Your name card is often the first impression you make in business. It represents you and your company. An outdated, worn, or amateurish-looking name card gives potential clients and contacts the wrong idea about you before you even open your mouth.
Your branding has changed
If your company has gone through a rebranding with new colors, fonts, or logos, your name card should reflect these changes. Having mismatched branding on your cards compared to your website, stationery, and marketing materials looks unprofessional like you haven’t fully committed to the rebrand. A consistent look across all touchpoints is key. Do any of the details on your card need updating? Have you changed roles or titles? Moved offices? Have you got a new phone number or email address? Added new certifications? If your name card has any outdated info, it’s time for a redesign. Nothing turns people off more than trying to contact you based on incorrect details on an old card.
Design is dated
Trends come and go in name card designs just like everything else. Look at your cards: do they look modern or stuck in the 90s? Things like fonts, colors, shapes, and layouts appear dated after a while. For example, Comic Sans font was popular in the 90s and 2000s but now looks unprofessional. Even if your info is up-to-date, an obsolete design makes you seem outdated too. Whether it’s faded ink, tiny text size, low contrast colors, or a cluttered design, if your name card is difficult to read, it needs an update. The whole purpose of a card is undermined if people can’t easily read your name, company, and contact information at a glance. Good readability ensures your card gets filed or input into someone’s contacts instead of tossed.
You’re out of cards
Running out of cards is the perfect natural opportunity to redesign and print fresh ones instead of just reordering a stock you’re lukewarm about. Don’t default to outdated designs just because you have some left. Take advantage of the clean slate to create something new. When you start a new job or venture out as an entrepreneur, you’ll want a name card that reflects your new business or role. Don’t rely on old cards from your previous career or company. Get new cards that showcase your new title, brand values, and expertise. It’s an important part of starting fresh. Even if nothing is technically wrong with your current cards, sometimes you want to upgrade to project a more polished, prestigious image. Things like premium paper, spot UV, foil accents, edge painting, custom shapes, and high-end printing make your card feel luxe and substantial in the hand. It’s an affordable way to seem established and classy. Click here to learn More about the author.
When to print new cards?
Once you’ve decided your old name cards need replacing, figure out the best timing for the reprint. If your cards are completely outdated, get new ones ordered as soon as possible so you start handing out the correct information. But if your current cards are still usable, consider waiting until you’ve used up your existing stock to minimize waste. There’s no need to throw away half a box of perfectly functional cards. Just phase in your new design as old ones run out.