Visiting card
A business card is a card with name and other data of a person. Distinction is referred to such a map as a visit card.
Function
The name card comes from the original function: it was formerly the servant or the receptionist handed over during a visit to a great home, which she then handed it to the landlord or the lady of the house. Often the guest buckled his card after a certain rule - the type of buckling then signaled the occasion (eg, commencement, condolences visit). The kink is also allowed, easier to take the card that was placed on a silver platter. In courtly festivities they served the master of ceremonies for the public announcement of the guest.
Today, you exchange business cards in professional life - at trade shows or conferences - from; especially initial potential business partners. Desired effect is the discrete release of their own position in the company.
They rarely contain a photo, but always the name, address and telephone number of the person concerned. On business cards is also the company logo and company name and title and function of the person who presents the card, printed. The back can an English version, a location map, photo or other substances.
With the change from the part of the etiquette means professional self-promotion business cards in individual cases can also be supplemented with slogans or similar features for single position. However, a blatant design is often perceived as too pushy and untrustworthy. Delimit From business cards are leaflets in business card format, used in event marketing for indication of events and the like, rather than personal contact information to be transmitted.
Stored and be collected business cards into special folders or rotary card files, and it is becoming increasingly common in the computer age, scan the cards to have available the contact details of the person concerned in the same computer.
Production
In earlier times, the engraver printed business cards.
Business cards in small quantities ( as a stopgap for new employees or for the private sector ) are now often produced with commercially available inkjet printers.
Business cards for professional use are usually made of printing in the offset printing process. The classic business card is printed on Feinstkarton, such as diplomats or ivory cardboard carton. Particularly high-quality cards are manufactured using steel engraving. For the print motif is hand engraved engraved in a steel plate. In contrast to the usual printed business cards, the printed motif is exalted with these cards. This means that the three-dimensional font stands out from the paper and also slightly shiny. Cheaper variants with the same effect are the so-called UV spot coating or partial UV coating printing and developed in the U.S. so-called thermal relief printing. The last two methods are very widely used in North and South America.
With cheap online printing but only simple natural paper cartons are now mostly offered or matt art paper, as Feinstkartons are more difficult to print. Your business cards are processed together in collecting standardized printing plates with many other print jobs. If you want to order business cards online and print yourself, however, must be able to create printable files, usually as a PDF file. This can then be uploaded via data upload in order to the online print shop.
In contrast to letters and the layout of letterhead, there is no DIN standard for business cards.
Formats and materials
Usual formats
Cards do not have a standardized format, however, it has the credit card- size ( 85.6 × 54mm ) naturalized because it is most convenient to transport and many storage aids are designed for this format.
At times, acted as fad increasingly hinged on business cards, to increase the floor space. However, this option has the disadvantage that it can only present a part of the printed contact when stored in Einsteckhüllen and must be taken to read the inside pages.
Common materials
The most common are business cards from cardboard in the strength of 150-300 g / m².
Since business cards are used in addition to the provision of information as a promotional medium, they are sometimes made of other materials (such as plastic, aluminum, stainless steel, wood or rubber) made to particular attract attention.
Photos as business cards
See article Business Card Portrait
Business in Japan
Compared to Europe, in Japan the business card ( Meishi ) a higher priority. Because Japanese names can be written many different, but identically worded sign, it is necessary to know the correct spelling of a name. In addition, the exact position of the card holder in a company plays an important role in dealing with each other. The handover follows a map fixed procedures: The elderly person or senior level, the younger or lower-ranking person first to hand over the map. The transfer takes place with both hands and then bowing. Then the card is considered accurate and plugged in no case immediately. Rather, it is mindful placed on its side; it is considered a particularly gross faux pas, to insert the card into the pants or back pocket. Then the younger or lower-ranking person has to hand over the map in the same way. The card itself conforms to the European. If Japanese maintain regular contact with foreigners, they usually use a bilingual card on which there is an English translation on one side.
Business Cards in Couleurstudententum
Passing a torn business card between members of two dueling fraternities can be seen as an invitation to satisfaction.