The simple black and white business card has metamorphosed into designer versions. Unusual business cards are made from wood, plastic, metal, magnets, glass, or handmade paper. And some are printed in four colors while others are made using embedding or imprint technology. The purpose is to be unique and different, and make a lasting impression.

Depending on your thoughts, budget, design, and needs, a business card service will tell you what kind of printing your card will need. They offer die-cut business cards, embossed cards, CMYK full color printing, bi-fold business cards, or thermograph print cards—different processes that produce varied results.

Most business card printing services will provide in-house design services if you let them have all the information you need on the card. Otherwise, you could design your business card yourself by using the online card design services. Print providers like GreatFX business cards offer a complete online design studio with which you can create a business card in minutes, using your web browser.

Printers today are innovative. They club together to offer online business card printing services which offers a free estimate if you fill in a questionnaire. The questionnaire will go to different card printers, and the ones who can do the job will get in touch with you. There are other online sites where clients can post projects for which printers can place bids—the same concept like elance or guru.com.

For a world-class product you need to ensure that you scan logos and other images in eps or bmp format. Specify how many cards you need, what kind of paper, black and white or color, whether it should be coated, whether you need a proof, and when you need the cards delivered.

Be wise and do your homework well. Contact at least three business card printing services. Comparison shopping is good business sense, not a waste of time. Check the reliability of the printers. Find out if anyone you know has used the service. Read up on design and how one can use a template to design a professional-looking, unique card. Seek the help of a computer-savvy friend or colleague, and find out if designing your own card is as easy as it sounds.

Your business card represents you—it is your brand ambassador, so think before you leap. When it doubt, just choose a classy style instead of shiny brass or psychedelic varieties.

With the more and more people doing their business globally, it is important to adjust your business tools for a more international audience. One of these investments that must go international is business card printing.

A lot of online business card printing services already offer a global perspective in terms of their designs. Having such marketing tool designed and aimed for an international audience increases your ability to do business abroad. People will understand you better, and they can use them more effectively in their countries as well.

In addition, this will benefit you by increasing you chances of landing a business deal in different countries since people will understand you and trust you better. If you want to know how to go international with your printing designs, here are a few tips that you should know about.

Using ISO standards: The first thing that you must be aware of is the international standards. Yes, there are actually mutually accepted standards set forth by the international standards office.

This mostly relates to the standard dimensions that most business card printing processes should set. The ISO standard size is called the ISO 216 or A8 size of business cards. It has the dimensions 2.913 inches in length by 2.047 inches in height. In metrics, that is 74mm by 52mm. There is also the ISO standard credit card size. This standard dimension is about 3.370in × 2.125in in size or about 85.60mm × 53.98mm. These sizes can easily be adapted to most countries and can be used for most business transactions.

Country standards: However, if you do business with one or two countries primarily, then you may want to discard the ISO standard size, with a more localized size for the country you are doing business in. For most countries, businesspersons follow a different kind of business card dimension when doing business locally. If you apply this to your own business card, you can localize it giving it a better advantage

For European dimensions, the most widely accepted size is 85mm × 55mm. For Japan, it is 91mm × 55mm while in China 90mm × 54mm are used. Of course, for Canada and the United States the standard dimension is 88.9mm × 50.8mm or about 3.5 × 2 inches. Overall, however, you just have to try to research on the standard dimensions that are in use for the country you are doing business with.

Using different language: Besides your business card international sizes, another thing that you can consider to make it go "international" is by using different languages. Again, since you probably may be doing business with one or two main countries, you may want to print in that language.

Do not always assume that English can be understood in most countries. The best way is to print a business card with an English language front, but with a localized language at the back. For example, you can have it printed in English, while at the back of it, all of your details can be printed in Japanese or Chinese since you do a lot of business with them. Your business contacts will appreciate this effort to go global, and may probably net you a few advantages in doing business with them.

Great! Hopefully you can apply these tips when you start you next batch of business cards. Since most online business card printing services offer different sizes and languages, you will have no trouble in having them made. By using this design strategy, you can turn yourself into a more effective world trader, making business opportunities in different countries. Good Luck!