Business cards are pretty much the first thing any fresh-faced entrepreneur or freelancer has printed - and generally also the most frequently ordered printed products in the business world. They are as inseparable from a business appearance as an ironed shirt is for men and a blouse is for women; even in today's digital age, a business meeting without a business card is unthinkable. There are many reasons for the unbroken popularity of the business card (see below). It is all the more important that your business cards are well made - after all, they represent your claim to professionalism.
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With Mail Mail Boxes Etc. you can design outstanding business cards and have them printed in the best quality, because we specialize in business cards. Although countless printing companies offer business card printing on the Internet, only a few suppliers are as experienced as we are when it comes to choosing the format, material and appropriate finishing technique. |
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Business card printing and business card design are two different things: Many printers leave their customers alone with the design work or limit themselves to providing a few templates. We, on the other hand, will provide you with comprehensive advice on the subject of design and, if you wish, will take over the entire design work for you.
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How long have business cards been around? For at least 300 years. The exact birth of the business card is not known, but it is known that in China as early as the 16th century small cards were presented during private visits. Somewhat later, business cards then established themselves in Europe. They were used primarily by nobles to introduce themselves to other nobles via the detour of the valets (who received the business cards in each case and passed them "upstairs"). |
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By the way, the term "visiting cards" comes from France: Here, the cards were used in the Baroque period to announce an official visit - that is, a visit. For this purpose, the cards were handed over to the reception staff at the entrance, who then reported to the respective head of the household.
That business cards will soon go out of fashion is not to be expected. On the contrary, the digital transformation in particular has shown that printed business cards have a number of timeless advantages.
The most important reason why printed business cards will probably stay with us for a very long time is that they are quickly at hand and can be distributed quickly - regardless of the charging status of the smartphone battery and network reception. Even in a large gathering, handing out business cards takes seconds; scanning or emailing profile data, on the other hand, can be time-consuming in a meeting with many participants.
A business card is not just about contact information. Every business business card is always also designed in a specific corporate design - i.e., it has a specific color scheme, features a specific typology and carries a company logo. You can therefore demonstrate that you are a representative of a company much better with a business business card than with a digital vCard.
Both the look and the texture and feel of business cards convey additional messages. For example, if a company that values sustainability provides its employees with recycled paper business cards, it subliminally demonstrates that it takes the issue of sustainability seriously.
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A company that wants to be emphatically unconventional - such as an advertising agency - can do so with transparent plastic business cards, and a company with a premium quality claim can make this claim clear with business cards made of thick, crease-resistant cardboard. There are countless ways to express a particular corporate philosophy via the look & feel of business cards. With Mail Boxes Etc. as your business card printing partner, all avenues are open to you. |
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The fact that business cards are something physical doesn't mean they don't fit into a digital world: Business cards with QR codes are commonplace today. The imprinted code can thereby lead to a website, to a XING profile, to an Instagram account or to any other web content.
It's a bit like shaking hands - this may have been temporarily socially ostracized at the start of the COVID19 pandemic; but it has long since returned to everyday life. People simply don't like to do without it because it is (too) deeply rooted in our social behavior.
It is similar with the exchange of business cards: this, too, has tradition and is part of business etiquette, so to speak. At the beginning or end of a get-to-know-you conversation, business cards are handed over in the working world, period. Those without cards give the impression of having gone into the conversation unprepared or not having considered it all that important.
In Germany, business cards usually have the check card format 85.6 × 54 mm, although there is no industry standard for business cards. Other countries have different standards: Americans prefer slightly larger cards (3.4 x 2 inches [= 88.9 x 50 ,8 mm]), and those who want to have business cards printed for Japanese business partners should choose an XL format (91 x 55 mm)
There are no official statistics on how many business cards are printed in Germany each year - but there are some other interesting facts and figures on the production and use of business cards. For example, according to business portal tob-jobs-europe.de, almost all major business card producers report that demand for exclusive business cards is on the rise.
Even very elaborate manufacturing processes such as printing with old brass plate technology are back in vogue. A study conducted by the FOCUS Institute Marketing Research among 100 companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland on the topic of business cards also revealed that more than 90% of the companies surveyed believe in the future of the business card.
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But the study also revealed something else: About two-thirds of all companies order their business cards not from business card specialists but from online printers, who cannot accommodate special requests and small-scale inquiries. This leads to bulk orders being ordered, which involves a lot of waiting and coordination. |
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In addition, communication with printers often takes place only by e-mail - this is error-prone and costs additional time. According to the study, up to 20 minutes of working time are thus spent on the order per business card name. This time could be substantially reduced by working with business card specialists.
300 years after their establishment, business cards are more common and important than ever. As business card experts, we know this - and we also know what matters when it comes to business card printing. Which card size is right for which country market? What absolutely belongs on a business card, and what is superfluous or counterproductive? How can you ensure that your own business card stands out from a collection of cards?
We answer these and all other questions about business cards! And the range of services offered by Mail Boxes Etc. for business card printing can be seen: Whether large or small print run, whether fancy material (paper, cardboard, plastic or metal) or tight printing timing (for example, due to a close trade show date): we meet your requirements as requested. In short, Mail Boxes Etc. will ensure that you always make a good impression at business meetings.
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Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) is the world's largest graphic arts, printing, packaging and mailing services network, with more than 2,800 locations in over 53 countries. We are locally your personal contact for printing and marketing solutions of all kinds. |
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