10 Modern Business Card Trends to Know About
First impressions matter.
Research shows it takes just seven seconds to form a first impression—hardly enough time to showcase your best qualities. That’s why everything in those seven seconds needs to count.
This is especially true in business, where people are bombarded daily with thousands of brand messages and ads. In a world of constant noise, even a small piece of marketing collateral—like a business card—can help you cut through and make a lasting impact.
Why Business Cards Still Matter
Business cards have always been part of introductions. But in today’s crowded landscape, they need to do more than just display contact details. A good business card should:
- Grab attention quickly. When someone leaves an event with a stack of cards, yours should stand out.
- Clearly share the right info. A card is useless if people can’t easily reach you.
- Leave a lasting impression. A memorable design ensures people remember both you and your brand story.
10 Business Card Trends You Need to Know
1. Minimalism
Clutter is out. The modern trend is back to clean, minimalist design—think clear typography, ample white space, and only the essentials.
Minimalist layouts convey sophistication and focus, making cards easy to read while elevating brand credibility.
2. Heavy Cardstock
Flimsy cards feel disposable. Thicker, ultra-premium cardstock communicates substance and durability—qualities people subconsciously associate with your brand.
3. Die-Cutting
Move beyond rectangles. From squares to circles, or completely custom shapes, die-cut cards showcase creativity and help align your card design with your brand personality.
4. Interactive Designs
Just like die-cut cards are taking off, so too are interactive designs. Think cards that fold into boxes or paper airplanes, or cards that double up as cutlery - the possibilities are endless!
In 2018, expect to see shape-shifting designs that are multi-purpose. This creative aspect of business card design means you can really stand out, but it also means that if your card is more than just a business card (like an airplane or a box), people are less likely to dump it the day after you give it to them.
5. Big and Bold Typefaces
Big and bold is back.
Standing out is more than just metaphorically shouting loudly in someone’s face, but having bold text can mean the difference between someone overlooking your card in favor of another businesses’ or remembering yours.
Not only does using a big and bold typeface draw the recipient’s eye to all the essential information, but you can also use the typeface to tie into employee branding.
Say, for example, each employee or each department uses a different background design or a different icon to reflect what they do, but then there’s an overriding big, bold typeface that ties them altogether.
This gives the company a streamlined look, ensures the cards all stand out, but personalizes them to the individual or the department.
6. Clever Puns and Symbols
With so many businesses doing the rounds these days, it’s difficult for consumers to feel a connection with any one in particular.
This is because very few brands really nail the “human” element of running a business. We’re all just people and, as people, we like to laugh, so injecting a hearty dose of humor into your business cards can make the world of difference.
You don’t want to go too “out there”, but a simple pun related to your business or industry, or a fun symbol that will put a smile on someone’s face will help keep you at the forefront of their mind.
7. Smart Cards
The digital world has evolved so much in the last decade, that it makes sense some of the aspects of a business card have made their way online.
This year, business cards are set to bridge the gap between the real world and the digital one thanks to new “smart” capabilities. Expect to see barcode-studded businesses cards that recipients can scan to get all the information they need sent straight to their phone.
8. Textured Cards
The great thing about business cards is that you can actually, physically touch them - something that’s increasingly becoming a novelty in this digitally-inspired aged.
Businesses can really tap into this touch element by creating textured business cards. Not only does this mean that your cards will stand out amongst other, smoother ones, but it also adds a sense of elegance if a card is embossed or has a raised design on it.
9. Painted Edges
Think about it:
When someone goes to an event and they pick up a fistful of business cards, those business cards usually sit for ages in a pile on their desk until they eventually get round to sifting through them or - more likely - throw them away.
Now imagine if your business card had a bright green, or pink, or blue border. When it’s in that pile nestled snugly amongst all the other business cards, it’s not going to be “just another one in the stack”.
Instead, it’s going to stand out.
This year, businesses are getting more creative than ever with their business card designs, and this modern, vibrant trend is so simple but set to be so big. By simply painting the edges of your cards, you’re keeping things professional but also giving your card the chance to shine in a pile.
10. Display Your Brand Message
Your brand message is one of the most important things your business cards should show off. You want recipients to immediately know what they can expect from you and what kind of company you are.
To do this, brands are creating more consistent cards that feature their logos, company colors, and any relevant straplines.
Again, this plays into employee branding, where a consistent brand message is showcased across every employee’s business card despite having personalized aspects to them.
And, let’s face it, businesses that heavily incorporate their colors and logos are more likely to be remembered.
Business Cards Are Your Physical First Impression
We don’t need to remind you again just how important first impressions are.
When each brand has a hefty number of competitors, those initial seven seconds can mean the difference between gaining a customer for life and losing a customer forever.
The business card might be an understated and overlooked way of doing this, but handing a visual and, most importantly, physical reminder of your business to someone can be incredibly powerful - particularly in this day and age when everything seems to be done digitally.
By tapping into some of the key business card trends of 2018 and applying them to your own designs, you can really make your business cards stand out while keeping your branding on point and making those first seven seconds count.
Whether you decide to emboss your logo, paint the edges of your cards a vibrant shade of teal, or simply go minimal, these little tweaks can help make your business card stand out in a sea of others.
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