A subtle but sophisticated approach for [)ynamica. The card size is 3.5″w x 2.5″h, making it distinct in the hand. Because of this unique size, the card serves almost as a notecard, with plenty of room to jot down info.

Engraved copper and grey ink on custom 210# cover stock, with grey edge staining. Printing by [...]

// a tale of clever
// No Comments »

Here we have a case study in resourcefulness, as Erica Heinz, designer [and yoga teacher], uses engraved artwork of yesteryear for her present day business card. Old engravings and artwork from previous centuries are in the public domain, so are therefore free for folks to use. While a designer may be pressured to do all [...]

// a tale of agency cards, clever, letterpress
// No Comments »

Craig Ward, the highly-decorated and highly talented typographer/designer, has worked in multiple countries, for numerous clients, for many years … without a business card. Finally taking the effort to design one, and have it printed, I am pleased to present his card.

A single-colour, letterpressed card, printed by Dave at Print Icon in New York City [...]

// a tale of clever, letterpress
// 3 Comments »

Vintry is a little bar down in New York’s Financial District. They have a nice card.

Craft paper with red foil stamp and rounded die-cut corners. Very sharp. Type could be improved a bit, but the production is quite lusty.

// a tale of clever
// No Comments »

What better way to promote your fabrication business than with a small machine disguised as a business card. In this case, it’s probably not the most practical device, but we have to admire the novelty of it. Right?
Cardnetics is the company behind this craziness, and apparently this is what they do.

// a tale of 3D, clever
// No Comments »

Recently, I popped into Jack Rabbit and spotted the card of the store manager. It reminded me of the ongoing trend in making the name on your card really, really, friggin big. What do we think, is having a giant name a useful tactic on cards? I admit, it’s easy to see, but after the [...]

// a tale of clever
// 1 Comment »

Spotted this gorgeous example of a letterpressed card on the Dolce Press blog. While there is no shortage of excellent letterpressed business cards out there, this particular post is not only photos, but a bit of an explanation/tutorial on how to design for letterpress when you’re working with large fields of colour.
Close-up example of the [...]

// a tale of clever, letterpress
// No Comments »

A very homegrown operation from Steve Worthington, featuring the handwriting, photography, and sculpture all his own.

I dig the handwriting, which is uniform enough to be readable, but has the rawness that is evident when a font is not used.

// a tale of clever
// 2 Comments »

Ok, this isn’t a business card, per se, but it is a pretty cool reference to perhaps the most popular mention of business cards in pop culture — that scene from American Psycho.
Check out the full-sized image »
I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never seen this movie the whole way through. But here, dear readers, is the [...]

// a tale of clever
// Comments Off

The geniuses at ThinkGeek have created a mini filing cabinet for your business cards! How awesome! It’s pretty self-explanatory: you put cards in it rather than a rolodex or notebook. Here’s a look in action.

Someone please buy this for me now!

// a tale of clever
// 1 Comment »

The card of illustrator Christopher Soprano isn’t so much a card, but a sort of paper puppet/miniature POP display. It’s pretty cool.
At first, it looks like a regular card. The typography is whimsical but with a sense of sophistication. There are elements of hand-crafted goodness, and a bit of stampy action.

And then they stand up [...]

// a tale of 3D, agency cards, clever, handmade cards
// 1 Comment »

Recently, I met Kyle, a fine young man from Sterling Brands. I admired his card, with its two-colour engraving, most especially apparent in the company’s logo.

And then I flipped the card and remarked on the simple cleverness on the reverse.

Where the reverse side of an engraved card is usually not suitable for full use, Sterling [...]

// a tale of agency cards, clever, two-sided
// Comments Off

Love these cards for Saarinen, designed by Indianapolis-based Eric Kass.
Spotted on Flickr »

// a tale of clever, letterpress
// Comments Off

When walking on the streets of New York, I am handed a variety of promotional and advertising crap. Flyers, coupons, free samples are all common. But the other day I actually accepted the hand-to-hand transfer because I could see from afar that it was, in fact, a business card being slung my way. The card: [...]

// a tale of clever, sucky, too clever
// 2 Comments »

Digging the simple-yet-clever cards for Bumble & Bumble. On the front, a series of B&B patterns is laid in some kind of dull varnish over an uncoated stock. It’s a cool effect, although I don’t know exactly how this was produced. The reverse side varies, with different colours and expressions. Very sharp.

// a tale of clever, two-sided
// Comments Off