Business cards are still an essential part of networking and making contacts. Even with online profiles, a business card makes it easy for someone to remember how to contact you and retain your information. But with so many options for online printing services these days, how do you ensure you’re getting good value when ordering custom cards? 

Compare printing options 

The first step is to research and compare a few popular online printing services. Key factors to look at are price per card depending on the volume ordered, turnaround speed, paper options, design templates, and bulk discounts offered. When comparing base pricing, be sure the offerings match in terms of card size, paper type, color printing, and finishing like corner rounding. Most online printers today provide user-friendly design software and templates or easy file uploading for orders, but check feature availability too. Don’t forget about shipping fees as well. Compile a chart to view prices side-by-side for easy comparison.

Evaluate paper quality

One key component that affects the look, feel, and durability of business cards is paper quality and weight. Cards printed on thicker, high-quality stock feel more impressive and substantial in the hand than flimsy, thin stock. Most online printers offer paper upgrades including options like linen, cotton, recycled, and heavyweight card stocks. When selecting paper type, consider checking paper weight, usually measured by “points” that indicate thickness. Standard business card stock is often 60-80 pt. thicker paper, like 16 pt to 24 pt, will better showcase design details and color quality click to read more Name card printing on printthatnow.com.

Choose coating & finishing 

Card coating and finishes also impact quality. Gloss, UV, and soft touch coatings add sheen and visual depth to cards. Uncoated cards allow ink to soak directly into the thick paper fibers for a beautiful matte texture. Rounded corners, rather than sharp square die-cuts, provide added polish and detail. Edge painting emphasizing color around the card perimeter offers another unique touch. Evaluate all coating and finish options available, and costs per upgrade, and decide what best fits your brand image and style. 

Set realistic delivery timelines

Online printers churn out orders incredibly fast, but they are still limited by production capacity, demand volume, and shipping transit times. Carefully check the printer’s advertised production and fulfilment timelines for standard orders. Make sure the timeline meets your needs and order enough lead time cushion for any potential delays or backorders during busy seasons. Most online printers provide up-to-date expectations on order status and tracking once in production and shipping. Reliable turnaround with order tracking should be standard.

Submit print-ready files  

While convenient design templates and builder tools make it easy to create cards yourself, starting with print-ready files optimized for the printer’s specifications will ensure the best results. Work with a graphic designer to build a branding-focused business card design in a layout formatted for standard card dimensions and bleed requirements. Have files exported directly from design programs at professional print resolution levels to preserve image quality without blurring or pixilation when printed. Stay organized with all color formats and fonts packaged together in files leaving details loose that printers would need to replace or substitute in finishing production. Starting the order process with ideal source files eliminates backlogs from any revision requests or troubleshooting flaws on the printer end.