Ultimate Guide to Designing Eye-Catching Plastic Business Cards

Following the design tips below will help you achieve the best results with plastic printing.

The Premium Plastic Business Cards

Our Premium Line is ideal for printing clear plastic business cards or frosted plastic business cards, featuring a high-quality transparent 30 mil construction that offers exceptional flexibility in the printing process. You can choose to have them printed in full color on one or both sides, with all ink colors available, including white. An exclusive feature of our executive cards is the white backing, enhancing color vibrancy. The durable 30 mil stock is comparable in size and thickness to a credit card, distinguishing it from many lower-quality plastic business cards available online. If you seek the highest quality in plastic card printing and want to make a bold statement with your business card, our 30 mil Executive options are perfect for you.

Designing and Printing with Transparent Plastic

• White Backing: We provide white backing for all our 30 mil products. This backing serves two purposes: it allows for white areas in your design, enabling white text or content on your business card—a feature many companies do not offer—and it enhances the vibrancy of images and text on transparent cards. It's essential to note that text or lines should be at least 2 points at their smallest size (typically around size 30 in average font sizes) and should use sans-serif fonts (like the name "John Doe" below, which lacks serifs). Text below this size may require a halo effect with a small white outline. If the text is small, we recommend adding a background to ensure it can be white backed and read easily.

What is a White Backer on Plastic Business Cards?

A white backer is a coating applied behind design elements to enhance color visibility (see the first sample card below). In two-sided designs, the white backer is positioned between elements and hidden (see the black plastic business card below). There is no white backing in transparent areas.

• Transparency/Clear Effect: To simplify ordering, we automatically make most white ink areas in your design transparent unless specified otherwise. White text, however, is printed in white. Thin and small text can be harder to read when absent of color. It’s best to request clear text only for specific effects. We recommend using text that is at least size 9 and bold in a dark color (preferably black) if it is on an area without a background color. Any part of your design can be specified as clear or white in your order instructions, so keep these tips in mind while designing.
• When designing in our studio or uploading your own design, follow these tips and utilize order instructions for specific requests regarding printing. We manually check every design to ensure it's ready for printing; if we notice any issues, we will address them or contact you for clarification.
• Colors Available: Full-color printing is available for your design. If you want a particular area white, please specify in the additional notes section during checkout; otherwise, using white backgrounds or larger white areas indicates you want an area to be clear or frosted.
• 2-Sided Printing: Keep in mind that when designing two-sided transparent cards, content may be visible through the front when held up to light. For this reason, it’s best to separate content and avoid overlapping text on both sides, using dark background areas where text is placed on two sides (as in the black camera lens plastic business card above).

Important Design Tips:

In the first example below, the automotive clear plastic business card features a white backer with a halo effect around some text and imagery. The halo is the white ink that extends slightly outside the road and car images. Most content could be white backed, but the halo effect is particularly useful for smaller text or lines on a clear area. While it's less critical with frosted cards, it's still advisable for enhancing small text readability. If your design was created this way, simply add a note during checkout to halo the words "custom cars" and include the halo around the road and car.

The middle example shows a clear plastic business card with a dark background and white backer, which enhances readability, while the "YES" card below demonstrates the use of white text as a card-body on colored boxes, with clear areas elsewhere. The "YES" card also features a matte varnish on the back, providing a frosted effect compared to standard frosted cards. The varnish is initially intended for a pen-friendly surface, but many customers use it to achieve slightly frosted clear cards. These examples highlight the design effects achievable with our plastic business cards. Don't hesitate to reach out if you require something custom. For more examples, visit our design gallery.

Frosted Plastic Business Cards

Our frosted plastic business cards are an excellent way to utilize plastic material while providing a frosted effect. Available in both 30 mil and 20 point options, they combine durability with aesthetic appeal.

The 30 mil frosted plastic business card is part of our executive line, offering a high-quality transparent option. Thick and firm like a credit card, this card allows for full-color printing, including white ink, on one or both sides, and features a premium matte finish with rounded corners.

The 20 point frosted plastic business card serves as a cost-effective alternative. While it lacks white ink and is only available for single-sided printing, it retains high quality with a slightly thinner profile than the 30 mil option. The off-white frosted plastic provides a sophisticated touch, along with a matte finish and standard rounded corners.

Designing and Printing with Frosted Plastic

• There is a significant difference between the frosted 20 point and 30 mil options when designing your business card. While both provide a transparent frosted base, the 30 mil allows for white backing, enhancing the vibrancy of larger design elements. This makes your colors brighter and less transparent, with minimal design limitations.
• The 20 point frosted plastic business card has some minor limitations; all ink will be transparent, so it is essential to use bold, dark colors for optimal readability. We recommend a size of at least 9 for text to ensure legibility.
• Both frosted options offer a stunning transparent business card that will impress clients. Many choose frosted plastic over clear plastic to avoid having a completely see-through card.

Important Design Tips for 20 Point:

In the 20 point frosted examples below, the "Green Team" real estate business card uses white ink for the background with black text and green elements. The white background reveals the frosted plastic, while the rest of the card showcases your chosen colors. Some text is size 7, which is below our recommended size, but because it's black on frosted white, it stands out. The black automotive frosted card features white text, which reveals the frosted material. Since it has a dark background, it pops remarkably well. Using bold colors and text brings content to life in the 20 point option. Keep these recommendations in mind for your design.

20 Point Frosted Plastic Business Card Examples

30 Mil Frosted Plastic Business Card Examples

Solid Color Plastic Business Cards

Our solid color plastic business cards are available in 20 point and Executive 30 mil options. The base of both plastic types is white, allowing for any color to be applied with your design. The main difference is that the 20 point option is slightly thinner and less firm than the 30 mil, featuring a matte finish. The 30 mil, akin to a credit card, has a glossy finish, offering a superior feel. Our 30 mil solid color plastic business cards are ideal for making a bold statement while ensuring durability. The glossy finish and firm feel set these cards apart, even with minimal design. The 20 point option is still high quality and offers a great frosted effect with a slightly lower cost.

Designing and Printing with Solid Color Plastic

Both options start with a white core but can be colored with your design. When creating your design, both options are similar to paper, with virtually no limits on text size or colors due to the absence of transparent areas. These plastic business cards are printed in full color and allow for printing on one or both sides.

In the solid color plastic examples below, you can see how both sides capture a full range of colors. Our solid color plastic business cards provide an elegant way to make an impression with a durable material while allowing ample space for your company details on both sides.

20 Point White Plastic

30 Mil White Plastic

See the Video on Plastic Business Cards

You can also check out our Plastic Business Card Design Gallery to see how some designs in our studio might appear after you add your details and have them printed. Learn about the benefits of plastic business cards over traditional paper options.