business cards

  • Thread starter Thread starter Allan Adler
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Allan Adler

Can one print one's own business cards on a personal printer and
is it cheaper to do so than to, say, pay Staples to do it? If so,
how does one do it?
 
Allan Adler said:
Can one print one's own business cards on a personal
printer and is it cheaper to do so than to, say, pay
Staples to do it? If so, how does one do it?
Click to expand...

IMHO you can always tell a cheaply printed card. They smudge when they get
wet, too, if you do them on an inkjet. Pay the money and get them done
professionally if you want to appear a professional to your
clients/customers.

Ivor
 
Ivor said:
IMHO you can always tell a cheaply printed card. They smudge when they get
wet, too, if you do them on an inkjet. Pay the money and get them done
professionally if you want to appear a professional to your
clients/customers.

Ivor
Click to expand...

It depends on one's graphic arts talent and the paper he/she chooses.
I can make a card that would more impress someone that a generic "blah"
card from an office supply store. As with any paper product, keep them
out of the rain and away from peanut butter :-)

-Taliesyn
 
Ivor Jones said:
IMHO you can always tell a cheaply printed card. They smudge when they get
wet, too, if you do them on an inkjet. Pay the money and get them done
professionally if you want to appear a professional to your
clients/customers.

Ivor
Click to expand...
I print business cards on an HP laser printer. Since I am retired I need
very few cards and am primarily interested in getting the information to
someone rather than impressing them with the professionality of the card
itself. Nonetheless, They really look quite good. I also have the
opportunity to change the text whenever I want - for change of email address
or some other information that needs to be updated. Ivor is certainly right
about dye-based inkjet cards not being waterproof. Laser printed cards can
suffer from any kind of abrasion that rubs against the printing and damages
it as well. Decent card stock and a good paper cutter work just fine. I
don't like the perf sheets of card stock as the perfs always show.

I do agree with Ivor that high quality printed cards are best for anyone who
is in business and needs a large quantity of very professional looking cards
..
 
Ivor Jones said:
IMHO you can always tell a cheaply printed card. They smudge when they get
wet, too, if you do them on an inkjet. Pay the money and get them done
professionally if you want to appear a professional to your
clients/customers.

Ivor
Click to expand...
I print business cards on an HP laser printer. Since I am retired I need
very few cards and am primarily interested in getting the information to
someone rather than impressing them with the professionality of the card
itself. Nonetheless, They really look quite good. I also have the
opportunity to change the text whenever I want - for change of email address
or some other information that needs to be updated. Ivor is certainly right
about dye-based inkjet cards not being waterproof. Laser printed cards can
suffer from any kind of abrasion that rubs against the printing and damages
it as well. Decent card stock and a good paper cutter work just fine. I
don't like the perf sheets of card stock as the perfs always show.

I do agree with Ivor that high quality printed cards are best for anyone who
is in business and needs a large quantity of very professional looking cards
..
 
Allan Adler said:
Can one print one's own business cards on a personal printer and
is it cheaper to do so than to, say, pay Staples to do it? If so,
how does one do it?
Click to expand...

It depends on your printer, how many cards you need, and whether you
want them all the same.

If you want 5000 identical cards, have a print shop do them.

If you want small quantities with differing contents and have a good
printer that will take appropriate card stock, print them yourself.
They will cost more per card, but you can print only as many as you
need.

There are precut cards which are moderately expensive, or you can cut
your own with a knife or trimmer (a standard paper cutter doesn't work
well because it's hard to make square cuts).
 
Yes and No

It is cheaper to go to Staples to print a generic black business card.
But if you want color and a logo and may change them from time to time
you can print really good stuff by going to Staples and purchasing
business card blanks and then using word to create a template and print
as many as you need.
 
Ivor said:
IMHO you can always tell a cheaply printed card. They smudge when they get
wet, too, if you do them on an inkjet.
Click to expand...

If you want them to be smudge proof get some Krylon Preserve it and
give them a quick spray.
 
Virtually all of the office supply stores, and even many print shops now
outsource business cards, and quality can be pretty low. I once bought
several thousand cards from several places and returned them all, then
printed them myself. It really is hard to find a print shop nowadays that
does good work. If you want a photo on your card the options are even
fewer.

Using a laser printer will make a big difference, but good quality photo
paper can give good results on an inkjet too. You'll also need a good
quality paper cutter.


Allan Adler said:
Can one print one's own business cards on a personal printer and
is it cheaper to do so than to, say, pay Staples to do it? If so,
how does one do it?
--
Ignorantly,
Allan Adler <[email protected]>
* Disclaimer: I am a guest and *not* a member of the MIT CSAIL. My actions and
* comments do not reflect in any way on MIT. Also, I am nowhere near
Click to expand...
Boston.
 
budgie said:
Save your self both the hassles and the $$, check out www.vistaprint.com
Click to expand...

I agree. Vistaprint has great prices and the quality was perfect.
Turnaround was about 3 days.
I didn't think I would use them, but I also got some of the magnets.
(My customers keep the magnet on there PC's, so it never gets lost).


--

Rev. G.G. Willikers
(Founder, Custodian & Janitor of the Shrine of HOoMSJ)


"Sir, I am unaware of any such activity or operation - nor would
I be disposed to discuss such an operation if it did in
fact exist, sir."
 
Interesting. I've used them several times using Visa and never had any of this
shite. I keep it simple and go straight for the bizcards and avoid the rest of
it. Methinks people may well have let their mouse stray onto some gimmick on
the page.
Click to expand...

Me thinks not.

They are definitely fraudulently hooking up their customers with the
scumbags. So why anyone would defend them is beyond me.
 
FROM CONSUMER AFFAIRS:

Julie of Chapel Hill NC (11/07/06)
I noticed a charge on my October bank account statement from Passport to
Fun. (I haven't double checked oether statements yet) First of all, I had
never heard of this co. and knew factually that I had not made a debit card
purchase through them. About 3 weeks prior to this, I had ordered brochures
from VistaPrint(charge was shown on my account). I googled Passport to Fun
and found the innumerable articles about this scam.

I called VistaPrint and spoke with a customer service rep there and told him
why I was calling and that I was aware of the numerous scam articles that
are resulting from this very problem. I asked him 3 different times how
Passport received my credit card info if I had not given it to him. I never
got a straight answer - only that if I had signed up for a membership, I
would be charged for it. I asked for written documentation which he couldn't
provide either. He finally told me that I would be credited within 7-10
business days for the amount. I emphatically told him that I would not only
follow up, but asked that he not put me in a position of having to turn this
over for legal assistance.

I called my bank, they were wonderful! They have cancelled my card and are
issuing a new one with a different number. They will be on the lookout for
the credit - even under a different business name. I was also told by the
bank that sometimes charges can come through under different business names
(so change the account #!) I'm really a nice person, but can sure sound
otherwise when I need to get results!!!

VISTA PRINT Why would anyone defend these theifs?
 
Wayne said:
Before anyone thinks VISTA PRINT is something of a good deal go to this
website first ......
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/vistaprint.html
Click to expand...
Just as well. I took a look at their free card designs, and none of them
projects the down-home image I want my business to have. I prefer my own
design. When you sell food direct from the farm to the public, looking
TOO slick and fancy cuts into business, rather than promoting it.

TJ
 
Can one print one's own business cards on a personal printer and
is it cheaper to do so than to, say, pay Staples to do it? If so,
how does one do it?
Click to expand...

We've been doing it for years for both my wife and myself. Buy Avery
business card stock (or another good brand) and you can get excellent
results. The cards with the microperforations, especially, look very
good and the perforations don't show.

We only need small quantities, so I usually print one or two sheets at a
time. No problem storing them that way, and they are readily at hand.
Hers have a color illustration related to a small business that she has.
Mine use my initials as a logo. Both look very professional. We've
had business cards printed by vendors in the past. The only difference
that we can see is that we were able to get cards printed with slightly
raised lettering when we got them from a print shop. But the cards I
print on my Canon ip5200 are perfectly suitable and adequate for our
needs, and more cost effective.
 
Me thinks not.
Click to expand...

You're always entitled to your view.
They are definitely fraudulently hooking up their customers with the
scumbags. So why anyone would defend them is beyond me.>
Click to expand...

FFS I'm not defending them, I'm simply stating what I have experienced - and not
experienced - in using their website and services. As always YMMV.
 
We've been doing it for years for both my wife and myself. Buy Avery
business card stock (or another good brand) and you can get excellent
results. The cards with the microperforations, especially, look very
good and the perforations don't show.

We only need small quantities, so I usually print one or two sheets at a
time. No problem storing them that way, and they are readily at hand.
Hers have a color illustration related to a small business that she has.
Mine use my initials as a logo. Both look very professional. We've
had business cards printed by vendors in the past. The only difference
that we can see is that we were able to get cards printed with slightly
raised lettering when we got them from a print shop. But the cards I
print on my Canon ip5200 are perfectly suitable and adequate for our
needs, and more cost effective.
Click to expand...

I keep some Avery stock around and print out new cards with a
slightly modified design and logo when I run out.

But I like doing it. Others should devote their time to their
business and not to creating artistic designs.
 
deke said:
I keep some Avery stock around and print out new cards with a
slightly modified design and logo when I run out.
But I like doing it. Others should devote their time to their
business and not to creating artistic designs.
Click to expand...

One thing I'm not clear about is how, mechanically, one prints the cards.
I think some people are saying that one prints out single sheets of paper
(cardboard) that have several business cards on them and separates the
individual cards using, e.g., perforations in sheet. Is that the way it
is always done or is there some kind of adaptor that holds individual
cards which get printed individually?
 
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