How to take a photo for making business card (Page 2): If you make your own, you can fit 12 onto a standard sheet of paper. You need a printer that will do something like cover stock...

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

If you make your own, you can fit 12 onto a standard sheet of paper. You need a printer that will do something like cover stock (67 lb paper). Then you need a paper cutter to be able to cut the paper into cards neatly. Twelve 2" x 3.5" cards fill out to 8" x 10.5".

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

DirtFarmer wrote:

If you make your own, you can fit 12 onto a standard sheet of paper. You need a printer that will do something like cover stock (67 lb paper). Then you need a paper cutter to be able to cut the paper into cards neatly. Twelve 2" x 3.5" cards fill out to 8" x 10.5".

Avery makes business card stock which breaks apart cleanly - no need for the paper cutter.

Sunnely Loc: Wisconsin

csingh00 wrote:

I do real estate photography largely using Nikon D700. But donot have a clue what size/resolution of photo I should create that can be used for business cards. Shold the background be a screen, setting adjustments on the camera to simplify or just shoot in P mode, upper body ?
Then do you just send it aa card maker? ...kind of need an outline of process/ settings to follow. thnks
C J

If you have Publisher which came with bundle of Microsoft 365, you should be able to design a business card of your choosing including color background (solid, gradient, etc.), font color/styles, attach your own logo, and print as many cards as your heart desires. Costs: appropriate printing paper, color ink (I assume you have color printer), sharp cutter (or use a perforated paper that fits the size of a standard business card for ease).

See samples below.

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Sunnely Loc: Wisconsin

csingh00 wrote:

I do real estate photography largely using Nikon D700. But donot have a clue what size/resolution of photo I should create that can be used for business cards. Shold the background be a screen, setting adjustments on the camera to simplify or just shoot in P mode, upper body ?
Then do you just send it aa card maker? ...kind of need an outline of process/ settings to follow. thnks
C J

Another sample with some changes:

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Toment Loc: FL, IL

Kmgw9v wrote:

Vistaprint makes it easy.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

csingh00 wrote:

I do real estate photography largely using Nikon D700. But donot have a clue what size/resolution of photo I should create that can be used for business cards. Shold the background be a screen, setting adjustments on the camera to simplify or just shoot in P mode, upper body ?
Then do you just send it aa card maker? ...kind of need an outline of process/ settings to follow. thnks
C J

Avery has a program you can design you're on. It is simple and easy to use....avery.com. they have an online and a pc way to do it.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

csingh00 wrote:

I do real estate photography largely using Nikon D700. But donot have a clue what size/resolution of photo I should create that can be used for business cards. Shold the background be a screen, setting adjustments on the camera to simplify or just shoot in P mode, upper body ?
Then do you just send it aa card maker? ...kind of need an outline of process/ settings to follow. thnks
C J

First you need to design the business card, once you do, all the questions will be answered automatically!

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Sunnely wrote:

If you have Publisher which came with bundle of Microsoft 365, you should be able to design a business card of your choosing including color background (solid, gradient, etc.), font color/styles, attach your own logo, and print as many cards as your heart desires. Costs: appropriate printing paper, color ink (I assume you have color printer), sharp cutter (or use a perforated paper that fits the size of a standard business card for ease).

See samples below.

.

Your examples were getting 10 cards to a page with a lot of selvage. My cards were done with Microsoft Word (2003). Set the paper to Landscape orientation and generate a table with 4 rows of 3 columns set to 2" x 3.5" for the cell dimensions. That left 1/4" margin around the edge of the paper. The card is an image I did in Photoshop with the text and any photo imagery, just generated with the right aspect ratio and exported as a jpg. The jpg just got pasted into each cell in the table. And I didn't have to buy any special perforated paper.

When I did my first business cards I used card stock (120 lb) but eventually I got a new printer which did not handle that thickness so I switched to cover stock (67 lb) which went through the printer no problem.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

JohnSwanda wrote:

The card maker should be able to tell you what size/resolution/format they need. As for settings, that will depend on what type of lighting you are going to use.

Sunnely Loc: Wisconsin

DirtFarmer wrote:

Your examples were getting 10 cards to a page with... (show quote)

Good for you. Like yours, mine is just a suggestion, a DIY project the savings gained no matter how small can help in future needs.

cascoly Loc: seattle

DirtFarmer wrote:

….
When I did my first business cards I used card stock (120 lb) but eventually I got a new printer which did not handle that thickness so I switched to cover stock (67 lb) which went through the printer no problem.

it's all about quality -- paper-cutter edges on cover stock won't give you the crisp corners and feel that you need if you're presenting your business like OP does

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

csingh00 wrote:

I do real estate photography largely using Nikon D700. But donot have a clue what size/resolution of photo I should create that can be used for business cards. Shold the background be a screen, setting adjustments on the camera to simplify or just shoot in P mode, upper body ?
Then do you just send it aa card maker? ...kind of need an outline of process/ settings to follow. thnks
C J

I use Printing For Less - https://www.printingforless.com/Business-Card-Printing.html

They suggest 300 ppi and images converted to CMYK color profile. All this means is that if your image covers the entire card, it needs to be 600x1050 px or more (300x2 by 300x3.5)

Larryshuman

I use photoshop to make my cards. Both image and text. I resize the shot to 3 1/2 x 2. I save it and go to Avery.com. Once there I go to the 5871 template and load up the image. I can print it using my Epson XP-830 printer on the 5871 card stock that I buy at Office Max. Very simple and cheap.

BudsOwl Loc: Upstate NY and New England

csingh00 wrote:

I do real estate photography largely using Nikon D700. But donot have a clue what size/resolution of photo I should create that can be used for business cards. Shold the background be a screen, setting adjustments on the camera to simplify or just shoot in P mode, upper body ?
Then do you just send it aa card maker? ...kind of need an outline of process/ settings to follow. thnks
C J

I used MOO to make my cards. I sent the a series of 4x6 jpegs @ 300 ppi resolution. Their software allows you to design the other side of the card with your contact info. My latest purchase was for 500 cards (if I Romberg correctly) using 6 different images. The cards came in packs of 50 with all six images in each pack. If you would like to see an example, Send me a PM and in it include you mailing address and I will put some of my cards in an envelope and send them to you so that you can get an idea of what they do.
Bud