Letterpress Business Cards
Timeless and traditional, Letterpress is one of the oldest forms of printing in the world. The uniquely crisp impression of Letterpress is highly sought after due to its precision and old-world charm. We continue to push the possibilities of this printing method to create new and exciting results.
Choosing letterpress means choosing a detailed and thorough service that makes your products special. This intricate process involves creating a custom plate of your design to imprint the ink into the card stock. Letterpress is most suitable on our Cotton and Bamboo stocks, as the soft texture allows for an exquisite, deep impression which both looks and feels stunning.
Letterpress Business Card Inspiration
Squarespace Business Cards Produced with Letterpress and Colorplan Backing
Unique business cards produced with Black letterpress and blind letterpress on 40pt cotton
- 40pt Bright White Cotton
- Standard - 3.5" x 2"
- Letterpress
High Mountain Prep Business cards produced with 2 Color Letterpress & Deboss
40PT Bright White Cotton
- 20pt Bright White Cotton
- Standard - 3.5" x 2"
- Letterpress, Debossing
Heartland 3 Color Letterpress Business Cards
Hunt Village Business Cards with Letterpress
Hunt Village Business Cards with Letterpress
- 20pt Off-White Pulp
- Standard - 3.5" x 2"
- Letterpress
Believe Letterpress Business Cards with Green Painted Edges
- 40pt Bright White Cotton
- Standard - 3.5" x 2"
- Letterpress
WNBA Business Cards with Multi Letterpress
Circular Letterpress Cards
Circular Letterpress Cards
Letterpress Business Card Pricing
Explore More Possibilities with Letterpress
- Popular FAQ
- Download Template
- Design Guidelines
Most Popular Questions
Letterpress, or letterpress printing, is a method of relief printing that utilizes a printing press: a process by which a predetermined set of copies are produced by a repeated direct impression of an inked, raised surface against sheets or a continuous roll of paper. And in the world of business cards, it’s an approach that creates a host of incredible results.
The incomparable crisp impression forged by the letterpress printing process is more popular than ever before due to its razor-sharp precision and vintage aesthetics (and feel).
This painstaking and comprehensive process makes letterpress one of the planet's most preferable business card printing methods, and from start to finish, not a single detail is spared.
Our letterpress printing process involves making a bespoke plate of each design to ensure the ink is successfully imprinted into the card stock with the aim of developing a finish that is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the touch.
What are Business Cards?
While the term business card represents the exact form and functionality of a - well - business card (a card that is used for the purpose of business), it's a topic worth exploring, nonetheless.
Here we go.
Business cards: a definition
Traditionally, business cards are used as a primary means of business people presenting their contact information to other businesses and partners or potential customers and clients.
Typically presented in a compact, rectangular format, a business card features a valuable mix of graphical content, branding and key contact details aimed at offering critical information while creating an impactful first impression.
To put the visual value of a business card into living, breathing perspective, here is a traditional rectangular-style business card from our personal library:
Even in the digital age, business cards are an effective networking tool thriving and in countries including China and Japan where the exchange of business cards is almost ritualistic. Business cards offer a physical way of sharing information about who you are, what you do, and what you're all about.
Having your business card ready to present to others when required demonstrates a higher level of professionalism, and even today, these miniature promotional works of art are one the world’s most effective direct marketing tools.
Business cards: the origins
Here's a brief glimpse at the origins of business cards for your reading pleasure:
Initially known as 'trade cards', business cards began their life back in 17th century England. As there were no notable street numbers in London at the time, these ‘trade cards’ had two primary functions: advertising and navigation - yes, they were mini maps as well as promotional tools.
By the late 1800s the popularity of trade cards had spread across the country and overseas, becoming a tried and tested promotional tool for everything imaginable, from baby milk and pianos to live produce patent medicines. The business card, as we know it today, was born.
Of course, over the centuries, advancements in printing and technology have transformed the business card, making it a more visually-striking, innovative and functional networking tool than ever before - but let’s not forget that it all began with the trade cards of the 17th century.
Business cards: the sizing
These days, business cards come in all kinds of wonderful shapes, sizes and mediums, but for your reference, here is a rundown of standard, or traditional, business card sizes according to region:
Europe:
A standard European business card size is 90 mm (3.543 inches) in Width and 55 mm (2.165 inches) in Height. This can vary slightly depending on your printer, so make sure to check in advance the preferred size used by your supplier.
North America:
A standard North American business card size is 89 mm (3.5 inches) in Width and 51 mm (2 inches) in Height.
Want to know more about business cards? Get in touch and we’ll be happy to answer any business card related questions you may have.
Blind Letterpress
Blind letterpress is a process used by Jukebox to achieve subtle impressions in cardstock without strongly affecting the opposite side of the stock. This creates a visual effect similar to debossing, where there is an impression made without any ink. This process does not create as deep or obvious impressions as those achieved through the traditional debossing process. Blind debossing will not produce an opposite emboss of your design on the back side of the card. You may see some slight show through on the back of thinner stocks, but this will not be an embossed effect.
Blind debossing can be used on almost any type of stock, however if you are choosing this method so you can print on the back side of the card, we recommend one of our 24pt Mega Thick stocks.
Can I have a full bleed Letterpress design?
We can produce letterpress designs with full bleed (print to the edge); however, it is highly recommended to avoid full ink coverage on backgrounds. Letterpress Printing areas with large ink coverage may appear spotted or blotchy and you may receive a File Error about this from our Prepress team.
The reason for this limitation is due to the fact that letterpresss requires an immense amount of pressure and ink to create solid flat colors across large areas. The entire flood of color is printed in a single pass of impression. This amount of pressure can cause paper fibres to lift from the stock and cause the print to look mottled, flecked, or salty. Offset printing and digital printing are more capable for large ink coverage because these presses roll the ink onto the sheet evenly from one side to the other.
Letterpress looks best with minimalistic designs and is typically laid out with ample white space. If you prefer to fill the background with a full coverage of designs or backgrounds, please consider using a pattern instead of a single block of color.
You may request a Custom Print Quote and submit your files to see if they will be suitable for Letterpress.
Is my design suitable for Letterpress?
Not all designs are suitable for Letterpress output. Below are some guidelines for Letterpress printing:
| Suitable | Not Suitable |
A small number of colours (1-3 spot colours work best) Vector graphics Solid shapes | A wide range of colours in the design Photographs Raster (pixel-based) graphics Gradients or shades/tints of a colour |
Setting up press-ready files for Letterpress
Letterpress cards are printed with spot colours – which will need to be defined in your supplied press-ready PDF file.
Please see: Setting up press-ready spot colour file.
Have a question? Ask Away!
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- Bleed Area
- Trim Area
- Safe Area
Bleed Area refers to images that extend to the very edges of a design. To prevent an unwanted white border from showing at the edge of your design, or for the design to appear slightly off-center, be sure to extend any background colors or design elements all the way to the edge of bleed (.125” past the trim on all four sides).
Trim Area refers to the amount of the image that will appear on your finished product. These areas will also be marked with ‘cut lines’ on your proof and are where we aim to cut your card.
Safety Area in most cases refers to 1/8 of an inch inside of the Trim Area. For thicker papers 20pt and up or wooden papers the Safety Area increases ¼ of an inch inside the Trim Area. we strongly recommend you keep important aspects of your design such as text and logos well inside of the Safety Area, otherwise, they may be cut off.