By Jeannie Chapman


You never know who can potentially benefit your business. Whether you are at a networking event or chatting with someone at a party it can be surprising who can help you out. Therefore it is important to be prepared. However you do not necessarily need a graphic designer to create an effective business card. Using Microsoft Publisher Business card templates can make this a lot easier.

Before you use the program it is worth considering what is best suited to your product or service. What works for one particular company may not be suitable for another. For example if you are an artist then you want to show off your images as much as possible whereas a finance company may want something a bit simpler and focus mainly on the services they offer.

The first thing to decide is whether or not you want a single or double sided design. A single sided design is good if you want to reduce costs as you do not have additional print on the back. It can also be useful if you need to write something down for a potential client or networking contact.

Another thing to consider is whether or not you want a single or double sided design. A single design is best if you want to reduce the amount of printing costs involved. This is especially the case if you want to start with a small amount of cards and not use a professional printer. If you do choose to use a professional printer remember to ask them about the quality of image they want. High resolution images are best because they will not look fuzzy when you print them.

Each template is designed with a certain type of business in mind. For example if you are someone who is involved in arts and crafts you would want a design that reflects that. However the kind of design you would want if you run a cab company or if you are a plumber would be completely different.

The program also includes what is known as a Master Design set. This means that once you have established a design with your own logo and details for your business cards this can also apply to letterheads, brochures and so forth. This helps to establish a brand identity for potential clients. Another thing to decide is if you want portrait or landscape orientation. Portrait means the images and information are presented vertically while the landscape design means the images and information are presented horizontally. Whatever option you choose remember to check the print preview in order to ensure that the design fits the orientation.

When looking through templates consider the kind of product or service you are offering and whether the template works for it. Brighter colours are often best for companies targeting children or for artistic businesses. However if you are involved with finance or insurance you may want a simpler design with just the logo and contact information in order to give a sleeker and more professional look.

As well as the Microsoft Publisher Business Card templates included with the program there are various websites that provide templates online. It is worth looking at these to see what one is best suited to your business as well as looking for tutorials and feedback to help you make the best design for your company!




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