When it comes to print advertising, choosing the right material is important. Unlike digital ads which can only be viewed from a screen, printed materials like brochures, business cards, notepads, envelopes, and rack cards are tangible. They can be seen, held, and felt by the recipient. If you will use thin cardboard material for a business card, for example, imagine the disappointment that a potential business partner would feel. Your goal should be to impress the client right away, so use premium materials for rack card printing.
Tips for Choosing the Right Material
There are many offset or digital online printing service providers from where you can order rack cards. These are designed to be prominently displayed in rack cards or brochure cases so they should be attention-grabbing enough. The first thing that they will notice from afar is the design, so make sure to use colors that pop. However, you should still incorporate the hues which are present in your business logo to make a solid marketing statement. For the content, rack cards have lesser space than brochures but more space than postcards or business cards – making them perfect for advertising one-time events, for example. Don’t forget to include your contact information and a call-to-action when writing the copy for the rack card.
The next thing that a person will notice once they pick up the rack card is the feel of the material. Check out these tips for choosing the right paper:
- The card should have 50% the thickness of a credit card. The typical paper stock used is 16-pt. or 17-pt. A rack card should be able to stand on its own, yet still be handy enough to fit in a jeans back pocket – so the thickness of the paper is important.
- There are two sizes available: 3.5” x 8.5” or 4” x 9”. You can choose either one since there’s only a slight difference.
- For the finish of the card, you can go with a matte or a glossy finish. Depending on the design and the colors use, a matte finish will make your rack cards look elegant and sophisticated. For an even more luxurious, fancy look, go with a glossy finish. This is perfect if you have HD photographs included in your rack cards layout. Restaurant rack cards can be made with a glossy finish for that full, mouth-watering impact.
If you still have more questions about your options for the material of the rack cards, you can always ask your chosen online printing service provider.
