Design exploration
Design ideas · Business cards
Less ink, more impact. A minimal card lets the paper and the press do the talking.
A minimalist business card carries one idea per side: usually a mark or name on the front and the details on the back, with nothing decorative. The effect comes from the paper and the process: blind emboss, one-ink letterpress on cotton, or a single foil mark. Ours start at 52 US$ for 100, proofed by a person.
Soft-touch from 113 US$ for 100 · letterpress on cotton from 340 US$ for 250
Soft-touch ships in 3–4 business days; letterpress and emboss take about 3 weeks. Both after you approve your proof (estimates).
Templates make minimal cards look easy. Printing them is where they live or die: a hairline that vanishes in foil, a pale grey that disappears into cotton. These minimalist business card designs all made it through the press. Some people call them simple and elegant business cards; we'd call them confident.
White cotton · blind emboss, set vertically near the bottom edge · one sentence and contacts in black on the back
48pt triple-thick bright white cotton · two-level blind emboss from a sculpted brass die · name in Cool Gray 11 letterpress · blank back
Duplexed cotton · letterpress in PMS Black 7 C, both sides · no foil, no second colour
Duplexed Colorplan Ebony (dyed-through black) · blind deboss type · metallic cyan foil · every visible thing is an impression or a foil
Off-white 100% cotton · large blind emboss of the name · small black letterpress details
Red metallic foil wordmark centred on black · bilingual details on the back
Deep navy uncoated · brushed silver foil monogram front · white foil details on a navy back
Charcoal stock · gunmetal foil key, dark straight on, silver at an angle · black letterpress on white cotton for the person
Matte black · logo in clear gloss varnish, visible only at an angle · white back with red web line
32pt bright white cotton · script blind debossed, then rose gold foil registered into the impression · blush Pantone back
Bright white stock · black type · copper foil tab bleeding off the edge and one copper ampersand
Textured uncoated · a letter C built from a gold foil half-disc and a thin black stroke · spaced black capitals
Bright white 100% cotton · two-colour letterpress · PMS-matched red painted edge
Black uncoated · yellow gold foil, single printed face · rounded corners
Design exploration · Print Peppermint
Adriatic duplexed to China White, blind letterpress only
Design exploration · Print Peppermint
China White, blind engraving, no colour at all
We'd price the most tactile version first and scale back from there. All three keep the design to one idea a side; what changes is how much the paper does.
Full production: the impression
No ink on the front at all. Your mark is pressed into thick cotton and shows only as light and shadow.
From 350 US$ for 250 · 48pt, a letterpress back or a painted edge: Get a price
About 3 weeks after proof approval
Build a blind emboss cardOur pick: one-colour letterpress on cotton
One ink, pressed into soft cotton so every line has a bite you can feel. The best value for a card that has to feel considered.
From 340 US$ for 250 on 48pt cotton (32pt also available) · add a painted edge for 40 US$
About 3 weeks after proof approval
Start your letterpress cardPrinting both sides? We bond two sheets so neither impression shows through; your quote shows whether that adds cost.
Essential: soft-touch, one dark ink
A velvety laminated card in one dark colour. Flat, quiet, and the fastest minimal card we make.
From 113 US$ for 100
Ships in 3–4 business days after proof approval
Order soft-touch cards"A minimal card has nowhere to hide. If the paper is thin, everyone notices."
Minimal business card design starts with the paper, then the layout. These are the rules our designers check at proof.
A boring business card is a thin, glossy rectangle with everything crammed on one side. A minimalist one takes things away so the rest gets noticed: the weight of the paper, a mark you can feel, one colour that matches your brand exactly.
The difference is all in production. Strip the design back on a 14pt digital card and you get an empty card. Strip it back on 32pt cotton with a pressed mark and you get the card people run their thumb across.
Pick up a 32pt cotton card and it's about as thick as a credit card, but soft at the edges rather than sharp, and warmer in the hand. Run your thumb across a letterpress line and you feel a shallow groove where the ink was pushed in. A blind emboss rises under your fingertip; tilt the card and its shadow moves. Soft-touch is smoother, almost like suede.
Cotton comes in bright white, natural white (slightly warm, the raw fibre) and ivory. Many people call the warmer two "beige". Same texture; it's a brand-feeling choice.
We'll tell you when a detail won't survive the press, before you've paid for it.
Fine detail survives foil: we design to 0.15 mm and adjust only lines under 0.1 mm; embossed strokes under 0.5 mm don't cast a shadow.
Our fix: we measure at printed size, preserve the mark, and agree any below-floor adjustment at proof.
A blind impression on black or dark paper is very quiet; it reads only when the light rakes across it. That's lovely for a mark, and a problem for a name someone needs to read.
Our fix: if it has to be read, we add foil inside the impression, or move it to a light sheet.
Emboss or deep letterpress on a single sheet leaves a mirror image on the reverse, right where your contact details go.
Our fix: we bond two sheets (duplex) when both sides carry something, or keep the back clear behind the mark.
And if you're picturing white ink on black cotton: ink sinks into dark uncoated paper. We use white pigment foil instead, which stays opaque.
An inked plate pressed into soft cotton, pushing the ink below the surface with a soft edge. One colour costs least; each extra colour is a new plate and a new pass. It's beautiful on type and fine lines, and splotchy on big solid areas, so keep large fields of colour for foil or the paper itself.
The paper is pressed between two metal dies. Emboss raises the mark; deboss sinks it. "Blind" means no ink or foil, just shape and shadow. Strokes need 0.5 mm and type 10 pt to read. On a single sheet the back carries a mirror of the shape. See also blind deboss letterpress cards.
A metal or pigment film pressed on with heat and a die. One small mark in foil reads as more considered than a card covered in it. Matte foils glare less than mirror foils at reading angles. A gradient in your artwork becomes one solid tone.
A velvety matte laminate over the printed card. It mutes colour slightly and feels like suede. It can't be embossed or letterpressed (the film is too stiff), but it takes foil and raised clear gloss well.
Smooth, no shine, our least expensive card, from 52 US$ for 100. Fine for a minimal layout when the budget is tight; it won't give you the weight or the texture of cotton.
32pt is about the thickness of a credit card and where a minimal card starts to feel deliberate; 48pt is dramatic. A painted edge adds one line of colour around the card, the only decoration some minimal cards need. See painted edge business cards.
Upload your logo and see it pressed, debossed or foiled on cotton in minutes. It's a concept, not a proof: a person rebuilds your file and checks every stroke before anything is made.
Upload your logo
Design exploration
"Halden"
Blind deboss asterisk on 48pt white cotton, name in grey letterpress.
Design exploration
"Atelier North"
One-ink black letterpress on natural white cotton, painted black edge.
Design exploration
"Ostrander & Vale"
Dyed-through black cotton, single matte silver foil monogram.
| Build | 250 cards | Lead time | Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matte, one ink | 58 US$ | 3–4 business days | Order |
| Soft-touch, one ink | 121 US$ | 3–4 business days | Order |
| 32pt thick, one ink | Get a price | ~3 weeks | Ask in the Studio |
| One-colour letterpress, 48pt cotton (32pt also available) | 340 US$ | ~3 weeks | Order |
| … plus a painted edge | + 40 US$ | ~3 weeks | Order |
| One foil mark, 32pt cotton | Get a price | ~3 weeks | Ask in the Studio |
| Blind emboss, cotton | 350 US$ | ~3 weeks | Order |
| 48pt, multi-level emboss, duplex | Get a price | ~3 weeks | Ask in the Studio |
Minimal costs more than you'd think for how little is on it, and here's why: letterpress and emboss pay for plates, dies and press setup before the first good card comes off. After that each card is cheap, so 500 often costs far less per card than 250.
| What you see | What you feel | From (250) | Lead time | Best for | Watch out for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blind emboss on cotton | A mark in light and shadow | Raised shape under the fingertip | 350 US$ | ~3 weeks | Designers, architects, studios | Barely reads on black; mirror on the back of single-ply |
| One-ink letterpress | Crisp ink sitting slightly below the surface | A groove along every line | 340 US$ | ~3 weeks | Most minimal cards (our pick) | Big solid areas mottle; light ink won't show on dark paper |
| One foil mark | A single flash of metal | Smooth, with a slight bite on cotton | Get a price | ~3 weeks | A logo that should catch light | Lines under 0.1 mm break; gradients go flat |
| Soft-touch, one ink | Flat, muted colour | Velvety | 121 US$ | 3–4 business days | Fast, tidy, affordable | No emboss or letterpress on laminate |
| Matte, one ink | Flat colour | Ordinary paper | 58 US$ | 3–4 business days | The tightest budget | It's thin; the minimal look can read as plain |
If your idea of modern simple business cards is darker and shinier, tone-on-tone is the move: a black logo in clear gloss on matte black that appears only at an angle, or a gunmetal foil on charcoal. These modern minimalist business cards sit between this page and our modern business cards.
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Pick a build above, or upload your logo in the Studio.
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A person checks every stroke at its printed size and sends a digital proof. Nothing prints until you approve it.
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Soft-touch and matte ship in 3–4 business days; letterpress, emboss and foil on cotton take about 3 weeks; both after proof approval. These are estimates; if you have a date, tell us before you order.
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Free shipping within the continental US.
If you're not happy, we reprint.
Order the sample pack (8 US$, 10 US$ credit on your first order).
Austin, our founder, still takes the calls. He'll tell you honestly whether your card needs letterpress or whether soft-touch will do.
Print Peppermint is a specialty print studio founded by Austin Terrill. It makes foil, letterpress, metal, plastic, NFC and cotton cards, wedding stationery and packaging, proofed by a person.
A card with one idea per side and nothing decorative: usually a logo or name on the front and contact details on the back, lots of empty space, and one colour or none. Because there's so little on it, the paper and the printing process carry the effect, which is why minimalist cards are often letterpressed or embossed on thick cotton.
Your name or mark on the front. On the back: your name, role, one phone number, one email and your website. Leave out the slogan, the second phone number and the list of services. If people need more, the website has it.
Matte cards start at 52 US$ for 100 and soft-touch at 113 US$ for 100, both shipping in 3–4 business days after proof approval. One-colour letterpress on 48pt cotton (32pt also available) starts at 340 US$ for 250, and a blind emboss on cotton at 350 US$, both in about 3 weeks. Every order includes a free proof checked by a person.
Cotton, if the budget allows. It's soft enough to take a letterpress or emboss impression you can feel, and it comes in bright white, natural white and ivory. 32pt is the sweet spot; 48pt is dramatic, and it's our standard letterpress stock (32pt letterpress is also available). Soft-touch is the best faster option: velvety, but it can't be embossed.
Yes. A blind emboss or deboss presses your mark into the paper with no ink or foil, so it shows only as light and shadow. Some of our clients run cards with nothing printed anywhere: impressions plus a single foil. It reads beautifully on white cotton and very quietly on black.
Put one idea on each side, let the paper colour do the contrast, use one colour or none, keep text at least 3 mm inside the edge, and size type for the process: 7 pt or more for foil and letterpress, 10 pt for embossed type. Then choose the paper before the font.
Only if it's printed on thin, glossy stock. On a thin card, taking things away just leaves an empty card. On thick cotton with a pressed mark, the restraint is the point, and people notice the weight and texture before they read anything.
They don't need to be, but it helps more than any other upgrade. 16pt works with a single ink. 32pt (about as thick as a credit card) takes a deeper emboss or letterpress bite, and when it's built from two bonded sheets the impression doesn't show on the back.
Minimalist is about restraint: one idea, one colour, and the paper doing the work. Modern is about current finishes: raised gloss, tone-on-tone patterns, dark stocks, square shapes. They overlap in modern minimalist cards, such as a black card with a gloss logo you only see at an angle.
Matte and soft-touch ship in 3–4 business days after proof approval. Letterpress, emboss and foil on cotton take about 3 weeks after proof approval, plus shipping time. These are estimates; tell us your date before you order and we'll say honestly whether it works.