Specialty business cards change one of two things: the shape, such as square, mini, folded or die-cut, or the material, such as plastic, metal, kraft, cotton or magnet. Choose the shape for how the card will be carried and the material for what it has to survive. A card that lives in a wallet should stay close to 3.5 x 2 inches; a card meant for a fridge door or a wet kitchen needs a different material, not a heavier paper.
Paper weights, coatings, spot UV, foil and painted edges are covered in our guide to business card stocks and finishes. This post covers everything beyond the standard paper rectangle.
What shapes and sizes can a business card be?
| Format | Size | Choose it when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 3.5 x 2 in | It has to fit every wallet and card holder | Nothing; it is the baseline |
| Rounded corner | 3.5 x 2 in, 1/8 or 1/4 in corner radius | Cards ride in pockets and you want corners that do not dog-ear | Artwork in the corners is trimmed away by the radius |
| Square | 2.5 x 2.5 in | You want a card that looks different in a stack | Stands half an inch taller than a standard card in a wallet slot |
| Mini | 1.5 x 3.5 in | You only need a name, a handle and a URL or QR code | Room for a few lines only |
| Folded | Opens to twice the area; 3.5 x 4 in for a card that folds to 3.5 x 2 | You need space for a service list, a map or a short menu | Needs scoring, and it is thicker in a wallet |
| Die-cut | Any outline cut to your artwork | The shape is the message: a leaf, a key, a skyline | Needs a custom die, so it takes longer than flat cards |
Shapes combine with any stock and finish, so a rounded-corner card can still be 32pt soft touch, and a square card can still carry foil.
Which materials can a business card be made from besides paper?
Plastic, metal, kraft, cotton and magnet, plus two paper upgrades, metallic pearl and duplex.
| Material | What it is | Choose it when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic | PVC in clear, frosted or solid white | Cards get wet or handled hard: trades, gyms, salons, restaurants | On clear or frosted cards, plan what shows through behind the type |
| Metal | Stainless steel or brushed aluminum | A short list of clients, investors or partners where the card is the statement | Many times the cost of paper, heavy in quantity, longer lead time |
| Kraft | Uncoated recycled brown kraft | Coffee, food, outdoor and sustainability brands | Ink prints darker and flatter on brown; pale colors can vanish |
| Cotton | Tree-free cotton stock with a soft hand | Law, architecture and design; the classic letterpress stock | Uncoated, so photographs print softer than on coated card |
| Magnetic | Printed card with a flexible magnet backing | Home services, restaurants and practices that want to live on the fridge | Thicker than paper and not meant for wallets |
| Metallic pearl | Shimmer stock that gives the ink a sheen | Beauty, events, jewelry and hospitality | The shimmer shifts colors slightly; proof brand colors on the stock |
| Duplex | Two stocks bonded together, often with a contrasting core | You want a thick card with a colored stripe at the edge | The bonding adds a production step and time |
Metal and plastic cards are specialty items that we quote and produce to order. They run on a different schedule from paper cards, so ask about timing when you request the quote.
Are metal business cards worth it?
For a short list of high-value contacts, often yes; for handing out at a conference, rarely. A metal card gets remembered, but it costs many times more per card than paper and is heavy to carry in quantity. A common approach is a two-tier set: metal or a thick duplex card for a few dozen key relationships, and a good 16pt paper card for everyone else, with the same layout so they read as one brand.
Can specialty cards have raised foil or embossing?
Yes, on paper stocks. Raised foil builds metallic foil up with real height you can feel, and embossed cards carry a raised impression with or without ink. Remember that an emboss leaves a hollow on the back, so plan the reverse layout around it. Both are explained in embossing vs debossing and other finishes.
How big should a QR code be on a business card?
Plan for at least 0.8 inch (20 mm) square including the blank margin for a short URL, and about 1 inch or more if the code holds a full contact card. A QR code's size is its module count, the number of small squares across it, times the size of each square. Each step up in QR version adds four modules per side, from 21 across at version 1, so a longer link or a vCard with phone numbers, email and address makes a denser code with smaller squares at the same print size.
- Module size: GS1, the barcode standards body, gives a target of 0.495 mm per module and a minimum of 0.396 mm for consumer QR codes. At 0.495 mm, a 33-module code (version 4) is about 16 mm wide, and about 20 mm with its margin.
- Quiet zone: leave a blank margin four modules wide on every side. It is part of the code, and it is easy to lose when the code sits against a border or a background pattern.
- Contrast: dark modules on a light background, ideally black on white. GS1 advises against inverting the code to light on dark, and against red or orange modules, which many scanners do not pick up.
- Short links: a shorter URL makes a less dense code with bigger squares. A redirect you control also lets you change the destination later without reprinting.
- Surface: keep foil, spot UV and gloss off the code, and never run it across a fold.
- Testing: scan the printed proof with two or three different phones before approving the run.
Sources: GS1 QR Code quick start guide for module size and color, and Denso Wave, the QR code's inventor, for the four-module margin and module counts per version.
What should a practitioner business card include?
Practitioner cards for physicians, dentists, therapists and allied staff work hardest when the back doubles as an appointment card. Put the practitioner's name, credentials and specialty on the front with the practice phone and address. If the practice has several locations, list them or point a QR code at a locations page. Print on matte or uncoated stock so the front desk can write a date and time on the back without smearing, and consider a version of the back in each language your patients speak. Appointment, referral and loyalty cards are covered in loyalty, punch and appointment cards.
Two checks before you approve a specialty card. First, hold the proof up to where the card will live: a square card pokes out of a standard wallet slot, and a folded card is twice as thick. Second, if the card is kraft, colored or shimmer stock, look at your brand colors printed on that stock, not on a screen. Ink sits on brown kraft the way a marker sits on a paper bag, darker and flatter, and a pale gray or pastel logo can all but disappear.
Can I print a recycled claim on kraft or cotton cards?
Only if it is accurate and, where needed, qualified. Our kraft cards are uncoated recycled stock, but the FTC's Green Guides treat a recycled-content claim as deceptive if it overstates the content, and say a product made partly from recycled material should qualify the claim. If you want 'printed on recycled paper' on the card, ask for the stock's recycled content with the quote. The rule is at 16 CFR 260.13, recycled content claims.
How long do specialty business cards take?
Cards on standard paper stock finish in two to three business days, and rush turns most cards around in 24 to 48 hours. Anything that needs a die, foil, embossing or bonded layers takes longer, which covers die-cut, raised foil, embossed and duplex cards. Metal and plastic cards follow their own schedule, which we confirm with the quote. Delivery anywhere in Manhattan is free.
Specialty business card questions
Do square business cards fit in a wallet?
They fit the width but not the height. A 2.5 x 2.5 inch card stands half an inch taller than a standard 3.5 x 2 inch card, so it pokes out of most wallet slots and card holders.
What size should a QR code be on a business card?
At least 0.8 inch (20 mm) square including a blank margin four modules wide, for a short URL. A code that holds a full vCard needs about 1 inch or more. Test the printed proof with several phones.
What is a duplex business card?
Two stocks bonded together into one thick card, often with a contrasting color in the middle that shows as a stripe along the edge.
Are plastic business cards waterproof?
Plastic cards are PVC, so they shrug off water and handling far better than paper. That makes them a good fit for salons, gyms, trades and restaurant staff.
Is a mini business card too small?
It holds a name, a title, one contact line and a small QR code comfortably. If you need an address and several phone numbers, choose a standard or folded card.
See every shape, stock and material on our business card printing page, or bring a card you like to the counter and we will match the format and finish.
Need this printed? We are at 40 Wall Street, and we deliver free anywhere in Manhattan.