Design exploration
Design ideas · Business cards
Contemporary cards that change as they move: gloss you see at an angle, one sharp accent, colour hidden in the edge.
Modern business cards swap extra ink for finishes that change as the card moves: a clear gloss pattern you only see at an angle, one accent in foil, colour in the edge, a square or notched shape, or a chip that taps to a phone. Contemporary cards start at US$ 84 for 25, proofed by a person.
Square cards from US$ 84 for 25 · raised gloss on black soft-touch from US$ 121 for 100
Standard ships in 3–4 business days; Custom builds take about 3 weeks. Both after you approve your proof (estimates).
Most of these look quiet in a photo and come alive in the hand. Tilt them. That's the point of a modern card: it rewards the second look.
Deep navy · ZA monogram repeated in clear spot gloss · white foil logo · white back with one navy rule
16pt matte black silk · spot UV varnish repeat across the front · white ink on the back (two hits)
Matte black · diagonal spot gloss stripes · white monogram with a red bar · red painted edge
Matte black · white foil capitals · the I split into red, green and blue foil, registered side by side · bilingual pale grey back
Duplex: black front, white back · crosshair monogram in white foil · black type on the white side
Bright white · black lens rings · raised high-gloss coating on the roundel · crop-mark frame and QR on the back
Direction A: black uncoated 32pt, gloss black foil and deboss in one hit, matte silver foil text, metallic orange foil edge · Direction B: 32pt soft-touch, flat spot UV, PMS 804 neon painted edge
White stock · oversized chevrons in black and gold foil · a gold double-chevron replacing the O
Black uncoated · blue holographic / iridescent foil for the monogram and type · monogram-only back
Triple-thick 48pt black soft-touch · signature-script logo in rose gold foil · two rose gold rules on the back
Charcoal stock · rounded M badge and name in brushed silver foil · light grey back with green labels and fine rules
Custom notched die · 16pt silk matte laminated · two colourways (white with a navy pattern, navy with full gold foil)
Black uncoated · rounded corners · orange foil for the logo · silver foil for the accent and all contact details
A raster relief logo rebuilt as vector so it can be letterpressed and embossed · shading carried by line weight, one ink
Design exploration
Flat spot UV as an all-over hatch pattern, invisible face-on and glossy at a rake
Design exploration
Red-core triplex
We'd price the full build first and scale back. Each of these keeps the design simple and lets one finish do the moving.
Full production: true black, pressed and edged
48pt black cotton, your mark debossed with white pigment foil, and a foil edge that flashes when the card turns.
Get a price
About 3 weeks after proof approval
Build it on black business cardsEdge foil on cotton is checked by our press team before we promise it. Square or rounded corners.
Our pick: a raised gloss pattern on black soft-touch
Velvety black with a clear gloss pattern you can feel and only see when it catches the light. Modern, tactile, and on our Standard line.
From US$ 121 for 100 · on white or colour from US$ 105 for 100
Ships in 3–4 business days after proof approval
Start your gloss patternWe keep raised gloss to about a third of the card so the cards don't stick together in the box.
Essential: a square card
Simple modern business cards: one shape change, one clean layout. 2.5 × 2.5 inches.
From US$ 84 for 25
Ships in 3–4 business days after proof approval
Order square business cards"Modern isn't more. It's one finish that does something when the card moves."
Black soft-touch feels like suede and drinks the light. Run a fingertip across a raised gloss pattern and you feel each line as a tiny ridge, like the edges of a coin. A 32pt card with a painted edge sits about as thick as a credit card, and the colour shows as a fine line when you look at it side-on. Foil on dark paper is cool and smooth, and flashes when the card moves.
We'll tell you when a finish won't behave, before you've paid for it.
A black design printed on white paper shows a white line on every edge. It looks cheap the moment someone holds it sideways.
Our fix: we use paper that's black all the way through (its edge can be foiled, never painted), or paint the edge of the printed card.
Spot UV on an already glossy card barely shows: you pay for a coat nobody sees.
Our fix: gloss goes on a matte surface (soft-touch, silk or cotton), where the contrast does the work.
Cover more than about a third of the card in raised coating and the cards stick together in the box, and the pattern stops feeling special.
Our fix: we keep raised areas modest and tell you at proof if the art needs trimming back.
A modern business card is simple on the surface and rewards a second look: a gloss pattern that appears when it's tilted, one sharp accent of foil, light type on dark stock, colour hidden in the edge, an unexpected shape, or a chip that taps to a phone.
Clear gloss laid on a matte card in a pattern: a monogram repeat, diagonal stripes, a halftone. Straight on, the card looks plain. Turned, it shimmers. Raised gloss adds height you can feel. It shows best on a matte surface: soft-touch, silk or cotton. See the spot UV guide.
A single coloured letter, one foil chevron, one copper mark. Current business cards use colour like a signal, not a background. Each foil colour is its own die and pass, so one accent also keeps the cost down. Holographic foil works too, on smooth stock.
White or silver on black or charcoal. On dark paper, light ink sinks in and looks chalky, so we use white pigment foil, which stays opaque, or a metallic foil. Black soft-touch takes raised gloss for a tone-on-tone mark.
A painted edge or a coloured core in a layered card puts one line of colour around the whole card. It's the detail people find a second later. Edge foil works with square or rounded corners; a painted edge can follow a rounded one too, which our press team confirms first. On black or dark stock the edge is foiled, not painted.
A 2.5-inch square is the simplest move. A custom notched or rounded outline goes further and becomes part of the brand. A square stands about 3/8 inch taller than a credit-card slot, so it won't sit flush in a standard holder.
A chip inside the card opens your link when someone taps it with a phone. It answers the question of what's replacing business cards: nothing, the card just does both. In metal, the chip needs a plastic window because steel blocks the signal.
Upload your logo and see it as a gloss pattern on black, in foil, or on a square card, in minutes. It's a concept, not a proof: a person rebuilds your file and checks every finish before anything is made.
Upload your logo
Design exploration
"Studio N."
Triplex white/black/white with a black core line on the edge.
Design exploration
"Elena Marco"
Black soft-touch, monogram repeat in raised clear gloss.
Design exploration
"Atelier North"
Square white card, one holographic foil dot.
| Build | Quantity | From | Lead time | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square, 16pt silk | 250 | US$ 107 | 3–4 business days | Order |
| Flat spot UV on silk | 500 | US$ 125 | 3–4 business days | Order |
| Raised gloss on soft-touch | 250 | US$ 140 | 3–4 business days | Order |
| Raised gloss on black soft-touch | 250 | US$ 156 | 3–4 business days | Order |
| Raised foil on soft-touch | 250 | US$ 145 | 3–4 business days | Order |
| Triplex black core, 32pt | 500 | US$ 126 | 3–4 business days | Order |
| True black 16pt, foil | 250 | US$ 195 | ~3 weeks | Order |
| Custom spot UV (flat UV, default stock; cotton available) | 250 | US$ 245 | ~3 weeks | Order |
| NFC in plastic | 25 | US$ 149 | ~3 weeks | Order |
| 48pt black, foil + deboss + foil edge | 250 | Get a price | ~3 weeks | Ask in the Studio |
The Standard builds are fixed menus at fixed prices. The Custom builds pay for dies and setup before the first card comes off the press, so larger runs cost far less per card.
| What you see | What you feel | From | Lead time | Best for | Watch out for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raised gloss pattern | A pattern only at an angle | Ridges you can feel | US$ 140 / 250 | 3–4 business days | Our pick for most modern cards | Keep it under about a third of the card |
| Flat spot gloss | Shine against matte | Nothing | US$ 125 / 500 | 3–4 business days | Larger runs on a budget | Invisible on gloss stock |
| One foil accent | A flash of metal or colour | Smooth, a slight bite on uncoated | US$ 145 / 250 (raised) | 3–4 business days to ~3 weeks | A logo that should catch light | Lines under 0.1 mm break; gradients go flat |
| White on dark | Crisp light type on black | Smooth foil | US$ 195 / 250 | ~3 weeks | Tech, finance, creative studios | Printed white on black paper looks chalky; we use pigment foil |
| Square shape | A different outline | Familiar paper | US$ 107 / 250 | 3–4 business days | The simplest modern move | Won't sit flush in standard holders |
| NFC | Looks like its material | Same, plus a tap | US$ 149 / 25 | ~3 weeks | People who want contacts saved | Metal needs a plastic window for the signal |
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Pick a build above or upload your logo in the Studio.
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A person checks every finish layer against your art and sends a digital proof. Nothing prints until you approve it.
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Standard ships in 3–4 business days; Custom builds take about 3 weeks; both after proof approval. Estimates: tell us your date before you order.
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Free shipping within the continental US.
If you're not happy, we reprint.
Order the sample pack (US$ 8, US$ 10 credit on your first order).
Austin, our founder, still takes the calls. He'll tell you which finish suits your mark, and which one isn't worth paying for.
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.
Simple on the surface, with one thing that rewards a second look: a gloss pattern that appears when the card tilts, one accent in foil, light type on dark stock, colour in the edge, a square or custom shape, or an NFC chip. One idea per side, generous space, and a finish that does the work instead of more ink.
The modern directions we print are tone-on-tone gloss on matte black or navy, single foil accents, white foil on dark stock, coloured cores and painted edges, frosted plastic, metal, and NFC cards that tap to a phone. All of them trade printed decoration for a physical effect.
Fewer words and more material. Contact details move to one clean side; the other side carries a mark in foil, gloss or an impression. Thicker stocks, dark papers and NFC chips are common, and many cards are designed to be photographed as well as handed over.
Square cards start at US$ 84 for 25, flat spot gloss at US$ 125 for 500, and raised gloss on soft-touch at US$ 105 for 100, all shipping in 3–4 business days after proof approval. Custom builds such as true black with foil start at US$ 195 for 250 (16pt) in about 3 weeks. NFC starts at US$ 149 for 25.
Phones handle the contact swap, and NFC cards bridge the two: you still hand over a card, and a tap opens your link or saves your details. A printed card that's worth keeping is still the thing people remember you by.
Using too many effects at once. Gloss, foil, a shape and a painted edge on one card cancel each other out. The other common mistake is a black design printed on white paper, which shows a white line on every edge. Pick one finish, and use paper that's black all the way through (with a foiled edge if you want one).
In practice, nothing: both mean a current, simple design with a finish that does the work. "Contemporary" is the word designers and architects tend to use. Either way, it's the opposite of a busy, all-over-printed card.
Minimalist is about taking things away, often a single ink or a blind impression on cotton. Modern is about current finishes, often on dark stock: gloss patterns, foil accents, shapes, NFC. A black card with a gloss logo you only see at an angle is both.
On the papers people ask about, yes: soft-touch, silk and cotton all take it. It shows best against a matte surface. On a glossy card it barely shows, so we'd steer you to a matte stock instead.
Our Standard line (square, spot gloss, raised gloss, raised foil) ships in 3–4 business days after proof approval, and Custom builds take about 3 weeks (true black, custom spot UV, NFC). Shipping is extra. These are estimates; tell us your date before you order.