Designing and printing your own business cards for free is a lot easier than you may think. All you need is a free design program, your logo, contact information, a printer, and high-quality cardstock paper to print your designs on.
In this article, we walk through how to make a business card (for free) in Word (or Google Docs) as well as two other free programs you can use if you feel limited by the design and customization options of Word/Google Docs.
So, let’s dive right in!
Designing a Business Card with Word/Google Docs
Creating an effective business card with Word or Google Docs is easy. Furthermore, you can fit eight cards on every sheet and print them out at home. Which… is a great (and free) option if you’re on a tight budget.
If you have Microsoft Word, you can start from its business card templates or you can start from scratch. Google Docs doesn’t offer business card templates but the process of building a card from scratch is exactly the same as it is in Word.
So, to get started, create a brand new blank document. Then, change the page margins to 0.25” on every side — this lets you fit ten cards on one sheet rather than eight with a lot of wasted space.
You can do this from the Layout menu → margins in Word or by going to File → Page Setup in Google Docs.
Then, add a table with two columns and five rows. Go to the Insert menu → table in both Word and Google Docs then select two columns and five rows to add it. Next, highlight all the cells in your new table. Then, right-click → table properties.
Set your column width to 3.5” and the row height to 2”. Here, you can also change the background color if you want something other than white. And, you can also change the text alignment and vertical alignment to whatever you prefer (I recommend centering both).
Related: How Big Should a Business Card Be?
Next, add your logo in the first cell by going to insert → image (picture in Word). Once it’s uploaded to your document, you can copy and paste it into the rest of the cells of your table.
Pro-tip: Don’t have a logo yet? No problem! Check out the Starting Your Business guide on creating a professional business logo before moving on to the next step.
Now, it’s time to add your contact information. I recommend including at least:
- Your name and job title
- Email address
- Phone number
- Address (if applicable)
- Your website URL
Click below your logo in the first cell. Then, type and format everything, so it fits well, is easy to read, and looks nice. You can use different fonts, different colors to match your brand, and different sizes to add variation to your new business cards.
From there, you can copy and paste your contact information into the remaining cells.
Now, all that’s left is exporting as a PDF and printing it out on high-quality cardstock to ensure they hold up over time. You may also want to consider using a paper cutter to make sure your lines are cut straight to look more professional.
With Word/Google Docs, it’s incredibly easy to design a simple, yet professional, business card for your new business. But, your design options are pretty limited. However, if you’re interested in more design flexibility and customization, you can try designing your new cards with Canva or Google Slides instead.
Designing a Business Card with Canva (Free)
Canva is a freemium web-based graphic design tool. It’s 100% drag-and-drop and incredibly easy to use. Plus, they have tons of free templates you can use if you’re not design-savvy or if you find yourself struggling with your new cards.
To get started, head to Canva.com and create a free account (if you don’t already have one). Then, click “Create a design” in the top right corner and select custom dimensions. Change the measurement to inches and enter 3.5 x 2.
Then, click “Create new design”. A new tab will open up with a blank document the same size as a business card. You can use the template search bar to find free business card templates or create your own from scratch.
Furthermore, you can upload your logo under the “Upload” tab. After it’s uploaded, click on it to insert it into the document on the right. From there, you can drag and drop everything until you’re satisfied with your new design.
When you’re ready, click the “Download” button at the top right to save it to your computer.
Designing a Business Card with Google Slides (Free)
Google Slides is a free PowerPoint alternative from Google. And much like Google Docs, it’s free, easy to use, and very similar to its premium alternative. All you need to get started is a free Google account.
So, head over to Google Slides and sign in with your Google account if you’re not already. Then, click the plus sign in the top left under “Start a new presentation” to open up a blank document.
Then go to File → Page Setup. Click the dropdown and choose custom. Lastly, enter the dimensions of your business card (the US standard is 3.5” x 2”) and click apply.
Zoom to 100% to see the actual size of your blank canvas. Then, you can add your logo by going to Insert → Image and uploading it from your computer. From there, you can use different shapes, fonts, images, and anything else you want to use.
When you’re ready, go to File → Download and choose the PNG option to save it as an image to your computer. Then, you’re ready to print it out!
Final Thoughts on Designing a Business Card for Free
I highly recommend using a professional printing service like VistaPrint, PS Print or Zazzle for your business cards for the most professional look, but that’s not always an option due to budget. So, programs like Word/Google Docs, Canva, and Google Slides all free design platforms you can use to design your cards and then print them at home.
Want to learn more about business card design, tips, tricks, and best practices? Check out our in-depth guide on creating and designing professional business cards today!
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