These not
so factual facts were some of the things I considered when the time came to
design a business card for my art website on Artspan.com. So I did what I
usually do when I need professional help in an art related
project. I pored over my archived issues of Professional
Artist, formerly Art Calendar, and searched for articles and
subjects related to business cards. I wanted to know what advice the
experts had to offer.
An
excellent article in the June 2009 issue called “Dare to Step Outside the Box,”
by Renee Phillips, also known as “The Artrepreneur Coach” and founder and
Director of Manhattan
Arts International, started my thinking in the proper direction. I
found her article about people who dared to step outside of the conventional
box exciting and inspiring. This persuaded me to do exactly what the
title suggested. I soon took one long step outside the box of
constricting conformity and landed not very far from the Cape of Good Hope, but
a great distance from same old, same old.
Was I
expecting too much from the lowly business card? After all, it is only
two by three and a half inches in size, and even massive billboards are
sometimes ignored if improperly designed. One print shop owner told me I
was asking a lot from such a small piece of paper. “Just make sure your
contact information is correct,” he said, “all that other stuff will work its
way out.” Although I appreciated his advice and made a mental note to
triple check my contact information, I was not confident about “that other
stuff ” working itself out.
Then I remembered two suggestions from Renee Phillips in her “Dare to Step Outside the Box” article. The first was “Speak up,” and the second was “Never accept NO for a final answer.” I thanked the printer for his time and paid him, because he had tried his best. Unfortunately, his best was just not good enough. I returned to my studio, threw his cards in the trash and went out looking for another printer.
I was further informed by another article I found in my archived editions of Professional Artist from September 2006, by Dotti Cichon, Executive Director of the World Council for Arts and Culture. Her article, “Art Marketing 101, Preparing to Be a Professional Artist,” was loaded with sound tips and good advice. Under the heading of “Have business cards printed and available at all times,” she offered the following suggestions:
“Your business card should have an image of your artwork on it. The simpler and more graphic they are the better. Artists want their cards to stand out and be artistic, but resist the urge to do a card in other than the standard business card size. The font style should be easy to read and large enough so that older adults can easily read your card without a magnifying glass. Don’t be stingy with these cards. Have them with you at all times. Hand them out to everyone you know, everyone you meet, post them on bulletin boards, etc.”
Once armed with confidence and sound advice, I was off to the artistic races, determined to ride my card across the finish line in good position. Often mumbling to myself about fonts, paper stock, and graphic dimensions, I handed out homemade test cards to any warm body that happened to pass my way. When their quizzical looks turned into smiles of appreciation, I knew I was headed in the right direction.
The average business card is approximately fourteen inches square, seven square inches each side. Not a whole lot of area, yet this space can be considerable when compared to the size of a postage stamp. Unlike the stamp, the card may be printed on both sides, and folded for design or constructive purposes. An acquaintance who is a commercial artist suggested that I fully utilize any space that I am paying for to its maximum potential.
After much experimentation, and lots of homemade test cards, my new business cards slowly evolved to the following specifications:
#1. The ability for the card to stand alone on a horizontal surface.
The inherent design of an ordinary business card makes it unable to be displayed on a horizontal surface without some kind of support. This was a limitation I found undesirable. Also, there was too much competition on most vertical surfaces such as bulletin boards for my liking, and besides I wanted something that stood apart from the standard business card model.
#2. Two images of my artwork on the front of the card, separated by space or line.
My work is usually square in format, so it was easy to fit two different images on one side of a standard card, either with borders or a full bleed.
#3. Made from good quality paper stock that has the ability to be folded without fraying or weakening, and easily accepts an ink pen without blurring, blotting, or scratching the surface.
Because I sign every card on the back prior to folding it, it was important that my selected paper stock accept inks and folds without any problems.
#4. Contact information on the rear of the card, with a brief explanation of what it is, and what might be done with it.
My contact information contains all of the information that I think is important at this time, and what I want the public to know. The font style is consistent with the copy on my Web site. By including the description, “two signed prints,” I feel that the receiver perceives that something of value has been given to them, and they are more likely to treat it with respect. The inclusion of the words “This desk tent business card,” alerts the recipient to exactly what this small piece of paper actually is. It also contains strong implications of what they could do with it and how they might show it off.
#5. The copy on the back of the card was formatted to allow for a full signature from one side to the other, lengthways.
This is the defining essence of the card. The artist’s signature across the back of two small prints transforms it from the ordinary to the unique, bestowing upon a lowly business card the potential to become a collector’s item. Because the signature covers the entire length of the card, instead of two smaller signatures on the back of each print, it prevents the recipient from tearing it in half, perhaps to share with a friend. After all, who wants a print with half of a signature? If this were to happen it would defeat the cards reason for its existence, which is to stand up and be noticed. It is also easier to sign once instead of twice.
All of my attention to detail and refusal to accept the status quo paid off in the end. The desk tent business cards are a success. I am pleased with the results, as well as with the reaction they elicit when I present one to a prospective collector. The responses have been overwhelmingly positive. Most recipients are appreciative and thank me more than once.
I had a rewarding experience lately when I gave a card to a physician in the Veterans hospital. She quickly handed the card back to me and informed me that they were not allowed to accept gifts of value. I told her not to worry after all, that it’s only a business card. She smiled, seemed a little surprised, and said “Oh yeah, I guess it is.” She then placed the card on her desk and turned it around, and then around again. I was delighted with the place where she thought it should live out its days. I could not have chosen a better location if I had picked it out myself.
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