Thrifty Thursday Tip #1: Printing Your Own Business Cards

Printing your own business cards may seem like a real money-saver at first glance. But often, it's a case of "penny wise and pound foolish". It may take less cash today, but getting them printed professionally may pay off faster than you think. However, there are some circumstances under which printing your own cards makes sense. And in case you decide to print your own cards, I'll show you how to get the most professional-looking card you possibly can.

If you're going to print your own business cards, you absolutely must use "clean edge" business cards. Don't use the "micro-perf" cards, as they're flimsy, don't hold up well, and come across as just plain cheap -- not the appearance you want to give. And they're not really much less expensive than the clean-edge. Personally, I recommend the Avery 8879 cards. They're the same thickness as professionally printed cards, and most importantly, the glossy finish seems to hold up much better and avoid the ink bleed that the matte finish cards exhibit over time. Photos also do much better on the glossy finish. They're a little more expensive (about $20-$25 for a box of 200 vs. $15-$20 for the matte finish), but well worth it. Make sure you print them with your printer on maximum print quality.

I print my About.com cards myself and have received numerous compliments on how attractive and distinctive they are (photo at right). Probably only an experienced printer would be able to tell they're self-printed.

Now let's do the math and see whether printing your own really makes sense for you. The cost of the ink is going to run you about another five to seven cents per page, with 10 cards per page. So in total, a box of 200 cards self-printed is about $25.

If a one-color card with a basic layout is sufficient for you, you can get a box of 1,000 cards for around $10-$25, depending on how much text you have and the type of card stock you want. If a basic one-color card will do it, there's no question -- get them done professionally, either online or at a local printer or office supply store. You'll immediately come out way ahead.

When you start looking at color cards, though, the advantage isn't necessarily so clear. Be very careful when shopping prices. For example, a box of 1,000 full 4-color business cards at your local office supply store will run you upwards of $100. Online, though, custom cards with your own artwork can be gotten for under $70 for glossy finish, and around $50 or less for matte finish, and you don't have to worry about the print quality issues with matte that you do if you print them yourself.

The deciding question is this: how fast are you going to go through business cards before the information you put on it changes? If a basic one-color card is all you need, or if you want full color and expect to give out four or five hundred cards with your current information (company, title, phone, etc.), then there's no question -- getting them professionally printed will not only give you a better card, it will save you money. On the other hand, if you're expecting your information to change soon, or if due to the nature of your business you just don't give out many cards (I don't), then a well-done self-printed card may be just fine for you and save you a few bucks in the process.

Related: The Business Card Trash Test from our Small Business Guide, Darrell Zahorsky
Related: Business Card Design Ideas and Tutorials from our Desktop Publishing Guide, Jacci Howard Bear