Full production: metal
Stainless steel, laser cut through. It's heavy, it rings when it lands on a table, and it lasts.
From 230 USD for 5
About 3 weeks after proof approval
Explore metal business cards
Design ideas · Business cards
Cool & Unique Business Cards
Cards people keep, photograph and pass around, because the object itself is the idea.
Cool, unique business cards are memorable because of the object, not the slogan: a shape cut to your product, steel, frosted plastic or wood, a finish that moves in the light, or a chip that taps to a phone. Ours start at 105 USD for 100, proofed by a person, shipping in 3–4 business days on our Standard line or about 3 weeks for Custom builds.
Holographic foil from 105 USD for 100 · custom shapes from 215 USD for 250
Our Standard line ships in 3–4 business days after proof approval (estimate); Custom builds take about 3 weeks.
- Most unusual for the money
- Custom die-cut shape, from 215 USD for 250
- Fastest
- Holographic foil on soft-touch, from 105 USD for 100, ships in 3–4 business days
- Heaviest
- Stainless steel, from 230 USD for 5
- Taps to a phone
- NFC in plastic, metal or wood, from 149 USD for 25
- Lead time
- Standard ships in 3–4 business days after proof approval (estimate); Custom about 3 weeks
- Proof
- Free digital proof, checked by a person, on every order
Unusual business cards we've actually made
Clever business cards aren't clever because of a pun. They're clever because the card is something: the key to a house, the blade a barber uses, the can the beer comes in. These are interesting business cards real clients ordered, each with the spec that made it.
Tony Ortiz Barber Studio: a card cut like a razor blade
Custom die-cut · matte black stock · tone-on-tone gloss script both sides · white contact type
Sellstate Altitude Realty: the agent hands you a house key
Custom die-cut house key · full colour both sides · agent photo in the bow
BERO Brewing: a card in the silhouette of the can
Custom die-cut · black uncoated 32pt · matte gold foil · green pigment foil · clear gloss foil
Edler Family Farms: skin on one side, flesh on the other
Organic die-cut to a sweet potato outline · full colour both sides
Fandom: an opaque plastic card with one see-through shape
Frosted plastic · opaque white flood knocked out at the logo · mark printed on the reverse face · rounded corners · no die cut
Minor Figures: steel, PVC and a playlist
1.26 mm hybrid: 0.5 mm stainless + 0.76 mm PVC · silkscreen Pantone 1665 C and 2635 C · NFC chip in the PVC layer
Strategic Tax Solutions: a card that looks like the money it recovers
Banknote-style print, clearly not currency · full colour · details on a clean reverse
Haddad's: every line in holographic foil
Holographic hot foil, both sides · matte black stock · emblem and all type in foil
Infinited Fiber: a business card cut like a clothing tag
Triplex 100% recycled cotton, two white sheets around a red core · swing-tag die-cut with punched hole · blind emboss
Piping Concepts: a trade card built from its colours
Three uncoated sheets, blue / orange / white · orange core on every edge · copper foil front, blue foil back
Edge Mobile Sharpening: a card you can't lose in a drawer
Fluorescent orange stock · raised high-gloss coating on the roundel · portrait
The R.A.F.T.: cut like a sticker
Die-cut around the illustration with a white outline border · booking details on the reverse
Sandpaper Sweet: linework in foil, colour on the back
Holographic and violet hot foil on matte black · full-colour painting on the reverse
Design explorations
Design exploration · Print Peppermint
Forty-one ways to cut steel
Stainless, black, brushed gold-tone and copper metal · laser engrave, laser cut, enamel fill
Design exploration · Print Peppermint
Where the antenna goes (NFC in metal, plastic, wood)
Design exploration · Print Peppermint
Eight woods, one laser
0.6 mm solid wood · cherry, maple, beech, bamboo, sapele, walnut, birch, basswood · laser engraved
Design exploration · Print Peppermint
Plastic, past the gift card
Three ways to make a card nobody throws away
We'd price the boldest version first, then scale back to what you need. Here are the three paths we recommend most, from steel down to the fastest one we make.
Our pick: a custom die-cut shape
The most unusual card for the money. Cut the card as your product or your symbol and the shape does the talking.
From 215 USD for 250 on 16pt silk · 300 USD on 32pt cotton
About 3 weeks after proof approval
Start your shape in the StudioYour die is made for your outline; reorders of the same shape skip the design work.
Essential: holographic foil
Rainbow foil that shifts as the card moves, on a soft-touch card, on our Standard line.
From 105 USD for 100
Ships in 3–4 business days after proof approval (estimate)
Order holographic cards"If your budget only stretches to one unusual thing, make it the shape. People keep a card that's a key."
What a cool card feels like in the hand
Steel lands with a click and sits cold in your fingers, about as heavy as a few coins. Frosted plastic bends slightly and lets the light through your thumb. A 32pt colour-core card shows a thin stripe of colour on every edge, like the filling in a sandwich. Holographic foil looks silver until you turn it, then the rainbow runs across it. A die-cut card makes people trace the outline before they read a word.
The three ways unusual cards go wrong (and how we avoid them)
We'll tell you when an idea won't survive production, before you've paid for it.
The shape that snaps.
Thin necks, sharp inside points and cantilevered tabs bend in a wallet or tear on the first day.
Our fix: we check every die line at proof, round inside corners to at least 1.3 mm and keep cuts 3 mm apart. If a point is too thin, we tell you where.
The gimmick that hides the details.
A card that's all concept and no phone number gets kept and never called.
Our fix: one side does the idea, the other side does the business. We'll push back if both sides try to be clever.
The render that can't be made.
A mockup can show foil on steel, a gradient in foil, or colour on clear plastic with nothing behind it. None of those print the way they look.
Our fix: every Studio concept follows our production rules, and a person rebuilds and proofs your file before anything is cut.
Unique business card materials
Paper is only one option. Unique material business cards change how the card feels before anyone reads it. Each one makes an attractive business card for a different reason, and each has one thing it can't do.
Metal
Stainless steel, about the size of a credit card and noticeably heavier. We laser engrave, etch, colour-fill or UV print it, and we can cut shapes clean through. Sleek, durable, and it survives a wallet for years. What it can't do: foil stamping, letterpress and embossing are paper processes, so a "foil look" on steel is a polished or colour-filled engraving instead.
Clear and frosted plastic
Waterproof, flexible and half see-through. Frosted plastic diffuses whatever is behind it; clear plastic shows it all. Colour on clear or frosted needs a white layer printed behind it or it reads as a tint, and plastic can't be embossed. Our Standard line ships plastic in 3–4 business days after proof approval, from 136 USD for 100 in white.
Die-cut shapes
Any outline up to 3.5 × 3.5 inches, cut by a steel-rule die made for your shape. Keys, leaves, cans, tags, a vegetable. Tight inside corners get a small radius and thin points need enough width not to snap; we check the die line at proof. See the shapes we stock and their sizes in our business card shapes guide.
Holographic and colour-shift foil
A rainbow film pressed on with heat. On black it reads as bright silver that breaks into colour as the card tilts. It needs a smooth surface to throw that rainbow; on textured cotton it softens. Like all foil, a gradient in your artwork becomes one solid tone. Sandpaper Sweet, a tattoo artist, is one of our artist business cards.
Wood
Real wood sheet, laser engraved, so the mark is burned in rather than printed on. Every card has its own grain. Warm and light in the hand. Very fine hatching blurs on the softer woods, so we'd draw it bolder, and no two cards are identical, which is the point. From 335 USD for 100.
NFC (tap to share)
A small chip and antenna inside the card open your link when someone taps it with their phone. Plastic is the simplest build; in metal the chip needs a plastic or pocketed section, because solid steel blocks the signal. From 149 USD for 25 in plastic, 229 USD for 25 in metal.
Fun business cards that still do the job
Novelty business cards work when the joke is about the service. A tax-credit firm's card printed like a banknote is funny, and the joke is the pitch. A farm's card shaped like its sweet potato gets shown to the next person at the market.
They stop working when the gimmick hides the phone number. A strange card nobody can call from is just strange. Every fun card on this page keeps one side plain and readable, and that's the rule we'd hold you to as well.
See it on your design
Upload your logo and see a concept on a real build in minutes: cut to a shape, in steel, frosted, in foil. It's a concept, not a proof. A person rebuilds the file and checks it before anything is made. Good-looking business cards start with seeing your own mark on them.
Upload your logo
Design exploration
"Atelier North"
Brushed stainless, compass mark cut through.
Design exploration
"Elena Marco"
Frosted plastic, white flood with a see-through monogram.
Design exploration
"Ostrander & Vale"
32pt cotton triplex with a teal core, die-cut as a tag.
How much do unique business cards cost?
| Build | Quantity | From | Lead time | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holographic foil on soft-touch | 100 | 105 USD | ships in 3–4 business days | Order |
| White plastic (Standard; frosted 181 USD, clear 207 USD) | 100 | 136 USD | ships in 3–4 business days | Order |
| Custom plastic (foil, white ink, black) | 250 | 260 USD | ~3 weeks | Order |
| Custom die-cut shape, 16pt silk | 250 | 215 USD | ~3 weeks | Order |
| Custom die-cut shape, 32pt cotton | 250 | 300 USD | ~3 weeks | Order |
| NFC in plastic | 25 | 149 USD | ~3 weeks | Order |
| NFC in metal | 25 | 229 USD | ~3 weeks | Order |
| NFC in wood | 50 | 299 USD | ~3 weeks | Order |
| Laser-engraved wood | 100 | 335 USD | ~3 weeks | Order |
| Stainless steel metal | 5 | 230 USD | ~3 weeks | Order |
| Colour-core triplex, foil, steel + PVC hybrids | any | Get a price | ~3 weeks | Ask in the Studio |
Most "unique" cards cost more because of tooling, not material: a shape needs its own cutting die and each foil colour needs its own stamping die. That setup is paid once per run, which is why 500 of a shaped card cost far less per card than 100.
Which unusual card is right for you?
| Feel | Durability | From | Lead time | Best for | Watch out for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Die-cut shape (paper) | Familiar paper, unfamiliar outline | Good; thin points can bend | 215 USD / 250 | ~3 weeks | Brands with a strong symbol or product shape | Card holders and wallets: keep it within 3.5 in |
| Metal | Heavy, cold, rigid | Excellent | 230 USD / 5 | ~3 weeks | Small runs for people you really want to keep | No foil or letterpress; QR codes scan best on matte, not mirror |
| Frosted or clear plastic | Smooth, flexible, light passes through | Waterproof, very good | 181 USD / 100 (frosted) | ships in 3–4 business days | Salons, spas, events, anything that gets wet | Colour needs white behind it; no embossing |
| Holographic foil | Paper card, light that moves | Good | 105 USD / 100 | ships in 3–4 business days | The fastest unusual card | Looks softer on textured stock; gradients go flat |
| Wood | Warm, light, grainy | Good; avoid soaking | 335 USD / 100 | ~3 weeks | Natural, craft and outdoor brands | Every card differs; fine detail needs bolder lines |
| NFC | Same as its material, plus a tap | Same as its material | 149 USD / 25 | ~3 weeks | People who want contacts saved, not typed | Metal builds need a plastic window for the signal |
| A standard white card | Forgettable | Fine | see classic cards | ships in 3–4 business days | Large volumes where nobody keeps the card | That's the problem this page solves |
How we make your unusual business cards
1
Brief or configure.
Pick a build above, or upload your logo in the Studio and say what you want the card to be.
2
Proof.
A person checks your file and the die line, then sends a digital proof. Nothing is cut or printed until you approve it.
3
Approve.
You sign off the proof and, if there's a custom shape, the die line.
4
Production.
Standard ships in 3–4 business days after approval; Custom builds take about 3 weeks. These are estimates: if you have a date, tell us before you order.
5
Ship.
Free shipping within the continental US.
If you're not happy, we reprint.
Feel them first.
Order the sample pack (8 USD, with a 10 USD credit on your first order).
Talk to Austin.
Austin, our founder, still takes the calls. Bring your idea, and he'll tell you which version is worth making.
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.
Cool and unique business card questions
What are some of the coolest business cards?
The really cool ones are an object rather than a printed rectangle: a card die-cut as a house key for a realtor, a barber's card cut as a razor blade, a brewery's card in the shape of its can, a frosted plastic card with only the logo left see-through, or a steel card with the mark cut clean through. They're the most unique business cards in any stack because the shape or material says what the business does before anyone reads it.
What makes a business card stand out?
One unexpected physical thing, done well: an unusual shape, a material like metal, plastic or wood, a finish that changes in the light, or a colour hidden in the card's edge. One is usually enough. Stacking four effects makes a card look busy, not memorable. Keep one side plain and readable so the card still does its job.
How much do unique business cards cost?
Holographic foil cards start at 105 USD for 100 on our Standard line. Plastic starts at 136 USD for 100. A custom die-cut shape starts at 215 USD for 250 on 16pt silk. NFC cards start at 149 USD for 25 in plastic, and stainless steel at 230 USD for 5. Every order includes a free proof checked by a person.
Can a business card be any shape?
Almost. We cut custom business card shapes up to 3.5 × 3.5 inches with a steel-rule die made for your outline. Inside corners get a small radius, cuts need to stay about 3 mm apart, and thin points need enough width not to bend. Anything bigger than a business card, like a tag or a mailer, is quoted as its own job.
What unique materials can business cards be made from?
Besides paper and cotton, we make cards in stainless steel, frosted, clear and white plastic, real wood, and hybrids like steel bonded to PVC. Paper itself can be unusual too: fluorescent stock, dyed-through black, recycled cotton, or three sheets bonded around a coloured core. Any of these makes for rare business cards in a stack of white ones.
What is replacing business cards?
Phones, mostly, for swapping contact details. That's why NFC cards exist: the card still gets handed over, and a tap opens your link or saves your contact. People still keep a physical card that's worth keeping, which is the whole case for making yours unusual.
What is a common mistake on unique business cards?
Letting the idea hide the information. A shaped or novelty card that has no room for a readable phone number gets kept and never used. The second most common mistake is designing something a printer can't make, like a gradient in foil or colour on clear plastic with nothing behind it. We check both at proof.
Are metal or plastic business cards durable?
Yes. Stainless steel lasts for years in a wallet, and plastic is waterproof and flexible, so neither bends or stains the way paper can. On metal, colour sits on the face rather than painted on the cut edge, because paint chips off steel edges. If a card has to survive a job site, a kitchen or a pool deck, either beats paper.
How long do unusual business cards take?
Our Standard builds (holographic foil, plastic) ship in 3–4 business days after proof approval, and Custom builds (die-cut shapes, metal, wood, NFC, layered cotton) take about 3 weeks after proof approval. Transit is extra time on top. These are estimates; if you have an event date, tell us before you order and we'll say honestly whether it's realistic.
Can I see my own logo on a unique card before I order?
Yes. Upload your logo in the Studio and you'll see a concept on a real build, such as a die-cut shape, steel or frosted plastic. It's a concept to help you decide, not a proof. A person rebuilds your file for production and sends a proof before anything is made.