February 14, 2023
Despite living in a highly digital age, business cards are still important players when it comes to networking.
Did you know that nearly 40% of potential clients have a tendency to walk away if the business card is poorly designed or presented?
In addition, 72% of business card recipients judge a company based on the business card quality.
Therefore, well-designed and captivating business cards are here to stay.
However, it opens up an evergoing debate: plastic business cards vs. paper business cards.
Which ones are more economical, impactful, eco-friendly, etc? Better for your business?
Read on as we go through the main pros and cons of plastic and paper business cards so you can make the right decision.
Let’s dive in!
Plastic business cards are made of durable plastic material, which makes them waterproof and scratch-resistant.
They are still staple when it comes to networking and exchanging contact information.
Furthermore, they can come in many shapes, sizes and colors, allowing you to express creativity while maintaining a sense of professionalism.
Plastic business cards offer a wide range of benefits. Let’s take a look at the main ones:
✅ Great for long-term use due to their durability
✅ Highly customizable and, therefore, unique
✅ Can be digitalized
✅ Can act as a great marketing tool to promote your business.
However, there are always two sides to one coin, so plastic business cards aren’t without shortcomings.
❌ Might not be suitable for more old-school, and traditional industries
❌ Can be less eco-friendly if they aren’t made from recyclable material
❌ Are more expensive than paper business cards.
There are no limitations to who can use plastic business cards. Still, they might be optimal for people working in construction or similar professions where the regular paper business card would get damaged by water or dirt.
Apart from that, plastic business cards are considered to be more modern and stylish and are often used among salespeople, entrepreneurs, job applicants, etc.
Now let’s see how paper business cards stand in the plastic business cards vs. paper business cards battle.
Paper business cards are traditional business cards that contain basic contact information.
Thus, depending on your preferences, you can include:
the company name
type of work
a phone number
an email address
a logo, and an interesting visual to make it more memorable.
But the front side of a paper business card isn’t the only one you can use. The back side is also important if you want to reach the full potential of your card.
From making the back magnetic to having a logo or a catchy phrase, there is no end to creativity when it comes to the back of your paper business card.
They can also be highly customizable and allow for more intricate details like raised fonts, different designs, colors, and more.
What’s more, regarding the material, you can choose from matte, glossy, photo, and textured card stock.
In addition, they are recyclable and can be more budget-friendly if you make a large batch or aren’t planning anytime soon to change your brand colors, logo, or any other relevant info on them.
Otherwise, they are more expensive to produce.
So let’s check the main pros and cons of paper business cards.
Although traditional paper business cards might not be as popular as they used to be, they are by no means obsolete.
And some of their benefits largely contribute to this fact.
✅ Add a personal touch - think of it as a hand-shaking and strengthening the bond. Furthermore, you can immediately capture your new contact’s attention.
✅ Budget-friendly - they cost less than plastic business cards
✅ Eco-friendly - they are recyclable.
In order to see the whole picture, let’s also check the main cons.
❌ Prone to fading and warping over time
❌ Provide insufficient information due to the lack of physical space
❌ Need to be updated regularly in case your contact info or logo changes.
Paper business cards are still very popular among old-school and more traditional industries that are not prone to changes.
In addition, they are a preferable choice for eco-friendly professions.
Now that we’ve covered the main pros and cons of plastic business cards and their counterpart, what is the final verdict?
The ultimate winner will depend on the type of business you do and the type of your clientele.
In a nutshell, both types of cards share so many similarities and serve the same purpose - networking.
However, our top pick would be plastic business cards.
Why? Because they can be digitalized.
Not only do digital business cards store more information, but the level of creativity and options are almost limitless.
A digital business card is a more innovative way of presenting yourself and your company.
Since they are customizable, they can be of great aid in promoting your brand identity and creating a memorable first impression.
But what really sets digital business cards apart from paper ones is that you can include various information, such as links to social media profiles, websites, etc.
And what’s more, you can use a QR code to exchange and share information much easier.
In addition, you can also include photos and logos.
Thus, it comes as no surprise that there are multiple benefits when using digital business cards.
Digital business cards offer many benefits. Let’s take a look at the main ones:
✅ Great for long-term use due to their durability
✅ Highly customizable and, therefore, unique
✅ Effortlessly share business information
✅ Can hold much more info compared to paper business cards
✅ Data can be quickly updated
✅ Cost-effective (you don’t need to print dozens of samples for sharing)
✅ Eco-friendly
However, there are always two sides to one coin so digital business cards aren’t without shortcomings.
❌ Might not be suitable for less tech-savvy individuals
❌ Need Internet access
❌ Depending on the software that supports them, it can have bugs.
Overall, digital business cards are great for spreading the word about your business while still expanding your network in a personalized way.
For example, Tapni is an app that helps you create digital business cards in a smart, quick, and sustainable way.
Tapni offers various templates for your business cards: you can choose from different colors and materials, glossy or matte.
Furthermore, you can also create customized digital business cards by incorporating images and logos, text edits and fonts, colors, a QR code, etc.
And if you want to get even more creative, you can also choose and create designs for stickers, keychains, and waistbands.
And what’s great is that others don’t need a Tapni profile to access your info or provide it for you.
But if you thought Tapni only helps you create digital business cards, think again.
Tapni also allows you to automate lead generation by importing new connections to your CRM system.
So there is more to Tapni than initially meets the eye.
Enticed to find out more?
Download the Tapni appto revolutionize networking and take it to the next level.
When you use a desktop color printer to print onto a sheet of paper, have you ever noticed that it doesn't have a million ink or toner cartridges? There are only actually four colors: Cyan (Blue), Magenta (Pink/Red), Yellow, and Black. The plastic business card printing process is pretty similar. Using those four colors, we can reproduce almost any image needed to create amazing business cards.
PMS colors are colors that are so specific that designers call the color out to designate what color we need to print on the card. For example, if you're printing cards for Coca-Cola, they have a particular red that they need. If it's not the right red, the whole card is flawed because it doesn't match the color of their logo.
DPI stands for "dots per inch." The DPI is the number of color droplets that can be dropped in a 1" space. 300DPI is the industry standard.
Vector Graphics are not made of pixels or dots, enabling the image or graphic to be scaled to different sizes and not lose image quality. So Vector Graphics can be printed to a much higher standard than a digital print will allow.
Opacity/Opaque refers to how transparent a card is. For an example, look at our "See the Difference" card below.
We combat transparency using a Blocker. A Blocker is a double coating of white ink that goes on clear plastic cards before we add color to it. It allows for the image printed to have the highest opacity possible, while still being printed on a clear surface.
Now, to answer your question about paper and plastic cards. Let's talk about the three primary methods of business card printing:
Litho / Offset Printing
Digital / Die Cut Printing
Screen Printing / Silk Screening
Let's dive into each printing style and how they're different on paper and plastic.
Litho printing is the highest-quality print process. Litho printing on plastic cards requires printers to use copper plates that pull across ink rollers, and then against the plastic cards. This process is similar to the method used to recreate high-quality artwork prints. For example, you can purchase a lithograph version of a Rembrandt.
Lithography is often confused with a standard offset style printing, which is what paper printers do. Paper offset printing is generally with a rubber sheet, that similarly has ink applied to it, then runs across paper cards. This process creates superior paper cards to digital printing but is not the same as a true lithograph style. Offset business card printing is the most popular way of printing paper cards. While it's not the same as the lithography we do at Plastic Printers, it does offer a beautiful print at an affordable price.
Litho printing is often the most expensive of the printing styles available, but it also has the highest-quality prints. It's expensive because, unlike digital printing (which works similar to an inkjet printer), a litho printing press applies one color at a time. So, for a full-color card, you would print all four colors on each side. That means eight to make the full print. If it's a clear card, it would be ten because of the need to apply the blocker!
For business card printing, litho printing would be a requirement if you want PMS color printing. So if your branding and colors are very important, this is the best way to ensure colors are perfect. Litho prints do not print in dots per inch and can closely match a vector image, as they're incredibly crisp, and never pixelated.
Lithography also allows us in the plastic card world additional options such as metallic card stock, foil stamps, and embossing. It also ensures the most opacity when it comes to the design of clear business cards, resulting in a nearly-opaque print. We can also achieve a stunning frosted color effect on cards. The options are endless!
Die cut cards are the most prevalent method for plastic business card printing but are much less standard for paper business card printing. Die cutting involves printing cards on a large sheet, then using a die to cut out the individual cards, somewhat like a cookie-cutter, but done on an industrial-sized machine.
This system allows us to facilitate business card printing in any shape or size you'd like. The only additional expense is the die itself. Most paper printing companies don't die cut, as it's more expensive than screen printing.
This style of printing does use a DPI system and is not as sharp as a print. To the naked eye, however, it's hard to tell the difference. The die cut clear cards also won't allow the same level of opacity. It's important to remember when printing clear cards that if opacity is the most important feature to you, then a litho card is the way to go!
This method of printing for plastic cards is generally less expensive than a lithograph method, as it's less labor-intensive. It allows us to print cards much faster, and the cards are usually laminated. That makes the plastic cards much more durable. This style is more adept at cards like gift cards, membership cards, and loyalty cards, but it can also be fantastic for a business card, depending on the design.
Note: We can print cards up to 11" x 16".
Silk screening is essentially a method of using a stencil on a mesh screen to apply ink. This printing method is another popular way of printing paper cards.
This method is less popular for plastic cards. While you sometimes see plastic cards that are screen printed, they are generally thin, much like a paper card, because the production of the card requires using the same equipment as paper cards. The cards printed this way are usually very inexpensive. The biggest drawback to silk screening as a method for business card printing is that when printed on plastic, the cards are very susceptible to scratching. Because the ink doesn't have a paper to "sink into," it doesn't adhere very well.
On the other hand, silk-screened cards look pretty good for paper cards and allow you to get paper cards with an upgraded look at a great price.
Why should someone choose plastic business cards over paper cards? That's a question I hear about every day. Paper business cards are inexpensive. Plastic business cards are not. So why would you want a plastic business card?
Plastic conveys a fantastic sense of premium quality. When using plastic for business card printing, you set yourself apart from the competition. In a competitive marketplace, it's essential to be able to differentiate yourself. If you're a bathroom remodeler, and you go into someone's home to give an estimate, you know they've received three others. If you leave a plastic card, the value you try to convey to the customer is "I put this much effort and care into my business cards, think of the quality and care I will invest into your bathroom."
Let's look at it another way. What does it cost to acquire a customer? If you're using Google to purchase Adwords leads or buying leads from a generation service, they may cost as much as $75 - $100 in the remodeling business - and that's just to get a phone number! No guarantee they will purchase anything. If your plastic business cards acquire you even ten extra customers this year, wasn't the investment worth it?!
If you have questions on plastic cards or business card printing in general, you should always feel free to call and ask! That is what we are here for, to answer your questions and ensure you get the best quality to fit your budget and needs. Schedule a consultation with one of our experts today.