Once I received the cards, Ryan and I evaluated printing quality by comparing the cards side by side. This is what we looked for:. On the back of each card, we added blocks of both CMYK and Pantone colors to see how each service converted and printed these colors, along with a color gradient to see how the services handled changes in tone.
Ryan compared the color swatches on the cards we received with the Pantone Color Bridge Coated book. The company has quick turnaround times, great customer service. Vistaprint frequently runs promotions that lower the cost of cards and shipping, too. Ryan said Vistaprint did the third-best job rendering fine details like small typeface and thin lines.
Colors were mostly accurate, although a tad dark. Vistaprint provides a better overall experience in creating a business card than any other service we tested. When designing your cards with Vistaprint, you can start by choosing cards based on shape standard, rounded, square, slim, or folded , paper stock glossy, matte, uncoated, pearl, soft touch, brown kraft, linen, recycled matte, or colored paper , special finishes like metallic or spot UV to make certain areas shiny or glossy , or specialty stock plastic cards, ultra-thick 32 pt stock, or ColorFill for a colorful center.
Paper weight options are helpfully included in descriptions of paper stock. Once you choose a feature as a starting point and click on the respective thumbnail, Vistaprint has buttons to fill out the rest of your order details, with available options for shape, size, stock, paper weight, and finishes based on your selection.
Vistaprint offers 8, premade templates at the time of our testing, at least categorized by industry, the most of any service besides FedEx which has 9, Designs range from sparkly and geometric to understated. Although the pool is overwhelming, the site gives you many different ways to find something you like: Templates are divided by industry, style, or theme, or by available additional features. You can choose a template already designed for add-ons like spot gloss or metallic finishes, and you can upload photos from Facebook or Instagram to your card design.
Vistaprint provides the best visual tools to review your design. I appreciated this image because imagining how the bleed and trim lines affect your design can be difficult for people without design experience. Only one other service I tested, FedEx, has this tool, and I think it is the best way to view a proof. If you select a template with an add-on like spot gloss or metallic finishes, Vistaprint lets you preview these effects with a video.
My original order was delivered but stolen from my porch over the winter holidays. When I called Vistaprint in a panic, the company quickly reprinted and shipped my order for free, and the new batch of cards arrived four days later. A Vistaprint representative confirmed that the site often has significant discounts that include cards and shipping costs, so we recommend checking for promo codes before ordering. If you truly need cards immediately, we recommend going with a service that offers same-day in-store pickup.
Like many services we tested, Vistaprint prints products beyond business cards. Jukebox aced our print test with vibrant colors, sharp fine lines, readable small typeface, and precise trimming.
The company also has the most options for paper stock and extra features to customize cards. Jukebox also has one of the highest shipping costs of any service we tested, likely due in part to international shipping.
The Jukebox cards were also cut consistently along the same lines and cleanly without jagged edges. Jukebox did end up scaling our design to fit into the card, thereby altering it slightly, but when we compared them side by side with other cards to look for uneven edges, look for white spaces above our colorful border, and see if the fronts and backs of cards matched up, it was clear that Jukebox did the overall best trimming job.
Jukebox offers the most custom options of any service we tested. You can choose from standard cards made from regular paper, recycled paper, or specialty material including wooden, sparkle, cork, 3D embossed, and more.
For example, I thought I followed the instructions to add. Jukebox caught this after I placed my order, and resized the design for me. You also have to pay for your cards before uploading your design and viewing a proof with Jukebox. I spoke with Jukebox support over live chat, email, and phone.
As with Vistaprint, the representatives were consistently helpful and responded quickly via live chat and email. Jukebox has a handy FAQ section, which the company strongly recommends using to help prevent errors.
Customer support representatives also said that in the event of a misprinted order, Jukebox would reprint and send cards as quickly as possible. Jukebox offers a relatively low number of templates with themes ranging from woodworking to wildlife photography.
Both card and shipping costs are based on CAD, and the exchange rate can fluctuate. The company estimates the turnaround time as nine to 11 days, but our cards actually arrived about three weeks after we ordered, though this was during holiday season. Jukebox does have a same-day printing option, which requires your proof to be approved by a.
PST, and shipping still takes one to three days. Same-day printing has fewer paper stock and finish options , but you can get a batch as small as cards because the cards are printed digitally. Although digital printing quality is similar to offset printing, offset printing costs decrease with volume if you need more cards. For last-minute business card printing, we found Staples provided the fastest turnaround, lowest prices, and best and most consistent customer service.
If you place your order before 2 p. Its extensive range of products — from velvety soft-touch business cards that leave a lasting impression, to bright, bold signage for display at your next exhibition — is available to order in just a few clicks. Buy now. With eight size options and a choice of flat or folded styles which come pre-folded for you, FYI , invest in 5, or more and they work out at as little a penny per print — a small price to pay for such effortlessly effective outreach.
Postcards are fantastic for slotting into mailers or bags, or dishing out to drum up interest in passers-by, and the better yours look, the better the chances are of your recipient really engaging with them.
Make the most of the space by keeping the wording simple and using your very best imagery — Vistaprint will send you a PDF proof before you buy so you can ensure everything is exactly how you envisioned it before the print run begins. Got a big event coming up in the diary?
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