When ordering business cards online, there are several choices that you have to make. For instance, should you go with a standard-sized business card – or something larger or smaller to make your brand stand out? Which paper stock should you use? How about the printing effect? For this, there are over a dozen options to choose from: textured linen, metallic, foil-stamped, brown kraft, suede, ultra-high gloss, black edge with three layers, plastic, spot gloss, and rounded corner.
Here, however, we will focus our attention on two types of soft touch business cards: suede and silk. Why are they called “soft touch” business cards in the first place? Because the printing and laminating effect on the paper stock produces a fabric-like effect that is soft to the touch. If you want to impress the heck out of your customers, you should definitely consider having silk or suede business cards made.
Next, what is the difference between suede and silk business cards? Here’s a quick look:
- Suede
The difference between suede and silk, when it comes to business cards printing, is actually very subtle. It all depends on your color palette. When designing your business card, what color is the background and the font? Are there any images or hand-drawn illustrations that you would like to highlight? Suede is perfect for card designs where a deep black is used. When viewed under bright lights, suede reflects less light as compared to silk. As such, business card designs where high-contrast colors are required may opt for that luxurious suede, fabric-like effect.
- Silk
Just like the fabric, silk business cards feel smooth and silky to the touch. Both suede and silk cards are finished with a matte laminate after printing to create that fabric-like effect. Silk printing has been around longer than suede, so it has a more classic feel to it. Suede has a richer, velvety texture while silk is a lot sleeker and smoother. Color-wise, silk reflects more light than suede so keep that in mind when using high-contrast hues for the background or font.
As compared to plain, uncoated cards, silk or suede business cards give off that ultra-luxurious vibe. When having cards printed out for your business, you should definitely consider going for these fabric-like textures.
