Business card review please

[mjs1973]

I'm thinking about ordering some business cards and I'm looking for some advice. Design layout is not my strong point, but this is what I have come up with so far. This is just my first draft, so it's not a final version. (I know the middle image is smaller than the others). What do you think of this?

[Greg McCary]

I am not big on design either, but maybe a wedding portrait in the center and a landscape on the right. Most of your customers will be people getting married?
Greg

[Ronnoco]

A few questions, what is the purpose of the two "lines" of blur above your web site? Do you really want to restrict your market area to weddings, portraits and landscapes?

The first shot is not really a portrait...as in a closer head and shoulders shot. The last on the other side is not clearly an easily recognizable wedding shot.

What you need to decide is how you want to portray your style of shooting weddings, landscapes and portraits? From your first shot, I would classify it as a people shot rather than a portrait. If you really want portraits on the card, then you need to decide whether a classic portrait would be best or one with a little flair and creativity. It depends on your style but it still needs to fit the broad definition of a portrait.

The landscape is a good shot but you need to look at who your potential buyers are for landscape shots and then pick the right kind of landscape shot that would likely appeal to that kind of buyer. Tourist boards, historical societies, postcard companies, travel companies, and scenic magazines, for example all require slightly different types of landscape shots. I don't know your buyers and whether you have done that or not but I am saying that it needs to be a consideration.

The wedding shot is the most difficult because the current trend is toward the touch of class and the classic, along with some individual flare and creativity. There is also a trend toward the more candid rather than posed shot. You need a wedding shot that encompasses all these trends and still displays your own style and approach.

Believe me, creating a business card is trying to put a tremendous amount of positive visual business-related information in a very small space.

Ronnoco

[schrackman]

Hi Michael,

I hope you don't mind but I thought I would fool around with your card to give you a few ideas. I really like your concept but a couple things I felt could use a bit of fine tuning.

First, I think you need a font that will give you more of a "professional" look. The font I chose here was AcanthusSSK (one of my favorites) but anything similar will work.

I also added a gradient for the background. The CMYK percentages for the lighter color are 57/40/31/2, and for the darker color they are 75/68/67/90 (keep in mind, all your artwork should be done in CMYK color if you plan to take it to a printer).

The filmstrip needs to be smaller, which means you'll probably have to add a couple more images to it (here I just cut and pasted your images over so that it looks roughly the size that you need it. The reason for this is you need more space away from the edges in order avoid your text getting cut off by the cutter.

I think you will find that this gives your card a little more balanced feel to it. I hope it helps.

[mjs1973]

Thanks for the info and suggestions everyone. Ray, the visual is greatly appreciated! Ron, the blured lines are my home phone# and email address. I didn't want to openly post them here.

[mjs1973]

Thanks Mods for moving this to the B&L Forum. I always forget about this Forum...

[Asylum Steve]

The first shot is not really a portrait...as in a closer head and shoulders shot...

Your confusing portrait with headshot. The first pic in Michael's design most certainly is a portrait. A person in a portrait can be any size, from eyes only to full body taking up a small part of the frame, (think a corportate exec standing in a huge warehouse...).

[Asylum Steve]

What do you think of this?

Just a few comments. One, what are all those white squares above and beneath your images?

Ok, I'm kidding, but seriously, that's not what real film looks like. You've got too many sprocket holes and they're way too close to the edge of the strip (check out the film graphic in the lobby page of my site).

Picky? Perhaps. But these kinds of things make your card look a lot more amateurish...

Also, you force a vertical shot onto a horizontal film strip, but that doesn't bother me much. Artistic licence, I suppose?

The first two pics are fine, but I have no idea what the third is. And if a fellow photographer can't make it out, well, chances are some of your potential clients won't either....

The type for your text is pretty generic, almost too much so (looks like clipart kind of stuff). I think there are tons of better type styles you can use.

Finally, is it a typo, or is the "t" in light really suppose to be missing from your web site URL? Because, if it is, a LOT of folks are going to misspell your web address...

[Asylum Steve]

This is certainly an improvement. Still need to fix those sprocket holes, though. They really look fake... :cryin:

This version isn't perfect, as the pics don't match up with the film frames, but the size and position of the holes to the size of the "film" is correct...

[PMW518]

I agree with Steve on the film strip look and the sprocket holes. Also I think it looks a little weird with the two on the side being in "landscape" orientation and then the landscape in the middle being the other way in "portrait" style, it just kinda looks weird with them rotated different ways, but maybe thats just me.

I also second the clipartish text look and adding the gradient to the background.

I found this film strip someplace awhile ago, I don't remember where though. It's a .TIFF file and the red squares are removable layers to swap with your own images, it also has text for Kodak too. If your interested I could send the file to you just drop me a PM and let me know, or maybe you can find one on Google.

Phil

[mjs1973]

Thanks everyone, for all the great feedback and suggestions!! I am very appriciative of all the time and effort you have taken to give such great advice.

[adina]

My thoughts?

Loose the film altogether. Pick one really kick ass shot on the front, contact info on the back. Business cards are small. You're not going to see any detail in those tiny photos once they are printed. If you want to show the different things you shoot, print up a couple different cards. They are cheap enough you can have multiple cards to hand out in different situations.

Keep it simple. Keep it clean. Those are my guides to business cards.

[mjs1973]

Thanks for your thoughts Adina.