# New Business Card......Too Much?



## RockstarPhotography (Mar 26, 2011)

My business cards are very bland.  Decided to make my own, might have went a bit overboard though.  I wanted something that would really catch the eye and show what i'm about.  Tell me what you think.







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businesscard  by rockstarrphotography, on Flickr[/IMG]


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## PerfectlyFlawed (Mar 26, 2011)

yeah......... a little.


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## Davor (Mar 26, 2011)

Sorry, but i don't seem to be digging this one. It looks too confusing and camouflaged and hard to make out, to me it looks like a tattoo artists business card. I think you should keep it simple.


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## RockstarPhotography (Mar 26, 2011)

This is another rendition I did which doesn't look quite as camo as the other one






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businesscard2 by rockstarrphotography, on Flickr[/IMG]


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## Drake (Mar 26, 2011)

Have you tried printing it? It's pretty busy and it's hard to predict how it will look on paper. No idea what to think though, I am quite a fan of classic business cards.


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## RockstarPhotography (Mar 26, 2011)

I haven't tried printing it yet.  Still a work in progress.  Might do some test prints tomorrow and see what it looks like.


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## CrashC (Mar 26, 2011)

Overall, between the photo and the name, I think you have a lot of potential here.  Good graphic/print design is about priorities and leading eyeballs to those priorities one after another (aka dominance or hierarchy).  My eyeballs look like a pinball viewing this card... not what you want.

Rather than just tell you what to change, I'll try to explain why.  Teach a man to fish and all that...

The fists photo is what's going to catch a viewer's eye first.  It should be the biggest and most apparent so that you know for sure their eye will find the intended starting place.  Consider enlarging the photo and having one side of it hang off the edge of the card (or wrap around to the back if two-sided is an option cost wise). Next biggest should be the logo.  Next biggest should be your name.  Next biggest should be your contact information.

Practically speaking, given the name and style, I'd rotate the entire card a significant amount...perhaps even 45 degrees.  You will have to make the logo and the long email address smaller, but it's still legible in print.  Bigger is not necessarily better.  Your goal is to A) be remembered and B) have your contact information accessible if the viewer choose to look for it.  As long as it's legible, that's all that matters...doesn't have to be very big at all.

Also, absolutely, definitely tone down the textures.  Textures should be subtle, otherwise they increase the dominance of the object they are applied to.  Right now, the background texture and the logo texture are competing for attention too much, especially when considering the photo should be the first focal point. When I say texture, this includes the embossing of the logo.  Embossing in general is almost always a bad idea as it looks dated.  People used it too much 12+ years ago when Photoshop made it easy to do.  I'd get rid of it entirely and use subtle lighting effects and/or shadows to give it depth if you feel it's needed.  Consider using layer masks to gradate the textures into complete transparency behind the logo as well.  Personally, I'd find a different font for the logo and make the first and second line equal width.  Plenty of fonts free for commercial use out there that go a long way in differentiating your mark.

Last, good branding is extremely important in developing brand recognition which is critical for a new, small business.  Then again, it's a major part of what I do for a living, so I'm biased.  Long story short, I heavily suggest having a professional draw up your logo and marketing materials as early as possible in the life of your business just as I would heavily suggest having a professional attorney draw up your photography contracts.  It's one of those things, similar to photography, where everyone thinks they're a designer but have little idea what all goes into effective design/branding/marketing.


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## RockstarPhotography (Mar 26, 2011)

Thanks for that information crashc!  I'm defiantly no graphic artist. lol.  This actually started as something simple just so I could make a templet in lightroom to print with.  I didn't really have any idea when I started where I was going with it (first mistake I'm sure).  I decided to play on the work rock and do a rock on rock type of texture.  but then i just kept going from there.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Mar 26, 2011)

Dude...you went overboard!

Side note, if you are going to print these yourself, get OpenOffice, and the Avery Business card template.


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## Robin Usagani (Mar 26, 2011)

I think you are right about business card month bitter LOL.  

Dude.. when you talk about a rockstar, I dont think of rocks..  I think of lights, guitar, booze, white powder, microphone.


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## RockstarPhotography (Mar 26, 2011)

I did try to incorporate lights into the background.


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## Bynx (Mar 26, 2011)

I think the bottom email line should stay on the bottom and center it, preferably justify it left and right. The space below that line should be the same as the space above the top line. So just move it down a bit. Your name would go above that flush left and the telephone number on the same line as your name but flush right. Right now there is a black hole on the right side and everything is crammed on the left. Im sure it will print ok on a nice glossy stock, but the only thing about it is your picture. Its more suitable for a MMA or tattooist card. There is nothing that says "Great Photographer". You might make your name larger so its the same length as the phone number then your picture will stay in the center. For now, I just moved your pic to the right to center between the space between your name and the phone number. Oh, and Photography shouldnt be longer than Rockstar.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Mar 26, 2011)

Do you have a less frightening photo of yourself?

Just sayin'


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## elevateudesign (Mar 26, 2011)

They are defiantly to busy! More times than not, simple is better. here is an example of simple to compare to yours.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Mar 26, 2011)

Simple?


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## lyonsroar (Mar 26, 2011)

^I really like that one.  Jus' Sayin'


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## elevateudesign (Mar 26, 2011)

How is that not? It is two colors, with type, no filters, no rendered lights, and no layer effects seems pretty simple to me...


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## RockstarPhotography (Mar 26, 2011)

Both of those renditions are great!.....I have some thinking to do.  



elevateudesign said:


> They are defiantly to busy! More times than not, simple is better. here is an example of simple to compare to yours.



What font is "rockstar"?


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## RockstarPhotography (Mar 26, 2011)

oh.  And all my pictures are basically lighted like that.


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## ZacFreeland (Mar 26, 2011)

With business cards, less is more.


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## HikinMike (Mar 26, 2011)

Yes, less is more. Where is your website?


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## o hey tyler (Mar 26, 2011)

RockstarPhotography said:


> oh.  And all my pictures are basically lighted like that.


 
You light all your photos the same way? That's kinda boring... Why don't you just put a lighting diagram on the card?


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## bentcountershaft (Mar 26, 2011)

Too much?  For me it is but it might be perfect for your target market.  Personally, I like the red bit of background the best and would probably try to make the whole card like that with the same lettering you have now and probably drop the pic of you altogether.  If you really want a pic, I think your submission to the monthly contest last month would be a better choice and I would move it over to the right side.  But like I said, that's just me.  The guy whose attention you're trying to get may well say, "Fu<k Yeah!  This is the kind of photographer I'm talking about!"


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## RockstarPhotography (Mar 26, 2011)

o hey tyler said:


> RockstarPhotography said:
> 
> 
> > oh.  And all my pictures are basically lighted like that.
> ...


 
I don't really do self portraits.  The only ones I have is when I was trying some lighting techniques for a mma shoot I had coming up.


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## o hey tyler (Mar 26, 2011)

Well, I know you don't specialize in "self portraits". Not many photographers who enjoy making money are professional "self portrait" photographers.


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## RockstarPhotography (Mar 26, 2011)

o hey tyler said:


> Well, I know you don't specialize in "self portraits". Not many photographers who enjoy making money are professional "self portrait" photographers.



and besides,  Thats the type of lighting I like to do. I like hard light and hard shadows.  Its why I shoot bands, and mma fighters.  Thought I would reflect that in my card.


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## elevateudesign (Mar 26, 2011)

> What font is "rockstar"?



Epoxy History


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## mitchell344 (Mar 28, 2011)

Simple is better, less is more.


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## vividdepictions (Mar 28, 2011)

I agree what most others have said that the design is too busy.

My personal recommendation is to hire someone to design logo and stationary for you. I had a guy in Canada design me a logo for $75 that I LOVE and works perfectly with my brand and for another $50 he is designing stationary to fit with the brand and a business card through elance.com.

Other then that simple is better!  good luck!


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## mishele (Oct 13, 2011)

Maybe I missed this info. somewhere in the post but what clientele are you trying to reach? If you are trying to do family portraits then yes too much. No mother in their right mind would pick you over CrazyBeautiful. But if you are trying to do Motorcross/bands this card might catch someones eye.


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## CCericola (Oct 13, 2011)

Hi Rockstar,

There are a lot of elements competing with each other instead of complimenting. I don't mind the photo, but maybe try a vertical layout. I highly recommend hiring a graphic designer. Just like professional photographers hate people belittling their skill by trying to take pictures themselves to save money, A designer hates people that belittle their training and skills just because they have a computer and Avery business card sheets.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Oct 13, 2011)

Yeah, I don't think Rockstar cares. Hasn't been around for months.

This old thread was bumped by a SPAMMER! A spammer selling, yup, you guessed it, business cards.

Isn't it funny how spammers are better at using the forum search function, than legitimate members?


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## Robin Usagani (Oct 13, 2011)

I miss rockstar


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## vtf (Oct 13, 2011)

Schwettylens said:


> I miss rockstar



He Rocked! hehe


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## mishele (Oct 13, 2011)

****....I got Punk'd again!! LOL


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## CCericola (Oct 13, 2011)




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## KmH (Oct 13, 2011)

Bitter Jeweler said:


> Isn't it funny how spammers are better at using the forum search function, than legitimate members?


 :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## jorgealarcon (Oct 16, 2011)

Looks catchy


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