Design your own printable cards

I know for us bloggers, conference season is upon us. Which means: it’s time to stock up on business cards! But, of course, you don’t have to be a blogger to need cute, custom, affordable business cards. Every small business owner needs them, and when you’re working with such a small space, it’s important to get everything on it just right!

You already know how much I love Picmonkey for photo editing and blog design, but did you know you can use Picmonkey to design your own business cards too? It’s pretty much a one-stop shop over there, and I can’t recommend Picmonkey highly enough!

Anyway. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to design your own business cards in Picmonkey and then print them out using Vista Print.

Step 1: design the front and back of your business card sized to 1062 x 615 pixels. Be sure to leave an empty border (about 100 pixels) to ensure that none of your design is cut off during printing. Save the design to your computer.

Step 2: Go to and click on “Premium Business Cards”, and then click on “Upload a Complete Design.”

Step 3: Follow the prompts to upload the designs for the front and back of your business cards..

If you’re feeling a little unsure of what exactly should or shouldn’t go on a business card, I’ve put together a few do’s and don’ts that I’ve found helpful through personal experience and through the experiences of some of my colleagues. I hope they make this experience a little easier for you!

DO make your name front and center. While your blog/business name is important, don’t let it overshadow your name on the card. When you give someone a business card, you’re saying “I want to do business with you. I will personally back up everything my business has to offer.” Don’t contradict that by minimizing your name on the card.

DO include your title. This can be a little confusing as a blogger. For many of us, blogging is simply a way to showcase whatever it is we actually DO. So… what are you? A butcher? A baker? A candlestick maker? Keep in mind the title of “Blogger” is a wonderful one to have. I’m not trying to minimize it or suggest that it’s less than any other title. I’m just suggesting that you carefully consider the title that you give yourself before you announce it to the business world. I personally use the title “Publisher.” I chose that title because, as a small business owner, publishing is the product I have to offer potential clients. I also have separate business cards for my Etsy shop, because that’s a completely different and separate product from my blog– although the content does frequently cross paths. Including your title is important, because it helps people to categorize you and how they may want to work with you in the future.

DON’T only print business cards with your phone number. If you have the funds, order a batch with your phone number and some without your phone number. Hand out the cards with your number to serious potential business associates. But keep the others on hand for the majority of everyone else. You never know who could end up with these cards at the end of the day, and it’s best to not have your personal phone number floating around.

DO keep consistent branding. It’s helpful if your business card has similar design elements to that of your blog or website. People will have a stronger association between you and your brand, which is the ultimate goal at the end of everything: that they remember YOU and your BRAND.

DO include short and simple social media handles. Everyone knows that a great deal of important networking begins and develops on social media sites. Which makes your social media profiles critical business card information. I highly recommending including Twitter, FB, Instagram, and (of course) your email.

DON’T crowd your business card with all of the URLs to your social media pages. Just don’t.

DO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN A VERY CLEAR AND IDENTIFIABLE PLACE ON THE CARD! It is generally acknowledged that email is the most professional way to communicate in this technological day. Make sure people know how to get a hold of you!

DO include the URL to your website/blog. Obviously.

DO feel free to advertise your sponsors and affiliates on the back of your business cards, but be mindful not to crowd too much in a small space. That can look tacky.

So what are your upcoming business card toting plans? Who’s going to BlogHer Food? That’s my next big stop!

Picmonkey is an official sponsor of Something Swanky. Vista Print Coupons compensated me in exchange for my time in writing this post. However these opinions are my own, and I have personally created my own business cards using Picmonkey and Vista Print and can vouch for everything recommended in this post.

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