I celebrate Christmas, and it is truly my favorite time of the year.  But hey, this blog is about business cards, right?  So I thought I would combine the two topics and list 10 things you could do with your custom business cards this holiday season…

1. Include a business card with your holiday business correspondence (for example, put your business card in any Christmas cards you send to your clients).
2. Distribute your card at any and all holiday functions you happen to attend.
3. Use your glossy business cards as gift labels.
4. Print silk business cards with coupon codes in order to facilitate a holiday promotion.
5. Find places within your local mall to distribute your business cards.  You may even be able to partner with a few stores to put a stack of your cards on the checkout counter.  All malls are packed with people this time of year, so think about ways to tap into this mass of humanity.
6. If you are in a business that encourages holiday gift-giving to clients, a nice touch is to give out a small box of candies – about the diameter of a standard business card, just enough to fit a few pieces of chocolate – and use a graphic of your custom business cards as the lid.
7. If you have metal business cards, think about transforming them into Christmas tree ornaments and hand them out to clients as holiday gifts.
8. Going to a family function?  Why not descretley pass out your card to everyone in attendance? 
9. Expand your silk business cards to the size of a holiday greeting card, and mail them to clients. 
10. Use your glossy business cards as kindling to get the ‘ole Yule Log started! (ha, ha…I just had to end with some humor).

So there you have it, an imprompteu list of things to do with your custom business cards this holiday season.  Whether you have glossy business cards, silk business cards, or metal business cards, I hope you found this blog post both enjoyable and useful. 

Happy Holidays!

So without further ado, here are the top 10 idiotic things to do with your business card during your 4th of July holiday excursions.

1. Light a business card on fire like a poor-man’s sparkler. Your friends will be so impressed (avoid doing this with gasoline on your hands).
2. If you have a pool, attempt to use your business card as a raft (not recommended for humans).
3. Need help getting the charcoal grill going? Silk business cards make great kindling.
4. Keep the kids busy by having an Easter Egg hunt, using your business cards instead of eggs (feel free to dye your business cards if you REALLY want to get into the Easter spirit). Bunny costume = optional.
5. Wear your business card like a name tag so your friends and family won’t forget who you are.
6. Use your plastic business card like a Frisbee. Fun for the whole family!
7. Build a house of cards (no bigger than 3 bedroom / 2 bath)
8. No need to spend money on a spatula. Strap one of your metal business cards to the end of a stick, and flip those burgers with ease (not recommended for veggie burgers).
9. Get 52 business cards and use them like playing cards. Since they are all identical, everybody’s a winner!
10. Use your business card as toilet paper (not recommended for diarrhea…also avoid using coated products like glossy business cards…unless you want a techno-color ass.).

That’s all folks. I hope you enjoyed my lame attempt at humor and that at least a couple of those made you smile. I’ll be back next week with more tips and tidbits to help you optimize the value of your business card and generate an immediate positive first impression.

Happy Independence Day!

Metal business cards and plastic business cards definitely impress, but they are expensive. One of the most cost-effective ways to boost your card’s “wow factor” is to create your artwork, then find a printer that offers spot UV business cards.

What is Spot UV?

Spot UV (Ultra Violet) refers to the placement of a glossy coating on specific areas of the card. Whereas glossy business cards are shiny all over, spot UV business cards are typically printed on non-shiny cardstock like silk. The spot UV gloss is then coated over the silk business card stock on specific parts of the card.

The effect makes the glossy or spot UV areas jump off the card, especially when reflecting light. The effect does not change the underlying color, it simply makes it shine.

Where to Add Spot UV to Your Card

The best place to add spot UV to your business cards is the logo. Most logos are designed to be eye-catching, so embellishing them with spot UV is a natural fit. You could also apply spot UV to the company or contact details, which produces a pseudo raised-letter effect and is extremely cool looking.

You can also be creative – for example, applying spot UV to background areas to show a slogan, or doing a “reverse spot UV” technique where the background is glossed but the logo is not, for example.

How to Add Spot UV to Your Card

Spot UV business cards are typically offered by printing companies specializing in premium business cards. But luckily, this product is not cost-prohibitive like other “high-end” products such as metal business cards or many plastic business cards.

Most printers will require an extra file to serve as a spot UV template, often called a “mask file.” It usually consists of a white background, with black areas in 100% black (K) showing the parts to be glossed. This mask file should precisely match the area on your design that you want UV spotted. Check your printer’s specifications.

Tips for Using Spot UV

Spot UV is most effective when applied to silk business cards. It is not available on metal business cards, plastic business cards, or glossy business cards.

The key is to be selective to retain a classy and elegant look. Don’t go crazy – too much will neutralize the impact and will essentially leave you with a glorified glossy business card!

Also, avoid placing spot UV on small text, as this could bleed into unwanted areas. Finally, avoid using spot UV on your business card with other enhancements such as foil stamping, as this puts stress on the paper and could cause imperfections.