Designer Business Cards for Less Than One Penny Each

Print your own business cards for less than one penny each. This article points readers to free, easy-to-use designer templates. Simply replace the template text with your own customized information, and print them on your own printer for less than one cent apiece.

Prerequisites, what you need
All you need in order to print your own business cards for less than a penny each is a PC with Microsoft Word, a printer, and an internet connection to download the free templates. There are two different types of templates available: 1) Microsoft template that makes 10 business cards per sheet, or 2) LifelineNews.com free templates, which makes 12 business cards per sheet.

Special business card creation software has been available for years, but usually at a cost. Free business card creation software may still be available, but at the risk of downloading a virus or spyware onto your PC. Neither Microsoft nor Lifeline News templates contain any of these risks with downloading, guaranteed.

Additionally, special pre-perforated business-card stock paper has been available for quite some time, but it is more expensive than the plain card stock. This focus of this article is to provide the reader with the information needed to create professional-looking business cards for less than one penny each (this includes paper and ink!). Most will agree that this is very cheap for designer business cards.

What to buy
Paper. Buy a package of 250 sheets of white 110 lb. card stock from Office Max for $9.99. If desired, colored card stock will work if a particular colored background is needed for your business cards. Buying colored card stock can save a bundle in ink if the card background is colored. However, the most popular background is simply white, making text easy to read. The 250-sheet package of card stock makes 3,000 business cards (if printing 12 per sheet, 2,500 if printing 10 per sheet).

Ink. Save money on printer ink by purchasing ink from an online super-discount ink supplier such as InkPlusToner.com, who sells inkjet cartridges for $2.95 each (for many printer models) if bought in quantities of 3 or more, with free shipping on orders over $50.

Optional equipment. Scissors can be used to cut your business cards once they have been printed. However, a paper cutter is an optional piece of equipment that can save time and maintain a very straight edge. Amazon.com sells an inexpensive 12-inch by 12-inch paper cutter for about $19.

Cost of making these business cards
Using the Office Max card stock and the economy printer ink (both described above), will make it possible to print up to 3,000 business cards for less than one penny each ($0.0083), assuming your business card design is mostly text on a white background. Color backgrounds use more ink and cost a wee bit more. This process is, by far, the most economical method possible for obtaining beautiful and professional-looking business cards.

Select your business card style
Lifeline News template. http://www.LifeLineNews.com/SubPages/BusinessCard.asp

Visiting the above link at LifelineNews.com allows visitors to download two free Microsoft Word templates for business cards, which are very easy to use. Complete instructions for use are provided on the screen (bottom of page). One design is an attractive all-purpose business card template on a white background that can be used by businesses or individuals. The other template is a writer's template, suitable for authors, writers, or columnists. This template is very eye catching with a dreamy-looking, nostalgic, quill-on-parchment sepia tone background.

Microsoft template. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT102532231033.aspx

Visiting the above link takes visitors to the Microsoft business-card template site. Microsoft provides 74 free, attractive, downloadable business card templates. To download and customize for your own use, simply visit the following Microsoft web page, and follow the screen instructions:

Whatever style you choose from the above template options, you are sure to end up with a business card that fits your individual or business needs at a fraction of the cost of business cards found anywhere else.

Resources:

Lifeline News business card template: http://www.LifeLineNews.com/SubPages/BusinessCard.asp
Microsoft business card template: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT102532231033.aspx