Business Card Concept

[Thomas51471]

Ok, here's the deal. The concept for the business cards I am going to do for Clemmons Art & Design/Ideasintoart.net is that I am going to cut down different colored matte board to business card size. I am going to have rubber stamps made up and hand stamp each card with the stamps onto the matte board. One side will the be the artwork below. One the other side will be a more conservative layout for Clemmons Art & Design.

My questions to you are:

What do you think of the layout for this side? I want ideasintoart.net to be more on the fun/hip/charicaturish side.

Since I am going to hand stamp each card, do you think the two color layout would be too hard to do and make look right, or do you think the registration wouldn't be all that difficult?

Do you like one color or two color?

http://www.ideasintoart.net/junk/businesscard.png

Ok, let me know what ya think. I value everyone's opinion here. Thanks.

[PrintDriver]

To do the two colors you need to register your stamps.
A jig may be helpful to keep everything aligned. You'll blow a few getting the alignment right probably. But it's not impossible.

You really need the two colors for focus.

[flutterby nut]

busy...very busy...not sure which text to read first...they're competing too much...'&' is throwing me off...i read 'ideas into art & portfolio exhibit' first...or maybe 'discussion...'. 'blog' just kinda hangs there...not sure i'm explaining very well...just thoughts.

[Thomas51471]

PD,

I agree, I think it needs the two colors to direct the eye.

FN,

I know there is alot going on, that was the main reason I considered two color rather than just staying with one. Your eye is getting directed to the main things I want, which is the web address and the focus content at the site. But the fact that .net is being focused on secondarily doesn't sit too well with me. As I look at it again, the seed on the logo is sort of being muddled into everything else as well. And the "&" does link the logo into the site content discription too much as a sentence.

I'll work on it some more. Thanks for the input.

[EC]

It's busy, yes, but I think in this case it's good busy. What probably bugs me about this if there is anything, is the choice of fonts for the right side. It looks great, and I like your logo too ... but do they go well together? I really can't pinpoint it to be honest with you. How helpful was this comment? LOL

[Thomas51471]

Hey, all comments are helpful. If nothing else to let me know if in general people dig what I am doing or hate it. So far, people dig. The fonts are pretty different, but I think they look ok together and they are different enough to direct the eye to the logo then content in my opinion.

I did revise it though:

http://www.ideasintoart.net/junk/businesscardrev.png

It keeps the feel I am going for, but am not real sure it helps or hinders. It does split the logo and content and I feel it directs the eye in the way it should. But am not sure about it still. Let me know.

[EC]

I prefer the first one, the two color version. I think this last one lost some unity with the shwooshes taken out.

[flutterby nut]

i think this new version is much better...the '&' is still a problem tho...maybe...how do you want this to read anyway?...'blog discussion portfolio & exhibit'?...'blog discussion & porfolio & exhibit'?...i'm confused...can you sacrifice some swirlage to make it read a little better?...just thoughts.

[emmerse]

I immediately went to the right side with the last one. so I think its a miss.

as for the rubber stamp idea, I think its great. by why not get orange and blue cards and stamp them with black? you'll have to nail down an effective 1-color design, but it'd save you a lot of trouble in the long run.

[Thomas51471]

Thanks everyone for the comments. EC, I am still liking the first version better too.

Flutterby, I want it to read Blog discussion & Portfolio Exhibit. You're right though, the "&" is a bit awkward so I will work on the layout of that some more. I may have to take out some swirls (those are vines or grow plants by the way), I don't know.

Emmerse, thanks for the afirmation and your idea is a very good one. I had originally thought about just randomly buying any color board, but did breifly consider using specific colors - just didn't really have much of an idea why specific colors. I may work out a more effective one color design - pulling on all of the recommendations made from everyone to make the black on orange and blue board a reality.

Thanks again all and I will keep you posted.

[angerisagift]

put some space between "blog discussion" and "portfolio exhibit" and i think it will be a little more clear in that respect.....
i'd say go with the very first one and put that space in and that will be good

my 2 cents
-sean

[Thomas51471]

Ok, I did some revisions to the very first one I posted. I added the space between the lines as Sean mentioned and I also shrunk down the "&" a bit and positioned it more between the lines of text so that it now reads better (hopefully).

I also played with Emmerse's idea of one color ink on orange and blue matte board cards. But instead of a black ink I thought about going with white. What do you guys think? Is it easier to read and understand now and if so, is it as easy to read and understand in one color? Thanks.

http://www.ideasintoart.net/junk/businesscardrev2.png

[EC]

I'm feelin' it. What do you think?

[flutterby nut]

i like the present two color version best...i'm finding the white text a bit hard on the eye...i would still cut down on the swirlage (i know it's plants, but i like the word...lol)...just still seems very busy...and the little plant coming from the seed kinda gets lost...the orange swirlage overpowers it...just thoughts.

[Thomas51471]

Thanks everyone for the comments. I think I am going to stick with this layout and go with the one color on the orange and blue boards at first and see what type of reaction I get. If needed I will try the two color.

Again, thank you all for your comments. They were all very helpful, as usually, and I really appreciate them.

[Thomas51471]

Ok, Flutterby's comment about the big swirly drawing too much attention kept me thinking so I worked up a completely different layout for the ideasintoart.net side of the card. The blue layout, the Clemmons Art & Design, will be on the back side of the matte (the side that is most of the time white). I liked the drippy paint look of the CAD side so I incorporated that into the IIA side as well as played with a less busy layout for the plant growth. I will be going one color on both sides. Most likely I will stick with blue on the CAD side and then use white on either orange or blue board for the IIA side.

Ok, what do ya'll think? Better? Stick with the first idea? Thoughts? Thanks.

http://www.ideasintoart.net/junk/businesscardrev3.png

[Thomas51471]

Good lord! Ok, here is my most recent and final revision to this. I like this one best. Let me know what ya think. If there aren't any other comments that sway me I am going to stick with this and hand stamp matte board cut down to card size with white on the colored side and two color on the white (back) side.

http://www.ideasintoart.net/junk/businesscardrev4.png

[Ovaltine]

I like this one best, it's the easiest one to read, and still keeps the fun. It maintains hierarchy and it works well in one color.

Incidentally, I used the rubber stamp idea on some buisness cards in college. They were black, so I used silver ink. But the black stock I used had a nice tooth to it and the ink was fairly thin, so when I used the rubber stamp on it, I had to press harder than I would have had I used a smoother tooth (or perhaps a thicker ink). The letters became blurrier than I wanted, and were (on several cards) illegible. Just a thought for you when you choose your board, and ink.
The actual printed side was sweet though.

[Thomas51471]

Thanks for the comment and tip on the card stock and ink. I will have to keep that in mind. I really haven't thought about the stock or ink yet and was wondering how the thinner text might turn out. I may have to do some test run types of things.

By the way, I really dig your work. I took a look at your site and your stuff is top notch.

[Ovaltine]

Thanks, I think you're the first person on this board who's gone there.