Create a Custom Business Card Using Photoshop

Tired of being stuck with run-of-the-mill business card templates? This article shows you how to use simple Photoshop tricks to create your own custom business card that is creative, catchy and ready to print!

Steps

  1. Create a template with the right specifications. Open a new image in Photoshop and set the width and height to 3.75 and 2.25 inches respectively. Set the resolution to 200 pixels/inch or more. The final size of your card will be 3.5 x 2 inches but it is customary to include a 1/8th inch 'bleed area' all around, hence the slightly larger image above. The bleed area makes sure that the colours "bleed" out over the edges when the cards are cut, instead of leaving white borders.
  2. Create guidelines for the bleed and safety areas. Turn on rulers (View > Rulers) and right click on the ruler to set the unit to inches. Click on the top ruler and drag down to create two horizontal guide lines, one at 0.125 in and one at 2.125 in. Create two more vertical lines at 0.125 in and 3.625 in. These lines mark the end of the actual business card. You can also create safety guidelines just inside the bleed area to make sure your text does not extend too close to the edges.
  3. Create a background on a new layer. Select the gradient tool and click on the preview on the top left to edit the colours. Use light or dark colours so that any text or images stand out clearly against the background. When using the gradient tool, draw a line across the entire image to create a gradual transition between colours. You could alternatively draw a shorter line within the image to create a more abrupt transition.
  4. Plan the layout of the text. You will need to add, at the very least, your name and designation, your company's name or logo, and your contact information. If you own or work for a small business, you might want to add a tagline below the company's name describing the type of business.
  5. Add each part of the text using the text tool in a new layer. Use a larger font size, between 18-20 points, for your name and the name of your company to make them stand out. Experiment with fancy fonts and different styles. The contact information is usually in a smaller font size of 10-12 points. This text must be in a plain, clear font without ambiguous characters (You don't want people wondering if that's a number 1 or lower-case letter l in your email address).
  6. Add a company logo in a corner or in place of the company's name (optional). If you have an image of your company's logo, open the image in Photoshop. Use the quick selection tool to select around the border of the logo (reduce the tool size if necessary), avoiding the background. Invert the selected area using Ctrl+Shift+I and use the eraser tool to delete the background around the logo. You can now use any selection tool to copy and paste just the logo onto your card template.
  7. Add text effects for a more professional look. Right click on the text layer and open the Blending Options window. Select the Bevel & Emboss option and set the size to 2-3 to give the text a bit of depth. For dark text against a light background, select the outer glow option. With the colour set to a light version of the background, set the spread and size to a small value to create a subtle glow instead of a broad halo. For light text against a dark background, use the Drop Shadow effect instead. Again, set the Spread and Size to a small value and adjust the distance so that the text is subtly outlined.
  8. Use brushes to create detail in your background. You can use large abstract brushes with the colour set to match the centre of your background gradient to create a nice subtle contrast. Another way to make brushes blend in is to select Blending Options in the brushes layer, select gradient overlay and modify the gradient with colours similar to your background. You could also use more colourful brushes but lower the brush layer's opacity to make them less flashy. The brush effects must be catchy, but not make the text difficult to read.
  9. Add images to reinforce the theme or fill up 'blank' areas. Open an image you own or have permission to use and select a portion using the quick selection tool. Copy and paste it into the card template. You can also create a composite using pieces of many images and brushes on a separate image. Arrange the pieces on separate layers and merge all the layers at the end before copying and pasting the composite onto your template. Paste your image on a new layer in your template and lower the opacity of the layer to 30-40%.
  10. Add a border to brighten up your design(optional). Draw a rectangle along the safety guide lines (or slightly outside them) using the rectangle tool. Make sure the path style is selected in the top left corner. Select the brush tool and choose a simple brush style with a size between 5-10 pixels. Select the Paths panel in the layers palette and right click on the Work Path. Click on Stroke Path and select Brush. You can add Blending Options to the border as well.
  11. Tweak your design. You will probably want to fine-tune your design to move text away from background graphics or remove effects that don't blend with the rest of the template. You may even need to change some font colours if your background has changed considerably.
  12. Save your file! When you are completely satisfied with your template, save it once as a Photoshop .psd file (in case you still want to make changes to it) and again as a PDF (or any other format preferred by the printshop). Also make sure to tell the print shop the final size of your business card (3.5 x 2 inches in this case) and that your template includes a bleed area.



Tips

  • When adding external images to your template, make sure they have a high resolution so that they do not appear pixelated.
  • Create a new layer for each new object you add, even for different sections of text. This will make it easier to move them around individually, apply effects or even delete parts of your template with ease.
  • Try to work on your template at or near 100% magnification so that any part that is blurry or pixelated will be immediately apparent.

Warnings

  • Make sure you use your own images or have permission to use others' images in your design.
  • If you use custom brush sets or other artwork in your design, credit the creator if possible and get their permission for using it on print.

Sources and Citations

  • All designs shown in the images were created by me using Adobe Photoshop for illustration purposes only. All images used in the designs are my own and no copyrighted images were used.
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