Custom Business Cards

Custom business cards are cards specifically designed for a brand that also have a business aim. This may be promoting an upcoming launch event or sharing helpful product information. As cards are simple rectangles made from kraft paper, they’re one of the most cost-effective types of packaging. At the same time, you can always customise business cards to meet your exact needs, from double-sided printing to adding special finishes like embossing.

Custom printed business cards are an easy way to make your orders personal, fun and memorable. Which, in competitive markets, can help your brand stand out and make your customers feel valued. They’re also one of the cheapest types of packaging, making them an ideal marketing tool for small brands or tight budgets. Finally, as custom printed business cards are simple rectangles, they’re easy to store and fast to add to any order.

Custom business are suitable for a wide range of uses: sending marketing materials, thanking customers, promoting events, offering promotions and more. They can also be used as a hand-out to promote your product or brand.

How to use custom printed cards

Custom printed cards are incredibly versatile with an entire range of options, including size, material, style, printing, finish and more. This means you can tailor your custom printed cards exactly the way you want. There is no one design that works best.

Differences in custom printed cards

Most custom printed cards fall into two categories: business cards and greeting cards. Business cards have a business aim, like promoting an upcoming event. Greeting cards, however, don’t and are not commonly used by businesses. Not all custom printed cards are the same size either. With Sourceful, you can choose between three standard sizes or create a bespoke size with our team.

Designing your business card starts with choosing the size and style. There is no one correct size, and it will depend on your packaging, design and brand. For the style, there are two options available: flat or folded. Flat cards are the most cost-effective but folded cards allow you to maximise the available area for brand content. Folded cards can also stand up on its own, making them a useful way to keep your brand front and centre.

Your next decision is your core material. Whilst brown paper is more sustainable and more cost-effective, colours and artwork will appear more muted than on white paper. This means if colour is essential to your business card, we'd recommend white paper. You should always choose based on your artwork, budget and project needs.

A final consideration is the finish on your custom printed business cards. Embossing, for example, creates a raised effect on the surface of your card. It’s possible to emboss parts of your design, like text, which is a good way to make specific elements stand out. Debossing has the same effect as embossing but in reverse, imprinting parts of your design. Both create a luxurious feel and look, which many premium brands use to great effect.

Ready to order custom business cards? Get a quote above.

We validate all supplier claims and third-party certifications such as ISO, BRC and FSC. And we ensure suppliers adhere to UK and EU laws on chemicals and product components, like UK REACH. This allows businesses to confidently buy high-quality products that align with a net-zero trajectory.

Look for our FSC® certified products.

We vet every supplier we work with. We do this through site visits and product testing.

Learn more

Every lot from our suppliers undergoes a quality inspection process before it’s shipped. Any lot that fails quality inspection is returned to the manufacturer or reproduced.

For orders manufactured internationally (outside the UK), we follow the Acceptable Quality Limit (AQL) method defined by ISO 2859 - 1.

For orders manufactured domestically (inside the UK), our suppliers perform the quality inspection process which we then verify through spot checks throughout the year.

Learn more