[Visual] Business Cards!

I need business cards.

I like the first one. Which one do YOU like?

Notice: These are designed with leeway on the edges. When they're CUT, the box (on the first and third file) will be roughly half way between the edge and the beginnings of the text.

I like the second one except the text in it seems a little big because it's almost touching the image and that feels wrong.

I can't say that the same thing never crossed my mind...
I don't want it to be too small to read when it's cut, though. The left text could come down, but only slightly.
And i can move the title up closer to my name.

Hmm...

That leeway is called a "bleed", and the margins for business cards should be about .25in. A bleed is often 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch.

I like #2.

I don't like opacity boxes unless they're necessary and I don't like framing things in general, lol.

That said, I think a way to improve it would to have your name and title in the upper left and information in the lower right. Also move the corner graphics further from the text and push them further into the corner or make them smaller. It's nicer to give the text some air around it. At the moment the text seems pretty crapped or forced into a space. (Which is partially why I don't like framing things, lol.) The reason I suggest to place the title in the upper left is because that's how people read - or at least the people you're probably targeting. (Left to right, top to bottom.) I can't really judge what the type would look like on the card since they're just screen images and I obviously don't have a mock in my hand, lol. But what I would suggest is to play with the size of the type. Often the size you need is anywhere from 8-10pt. 10 is usually really large, but this depends on the type face. Each type has it's own inherent standard size.

Edit:

Ahh, didn't type fast enough already 2 replies.

I like your revision after Moo posted. I would still give a little more space to your information from the graphics and also place it on the lower right and title in the upper left swapping positions of the graphics as well.

P.S.
BFA in Graphic Design for this exact thing , lol

I like the first one best. You obviously need the pictures to add to the visual appeal, but they shouldn't take more focus than the text, so a slight transparency works nicely for it.

I have to agree with Zylos.

Yeah, I like the first one best as well.

I love intelligent input. Thanks, guys.

Zylos' reasoning for the framing was exactly what I was thinking.

Ah, it looks much better with the text aligned like that.

Ok, so I still don't like opacity boxes, but that's because they create a frame and cramming the text - like if you had no margin and just placed the text at the very edge of the business card. However, considering everyone is all about the opacity boxes, just try to remove the box and cover the whole background image with the opacity and place the text on top.

Also, I like the 2nd revision here a lot a lot more better most best.

Or actually, keep the opacity box, but just remove the frame, this would remove the feeling that the text is cramped in there, since obviously the opacity box doesn't affect the background below the text. So you'd have the text sitting in the airy space and have that opacity box framing out the square and creating a positive margin in the card.

Also, please please, increase the leading of your information. Your descenders are touching the tops of the text of lines below them.

Leading - space between lines of text.
Descender - any part of a letter that goes below the base line (IE: y g p j)

I think the opacity box makes the card look more elegant.

Fuck. I just realized this goes against the similar design I use in all my websites, and against the design I used on my posters. The gears are supposed to be on the RIGHT. Bah. And now I have to re-adjust the text for crowding...

I see what you're saying about the frame crowding, Graf, but I still think the frame makes it look more elegant, like Irock said. Maybe if I dail down the opacity on the border itself...

Here:

EDIT: WAIT HANG ON LOL

The two newest edits both look better. I'd say that either one would work, really, though the opacity box still appeals to me a little more.

EDIT: HEY! YOU REMOVED THEM. 

I don't mind opacity masks, I just don't like when text is framed like this. It's already inherently framed by being in a rectangular card, but then going and throwing a frame or a line around the text with nearly no padding for the text crams it. You have to imagine that the frame that's around the text is the edge of the card. The text is then way too close to the edge.

Also, about what I said with the leading of the text. I realize the challenge is trying to keep your text small enough to fit in that space while allowing a decent leading. Yay, graphic design challenges. A few solutions is to decrease the size of the text, which is easy to do, then increasing the leading; or keep the same type size and increase the leading and move the background corner images away from the text keeping the same or similar margins you have now.

Fuck. I just realized this goes against the similar design I use in all my websites, and against the design I used on my posters. The gears are supposed to be on the RIGHT. Bah.

I understand that it's part of a design convention that's being used, but that honestly doesn't matter as long as this design convention (as in changing the position of the images and text) isn't crazy like changing colors or using different images. There's very few times where the position of something like this would matter when this card is going to be obviously apart of the whole design you have created for yourself.

http://ryanleber.com/content/quest_for_the_muse.html

You did it there. I think it works fine - as in the position of your gears, whether they be lower right or lower left (and same with the organics being upper right or upper left) doesn't matter as long as the two are diagonal from each other. That's the actual design convention.

Okay. I feel these are spaced better. I spaced them individually, this time. The one with the framing is spaced according to the framing, trying to make equal spacing between the text, the frame, AND the images.
The frame-less one is more equally spaced between the text, the EDGE, and the pictures.

Blah, I'm done for now, girlfriend wants to take a nap.


Thanks a lot, though, guys. This has been an awesome thread.

I'll be back in a bit.


edit: LOL, good point, Graf. But regardless, now I'm probably going to quickly fix the backgrounds for those videos, now that I realize what I did. I'm anal like that. Hahaha, thanks.

Just put out stacks of both of them and let people take which one they want. lol

I voted for the one without the frame, but the more I look at them, the more I like the one with the frame.  It just catches my attention more.  So yeah, there's my two cents.

I don't know when you attached the images from your last post, Arlen - or maybe I just didn't notice them at all, but I like the one with the frame more than I did before because you gave it a margin.

Yeah, I'm really liking the opacity box with the added margin. I added them right when I made that last post.

And yes, I do see where the text is colliding, but before I fix that I had one more idea: taking out Pittsburgh, PA.
I might not be in Pittsburgh 2 years from now, and this day and age with the intranets it doesn't really matter where I am. Especially in my line of work. So I may take that out completely, which will let me increase the leading without causing extra crowding.
Then, it would make more sense to have it in this order:

http://www.ryanleber.com
leber.ryan@gmail.com
570-337-0714

Or maybe reversed, so it frames better. (i.e. longer stuff on bottom, shorter on top.)
(omg now you all have my number lol)

Obvious counter-argument: Business cards are cheap and easy to make at Kinkos. Change later, make more.

Counter-counter-argument: When you make business cards, they charge you a flat rate cutting fee, so it makes sense to get a lot made while you're there. I don't want 160+ business cards I can't use in 2 years considering how little money I make at the moment. Also, who knows how long someone might hold on to a card I give them?

What are your thoughts?

Yeah, I don't see it being useful unless it's an actual address. Looks nicer with it on though.

v2-04 gets my vote.  I like it a lot.

Sidenote: I have nationwide calling.....   

but I have no reason to call you so I'll behave xD

:x

I'm very hesitant to even put my number on the card at all, or even on my resume. I don't particularly enjoy talking to people on the phone for some reason, I'd rather they just text, or email me. Or just go to the website, and the website can email me FOR you. But alas, I need to be a "businessman," and if the number wasn't there it would only be hurting my marketability.

Behave is a funny word.

be-haaayve. Be hayve? Beehive?

Is that your real phone number?

yes no


<_<


My phone's off, and charging in my room right now, so...

Can I send you naked pictures of myself?

yes

no

...

yes

I also like the frame with the fade. It looks more polished, and while I see what Grafikal could mean with it seeming 'crammed', I'm more inclined to think that it looks 'contained'. Also, the images are a good place for the person holding it to guide their thumb, and when they hold it, they're able to see the text perfectly.

:x

I'm very hesitant to even put my number on the card at all, or even on my resume. I don't particularly enjoy talking to people on the phone for some reason, I'd rather they just text, or email me. Or just go to the website, and the website can email me FOR you. But alas, I need to be a "businessman," and if the number wasn't there it would only be hurting my marketability.

Behave is a funny word.

be-haaayve. Be hayve? Beehive?

be-haaaayve

At least where I'm from