Call Me!
by habituallychic
05 . 29 . 08
I’m in need of some personal calling cards at a reasonable price. I have MOO cards with my blog information on them which I love but I think I also need something a bit more chic and professional looking. I really like the letterpress cards from Brooklyn Social Cards but they are $250 for 250 cards which is a bit more than I want to pay at the moment. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks in advance!
35 Comments
OMG calling cards! I love it. Emily Post would love it!
You might like https://www.fabulousstationery.com/
Check them out!
Leslie, You’re too funny! I’m not ready for personal business cards but need something with my contact information on it to hand out.
I am an art director and have designed an array of cards. In my experience letterpress is quite pricey because it is not in high demand and hard to find printers that have a letterpress. You are better off having the cards printed with an offset printer. This uses ink not toner. We always recommend that clients print more than 500 because most of the price is in the creation of the ink plates. There is a big price break after 500 cards. Offset is not digital. Digital printing will give you the lesser quality card. Hope this helps.
Vistaprint has always worked for me – don’t get the free cards because they put their logo on the back, which is just tacky…but you can upload your own logo I think and you get them quickly & they aren’t expensive but the quality is there. Hope that helps!
http://www.foxglovepress.com/
A Custom Paperie…
http://store.theinkspott.com/index.html
I’m not much help as I had my business cards and my calling cards engraved on the thickest stock I could find. $2/ea because of the plate… I hand them out the sparingly, but one good contact pays for them all.
ACDesign is right…. offset will save some.
Of course, as a business expense, they are tax-deductible.
I also love letterpress and use letterpress cards for my business. There is really nothing like it – it definitely says something about you and your business and people ALWAYS notice. Unfortunately letterpress is expensive. I know Greenwich Letterpress does nice work and you can also get it done at Kate’s (which is where I had my last batch done).
Hi!
Letterpress is always a nice touch. I am a graphic designer in San Francisco and use two letterpress shops: dependable letterpress (usually less expensive) and one heart press. If you need help with the design, let me know. Thanks for keeping us inspired…
Niki, I like those cards but I tried to order them before and ran into space issues with the maximun number of characters allowed which was not enough.
ACDesign, Thanks for the clarification. Perhaps I will order a small amount of Letterpress cards at another time when I can write them off but for now I need something less expensive.
Bill, thanks for the suggestion! I actually went to Vistaprint and created my own simple calling cards and had them printed on the better cardstock. I hope they turn out well!
They also have postcards which I am going to have printed up after my design project is finished so I can have them sitting out during our reveal party! I’m very excited! Thanks again!
Anonymous, Foxglove Press looks fabulous! Thanks! I will save them for when I can afford letterpress!
npu d, Thanks for the suggestion. They are a little too cutesy for me but I’m sure they are perfect for someone else.
Easy and Elegant, I hand out cards like a used car salesman so I need to be able to afford passing out as many as I want without worrying. I meet a lot of people in New York and at the shops that I profile for Kansas City Home Design. But I might order a small batch of Letterpress cards once I establish my own design firm and can write them off. Thanks!
Serbelloni, As I mentioned above, I am definitely going to order letterpress when I can write off the expense but for now I need to order a large batch of less expensive cards. I will have to report back on how they look once they arrive!
Alyssa, I will have to look into those. I can’t decide if I am going to need some sort of logo someday or not. So far, my inspiration has been Steven Gambrel’s white cards with orange printing and trim and Sara Story’s simple cards and stationery. I’m sure once I start making money, I can splurge on fancier cards and stationery! Thanks for the suggestions!
I use to own a stationery store, so I’ve seen some really nice higher end cards. I know you say $250 is more than you want to spend and I totally respect that; however, before you decide, think about how many cards you give out now or how many you think you can go through in a year. As someone mentioned above, the cost is really in the set-up, so the larger the amount you order at one time, the better. Crane & Co. has some awesome calling and business cards that are so professional and classy. They offer letterpress, thermography, and flat printing. Yes, you can spend a lot, but sometimes it is worth the initial investment. If you want to ask me any specific questions, please feel free to contact me. I’d be happy to help you and give advise that isn’t behind a sale. (If you know what I mean.)
Just remember when you design the cards- the font is everything!
If you are worried about the price of ordering them, and if you consider yourself at least somewhat crafty, there are kits you can buy to design and print out your own. Downside is you limit your cardstock that way, but if you don’t mind standard business card stock, that could be an inexpensive way to go. The kits are very inexpensive and you can buy them at an office supply store like Staples or Office Depot.
http://blackalligator.blogspot.com/
hi there, i hear you, cards are expensive!!! i just got some made through Black Pearl Press in boston and they were about $350 for 500…but i figured it was worth it since they are so well designed and elizabeth (the designer) was such a doll. i’m just going to be more frugal with who i hand them out to:)
good luck finding alternatives….i know they are out there! wish i could be of more help. xoxo joanna
I’m just a visitor who has just discovered your amazing blog, cant wait to visit more often
Judy x
I got some really really great ones for very cheap on Etsy for my personal cards -do a search there! Sometimes you don’t want to give away your work info!
Hi! I love your blog. Check out Sycamore Street Press. Here is the link to her etsy site. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5410394
She letter pressed my wedding invitations that are simply gorgeous. Good luck!
http://elr215.blogspot.com/
I’m happy to know that I helped you out…I hope you like them & you’ll post a pic for us to see!
not letterpress but i have some from prentiss douthit design that i enclose with gifts. my toddler has some too!
http://www.prentissdouthit.com/index.html
They have lovely designs and I was able to pick up 100 for less than $100. i think kate’s has their books. i ordered via fine stationery.com.
Letterpressed Calling Cards. Under $100
JUST WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR:
themandatepress.com
These are pretty.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12039871
Hey there,
Some of my faves are Mr. Boddington’s Studio, iomoi, and my own, which were done by ZachMattheus.com. You won’t see any designs on his site (it’s just a placeholder), but you can check out my design at TheLilBee.com. He’ll work with you on whatever you’re envisioning.
Try the satin finish cards at http://www.4by6.com. Very reasonable and nice quality!
Hi.
Visit MOO late June. There is some really interesting alternatives coming to the MOO MiniCard that might fit the bill.
Lisa (from MOO)
i am very found of the work of the http://www.blackpearlpress.com/
i will maybe order them an invitation for a Paris wedding
I’m a designer & [newer] letterpress printer. I would be interested in talking to you about a possible promo/ exchange.
email me at richele[at]richiedesigns.com
First, I have to say that I love your blog. It is a pleasure to read. Hopefully, my business partner (a decorative painter) and I will have one up soon!!! In the meantime, to answer your question, my sister designs stationery and calling cards. Her website leaves a lot to be desired, but her work is really cute. http://www.fabulousdesigns.net
Her style can be a little too “cutesy” for me, so I usually design my own. But she has great papers and is willing to adjust whatever you want.
If you can tell me what you have in mind then she can have do a mock up for you. Unfortunately, she cannot do letterpress. But her prices are unbeatable.
Just let me know if you are interested. You may have already taken care of this, but if not feel free to contact me: mcc@mccartists.com
Best,
Mary Clayton
alyson of unruly.things does fantastic designs.
http://unruly-things.blogspot.com
She’s fabulous, friendly, and easy to work with!