the reviews to see which one will meet your needs the most.

Ready to Design and Print Your Business Cards at Home?

If you’re looking to save money with your business cards, or simply want to go down the DIY designing and printing route, then BeFunky’s Online Business Card Designer can help. With a wide range of business card templates to choose from (including free ones), all you need to do is swap out the existing text, color scheme, or graphics to suit your own business branding.

Check out the online business card designer today to get started with your DIY business cards! 

Many home business owners underestimate the power of a business card, which can be one of the best offline marketing tools you have. When you consider how affordable and portable they are, it makes sense to always keep a few on hand. Plus, making your own business cards can be quick and easy. Printing them yourself is ideal if you only need a small quantity, or if you have run out of your regular cards and need a few to tide you over until you order new ones.

Here’s how to design and print business cards at home.

Key Takeaways

• Printing your own business cards can be an easy, quick, and affordable way to create business cards for your home business.
• For good results, choose white or cream business card paper that's decently thick.
• Always make sure your template matches the paper you chose, and print a test page before you print your full run of cards.

Design Your Business Card

A well-thought-out business card combines useful information with an attractive look. Here's how to design an effective business card you can print yourself.

What Will You Put on Your Card? 

The first thing you want to do is decide what will be on your card. The traditional business card has your name, title, address, phone, email, and fax, if you have one. Many also include your picture, which can help make it easy for people to remember you.

Nontraditional cards also have an added element that will entice people to hold on to your card for reference. For example, real estate agents could include a mortgage chart to help people figure out how much house they can afford. If you have an online store, you might offer a coupon on your business card. A coach or consultant can provide a list of important tips.

Note

The key to offering more than just contact information is to remember that your business card will be approximately 2 inches by 3 inches. You don’t want to cram so much information that people can’t read it.

Logos and Color Schemes

Along with the content of your card, you need to consider your business image. If you have a logo, you’ll want to include it. You'll also want to pick a color scheme that matches your other marketing materials, such as your website, brochures, letterhead, and so on.

When creating and ordering cards from a site like VistaPrint, you have a variety of background color schemes to choose from. However, because ink costs money and print quality can vary, it's better to choose a white or cream color card instead of a colored background if you’re going to print at home.

Business Card Design Programs

Now that you’ve conceptualized your card, it’s time to actually design it for printing. There are a couple of ways you can do this.

Canva

If you haven’t checked out Canva for your marketing materials, you should. You can use Canva to print materials such as business cards, brochures, and letterheads. What’s nice is that with the paid version of Canva, you can save your brand colors and logo, too. But even with the free option, you can create cohesive color schemes across your marketing materials.

The Canva business card is 3.5 inches by 2 inches. You can input the specific dimensions if you need another size. When you load the business card template, Canva gives you many free layouts to choose from, or you can create your own. When you’ve created your card, simply download the file and save it on your computer. If you prefer, you can order your cards directly from Canva.

Microsoft Word and Publisher Templates

Microsoft Word and Publisher both come with business card templates for business cards. Once you download the software, you can search for the type of document you want to create and then choose from a variety of templates.

It is important to pay attention to the template to ensure it matches the layout you have on your computer screen. While most pre-perforated business card paper has 10 cards per page, they’re not all arranged the same way. To avoid a misprint, you’ll want to make sure the layout on your screen matches the paper.

Another option is to download and import Avery templates into your software. This might be the best option if you’ve already bought business card paper and want to make sure your screen template will match the paper exactly.

Note

Many office stores have their own brand of business card paper. Check the package to see what Avery style it matches.

Once the template is loaded in your program, you can add your content, making sure that you stay within the template guides.

Business Card Maker

If you use Google Chrome, go to BizCardMaker.com. You can choose from a variety of themes and colors, and after inputting your information, you can order cards or download your card for printing at home.

Business Card Paper Template

Many business card paper brands you can buy will include a link to a site where you can download a template that matches the paper you bought. Avery is one, but there are others. Check on or inside your business card paper package for information.

Choosing Your Business Card Paper

When it comes to business card paper, you have many choices. To save time and fuss, buy pre-perforated business card paper so you don’t have to cut the cards yourself.

Paper Color

White and cream are the most common colors for printing business cards at home.

Paper Stock

You can buy regular cardstock, which is the most affordable. Or you can get premium card stock, which is thicker than regular card stock. It can even be coated to give it a sturdier feel. Another option is plastic, which isn’t very common. You’ll need to check your printer to make sure it can handle this type of card paper.

Paper Thickness

The thicker the card, the sturdier it will be. Most business cards are 14 to 20 points (1 point = 1/1000 of an inch). You can get extra thick cards up to 32 points. At the minimum, you should use 14-point business card stock.

Paper Finish

You have a choice between a gloss finish, which is slightly shiny, or a matte finish. If you have graphics or a lot of color on your card, a glossy finish will likely look nicer. If you have mostly black text, the matte finish will be the best choice.

Other Paper Options

You can also get textured or linen cards if you want to be extra fancy. Just make sure your printer can handle this kind of paper.

Printer

Most business card paper is designed for a specific printer: either a laser or inkjet. Make sure you buy the paper that goes with the type of printer you own.

Printing

If you’re going to do two-sided printing, you’ll want to choose a card that prevents ink from bleeding through. There is business card stock specifically created for two-sided printing.

Business Card Template

While most business card paper has 10 business cards per page, their layout can vary. If you’ve already designed your business card, you’ll want to choose a business card layout that matches the template you used.

Note

If you need more than 100 cards, it might be better to order them. Once you start printing a lot of cards, you have to consider the cost of the paper and print ink. There is a tipping point at which ordering your business cards becomes more affordable than printing them at home.

Print Your Business Cards at Home

Once you’ve created your business card, it’s time to print. You’ll want to follow the directions of your business card template and printer, but the basics are:

1. Check your settings: Check your printer settings to select the quality of paper you’re using (glossy or matte) and choose high-quality printing. If you’re printing double-sided cards, be sure to set your printer to double-sided printing.
2. Print a test page: Printing business cards can use a lot of ink, so before you print your final product, print a test page first. If that page looks good, you can continue printing.
3. Print your cards: Print only a few pages at a time. Too many pages might jam your printer. Further, depending on your ink supply, later pages may not be good quality if your ink is running low.
4. Let the ink dry: Let your cards sit for a few minutes to be sure the ink isn't wet if using an inkjet printer. Wet ink will smudge and ruin your hard work (and waste paper).
5. Separate carefully: Once dry, gently fold along the perforated lines to loosen the bonds of the cards and pull them apart. Don't try to tear too quickly, and only do one at a time. Otherwise, it can result in rips or uneven edges, even if you're using clean-edge card paper.

Business cards are an affordable and easy way to let people know about your small business. With home printing, you can make sure you’re never without a business card. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I print glossy business cards at home?

If you want your home-printed business cards to be glossy, make sure you choose glossy business card paper to load in your printer. The paper package should indicate whether it's glossy or matte paper, how many sheets are included, whether the paper is suitable for inkjet or laser printers, the card layout, and the size of each card after perforating.

Where can I design business cards to print at home?

You can use Canva, a free online design tool, to create your business cards using their templates. You can also design business cards using Microsoft Word or Publisher, or individual templates created especially for your brand of paper.