Your card is felt before it is read. In a city where people collect a dozen a week, the physical object is doing more work than the layout.
What 'pt' means
Point is thickness, not weight. One point is one thousandth of an inch, so a 16pt card is 0.016 inches thick. This is a different measurement from the pound weight used for text papers, which is why comparing 100lb text to 16pt cover is comparing two unrelated numbers.
- 14pt: the standard. Professional, economical, correct for high-volume handing out.
- 16pt: noticeably more substantial for a small price increase. The most common upgrade and usually the right one.
- 18pt to 24pt: premium. Will not bend in a pocket.
- 32pt: roughly double a standard card, and the stock required for painted edges.
Finishes
- Matte: soft, non-reflective, easy to read, takes pen. The safe professional default.
- Gloss: high shine, makes photography and saturated color pop. Hard to write on.
- Uncoated: raw paper feel, absorbs ink slightly, takes pen beautifully.
- Silk laminate: thin film, velvety, water and tear resistant.
- Soft touch velvet: the suede-like finish people comment on. The biggest tactile upgrade available.
If people write on the back of your card, such as an appointment time, a unit number or a quoted price, do not order gloss. Ink beads and smears on a gloss coating. Matte or uncoated.
Upgrades worth the money
Spot UV and raised spot UV
Gloss varnish applied only to selected areas over a matte sheet. Raised spot UV builds it up so you can feel it. Effective on a logo, wasted across a whole card.
Foil stamping
Real metallic foil pressed into the sheet under heat, in gold, silver, copper, rose gold or holographic. Unlike metallic ink it has a genuine mirror surface. Works best on simple bold shapes; very fine lines can fill in.
Letterpress
Ink pressed into soft cotton stock leaving both color and depth. Quieter than foil and often more confident. Common in design, architecture and boutique legal.
Painted edges
A band of color along the edge of 32pt stock. Only viable on very thick card and best when the edge contrasts sharply with the face.
What suits which Manhattan industry
- Finance and law: 16pt to 18pt, matte or silk, restrained. Foil on the mark at most.
- Real estate: 16pt silk or soft touch, often with a photograph, so gloss or silk over matte.
- Design, architecture and creative: uncoated, letterpress, duplex or painted edge.
- Restaurants and hospitality: durable and cheap enough to hand out constantly. 14pt matte.
- Fashion and beauty: soft touch, foil, or an unusual format such as square or mini.
File setup
Standard US size is 3.5 x 2 inches. Add 0.125 inch bleed all round, keep critical text 0.125 inch inside the trim, supply 300 DPI CMYK artwork and outline your fonts. Unsure? Send what you have. We check every file free. See business cards.
Need this printed? We are at 40 Wall Street, and we deliver free anywhere in Manhattan.