Designing business cards: small but decisive

In short: a good business card is clearly ordered, shows only the most important contact details, fits your visual identity and feels good. Name and company sit at the top of the hierarchy, the contact routes below. The common format in German-speaking countries is 85 × 55 mm. Paper and finishing turn the card into an experience. Before printing, a test print at original size pays off.

Business cards are part of business stationery and thus of your visual identity, more in the article professional graphic design. As of October 2026.

Why the business card still counts

Even though many contacts happen digitally: at customer meetings, on site, at trade fairs or networking events, the card still gets handed over. It's a piece of your business that the other person takes away. A thin, poorly printed card says something different from a carefully designed one on good paper, even if nobody says so.

What belongs on the card

• Name and role: so people know who they spoke to.
• Company name and logo: in the defined version from your visual identity.
• Phone number: ideally the one where you can actually be reached.
• Email and website.
• Address: if customers come to you or the location builds trust.

Optional are a QR code, a short line about your service or social media profiles, but only the ones you actually maintain.

Ordering information

Space on a business card is tight, so order is decisive. The eye first looks for: who is this, and from which company? Then: how do I reach this person? Good design makes this sequence visible:

• a clear hierarchy through type size and weight, not through many colours,
• contact details stacked, easy to read, with enough spacing,
• a free margin so nothing gets cut off when trimming,
• no type that's too small: cards are often read in poor light or standing up.

More on choosing type and legibility in the article typography.

Using the back

The back offers room for what would be too much on the front: the logo large in the brand colour, your services in keywords, a QR code or an appointment field. A plain, coloured back with the logo often works better than an overloaded front.

QR code: yes, but useful

A QR code pays off when it makes something easier: a digital contact card that can be saved straight to the phone, or a relevant page of your website. A QR code that only leads to the home page is usually superfluous. It must be large enough and have enough contrast to work reliably. Test it with several phones before printing. More in the article QR codes in advertising.

Format, paper, finishing

• Format: 85 × 55 mm is common in German-speaking countries. It fits card holders and wallets. Special formats stand out but are kept less often.
• Paper: a stiffer paper feels higher quality than a thin one. Uncoated papers look natural and are easy to write on; coated papers make colours and images look more brilliant.
• Finishing: embossing, hot foil, spot varnish or a velvety surface make a card special. One targeted finish, for example only on the logo, often works better than several at once.

Whether the card should be writable, for appointments or notes, also influences paper and surface.

Common mistakes

• Too much information: five phone numbers, every service, every network.
• Type too small or too fine, especially light on dark.
• Text too close to the edge, so it gets cut off when trimming.
• Logo as a blurry image instead of a clean vector file.
• Colours that don't match the rest of your presence because the colour value came from the wrong file. A style guide fixes that.
• Outdated details: handing out cards after a move or a new number loses calls.

Before printing

1. Have a second person check all details, especially phone number and email.
2. Make a test print at original size and look at it from normal reading distance.
3. Test the QR code with several phones.
4. Prepare print files according to the printer's specifications: bleed, colour mode, resolution, embedded fonts. The basics are explained in the article print files for stickers; they apply to business cards in the same way.

An example

The case is constructed, but typical. A painting business has business cards with logo, slogan, seven services, two phone numbers, fax, address and three social media icons, all on the front. The new card shows only name, role, company name with logo, one mobile number, email and website on the front. The back is fully in the brand colour with the logo in white and a small QR code to the digital contact card. The paper is stiffer and matte. The card looks calmer and higher quality, and the number is found immediately.

Our view

The business card is one of the smallest pieces of print, but one of the most personal. We always design it in the context of the rest of the visual identity, so that card, letterhead, website and vehicle fit together. Business cards are part of our business stationery, more under services and corporate design & logo.

Checklist: your business card

• Does it only show the details that are really needed?
• Are name, company and contact routes clearly ordered?
• Is the type legible even in poor light?
• Do logo and colours match the rest of your presence?
• Does the text have enough distance from the edge?
• Does the QR code lead somewhere useful, and does it work?
• Does the paper match the impression you want to make?
• Are all details current and proofread?

Frequently asked questions

What belongs on a business card?

Name and role, company name with logo, phone number, email address and website, and if needed the address. Less is more: anything not needed to reach or remember you can be left out or moved to the back.

What size is a business card?

In German-speaking countries 85 × 55 mm is the common format. It fits standard card holders and wallets. Special formats stand out but more easily end up loose in a bag or don't get kept.

Is a QR code on a business card worth it?

If it leads somewhere useful, yes: for example to a digital contact card that can be saved straight to the phone, or to a relevant page of your website. It should be large enough to scan reliably and be tested before printing.