Business card recommendations?

[ttcycle]

Hi guys

Usually get my cards from Vistaprint - however they've messed up royally this time with cards that are virtually unreadable, dark and not as seen on the editor. Attempting to get my money back from them - have already emailed them three times, once stating statutory consumer rights - I will be contacting Consumer Direct for further advice to resolve this issue as Vistaprint have just met with a wall of silence apart from the first issue of late delivery where they replied straight away to refund my delivery costs.

For those of you who have business cards - can you recommend any printers that aren't too expensive. Looking for a good quality, heavier weight, colour both sides with a potential to upload my work onto one side but that's not essential. Possibly planning in the future to get some A4 post card types printed but not as yet.

Any suggestions?

 

[swee'pea99]

Hi TT! (Cakes...yum!)

Nope, can't help. Just wanted to add my tuppence-worth on Vistaprint. I tried them recently for the first time and yes, they were rubbish! The cards they sent weren't anything like the jpg I very carefully made exactly to their spec - my finely balanced design had been so brutally hacked off that they went straight in the bin. I'll be monitoring this thread 'cos I could use an answer too.

 

[ttcycle]

Hey Swee'pea - sorry to hear about your debacle too - I contacted them prior to the official email giving them the opportunity to rectify it but heard diddly squat.

Awful company.

 

[ttcycle]

Just a thought - Moo cards are good

www.moo.com

Just quite expensive, superb quality, especially if you're uploading photos/graphics onto them. They're recommended by a lot of people in the creative industries - I'm just not sure I have the cash for this at the moment but may well go for them unless others know of a business card designer and printer service.

 

[Night Train]

Have you tried a conventional printer?

They are still out there and will have proper design templates and fonts and will show you a real sample.
The prices may be a bit more then online outlets but they can offer better quality and will still be trying to be competitive.

We used to use Hobs Reprographics when I was working for Housing Associations in Manchester. Everyone in Housing seems to have their own company business card, even the temps.

 

[ttcycle]

I have a friend, in fact a couple of friends who have printer connections - the issue is that for a design that I'm after I need a graphic designer - which then ups the costs even more...

 

[Archie_tect]

Where is local to you tt?

How many do you get printed up in one order?

Could you reduce the number of colours to keep the cost down?

 

[ttcycle]

Where is local to you tt?

London

 

[Night Train]

I have a friend, in fact a couple of friends who have printer connections - the issue is that for a design that I'm after I need a graphic designer - which then ups the costs even more...

Can you do the design yourself?
You can ask what format they would accept and then produce the artwork for them.

 

[zizou]

I've used moo.com in the past and the quality is super...the cards are so good i almost dont like giving them out

 

[Archie_tect]

We use a local printer, but only print in black on one side on white card, 500 business cards for £35+VAT. We have the .eps file and just send it as artwork to the cheapest printer we can find... Staples were quite good IIRC.

 

[ttcycle]

I'm looking at Moo at the moment - having a laugh at their quirky designers range - I love some of the character/cartoon things but they're not quite right for a professional looking card huh?!

I'm trying to find a bike cartoon under one of their designers as I come across a lot of bike people professionally and that would be quite amusing.

 

[Black Sheep]

http://www.printcmyk.co.uk/ is where I had all my printing done for me when I was freelancing as a designer in Coventry
they do post out.

if you're looking for something designing, I'm unemployed and bored while job hunting so happy to do something cheaply to put into my portfolio.

 

[dellzeqq]

I used Watercress Print - they're sufficiently local for you to go around and pick them up (and to check the cards are ok before the final payment)

http://www.watercres...List%202011.pdf

if memory serves I gave them a publisher file, but they can do just about anything

if I were doing it now I'd use powerpoint

 

[rsvdaz]

I used Vistaprint once...never again...i'm still being spammed by them to this day.

i find printing.com very good..they have shops almost everywhere.

I usually wait unrtill an offer crops up