Online Business Card Printing Services - A Buyer's Guide

Despite the Internet and the rise of all things "e-business" related, printed business cards are still very much a necessity. For many business people, relationships may begin online, but they are often cemented with a handshake and, often, the swapping of business cards.

In fact, instead of making the business card obsolete, the Internet has actually made them easier to obtain. These days, online printing companies can produce business cards more affordably and efficiently than ever, thanks to the ever-evolving technology in the printing industries. These companies will then package and ship your business cards to your door, which is an added degree of convenience.

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The trouble is, many people are unfamiliar with the process of online business card printing services, and so they do not know how to proceed with ordering new cards. If this describes you, then don't worry. We have you covered! The following tutorial will explain the entire process from start to finish.

Let's start with a quick definition:

Online Printing Companies - How They Operate

The Internet has revolutionized the way printing services operate, and this will continue as new technologies emerge (such as variable-data printing, file transfer tools, graphic design applications, etc.).

Though they obviously differ to some degree, most online printing companies process business cards in much the same way. The customer either transfers a design file to the printer, or creates the business card design online using various web-based tools.

The printer then processes that design file to prepare it for the actual printing process. The design will go to either an offset printing machine or digital printer (don't concern yourself with those just yet).

When all is said and done, the printed business cards are checked for quality, packaged for shipment, and finally shipped off to the customer.

PostcardSmart recommends the business card services of Copy Craft Printers. Located in Austin, Texas, they print and ship all over the United States. Learn more at CopyCraft.com.

Now let's look at this process in more detail, from a print buyer's perspective:

Business Card Printing - By the Numbers

As the customer, you must either have a business card designed already, or you will need to design one prior to printing. Many online printers will have various design tools to help you with this process, such as business card templates, design guides, proofing tools, etc.
The business card must then be proofed by you, the customer. This means you inspect the final design before it goes off to be printed. For small orders, or when strict color / branding requirements are not in place, the proofing process can be done online. But with larger orders, or when a company has strict guidelines about color codes and such, a sample of the business cards will be printed out for a "live" inspection by the buyers.
Once the design is approved by the customer, the business cards will move into the printing process. This can be done with a digital printer or an offset press. Offset printing is most often used for business cards, because it's cheaper to use an offset machine with larger quantities (as is often the case with business card orders).
Once the business cards have printed, somebody (usually an account manager) will inspect them against the proof that the customer approved. If everything is copasetic, the cards will then move on to the packaging / shipping department. If the print job doesn't match the proof for some reason, the issue will corrected and business card reprinted.

Questions to Ask a Printing Company

Now that you have a better understanding of how the basic printing process works with business cards, you are better equipped to ask the right kinds of questions when choosing an online printing company. Here are a few questions to get you started:

Do you discount incentives for larger orders? Do you charge extra for full-color printing versus black-and-white, and how much more per card?
Do you have online proofing for business cards or do you mail proofs to the customer?
Do you use digital printers or offset presses?
Do you offer free shipping for online business card orders over a certain amount?
Can you mail me some sample cards so I can see your print quality firsthand?
How does the online ordering process work?
Will I have an account manager to talk to if I have a problem, or a general customer service number?
What types of design files do you accept for business card orders?

Conclusion and Summary

I hope this tutorial helps you to better understand the process of obtaining business cards through a web-based printing service. Remember, it's a lot like carpentry where you want to get it right the first time. So do the proper research, design a quality business card, and use a dependable printing company such as the one we have recommended above.