Hi, this is my first post here. I'm not a graphics designer, but I just play around in PS for fun. Well, here's a card I've been working on for my friend. I was trying out some new stuff, and I hate how it came out, but I don't feel like redoing it. Maybe I'll come back to it in a couple days when I feel like working on it again. What do you guys think I should change/add/do to the card?

Click me (http://www.xsentrik.com/xforum/attachment.php?s=&postid=5484)

JDub: Welcome to the board! I would love to help you out here, but I need you to post the link to the image file. I dont really want to register at a forum just to see it. ;)

Cheers.

Oops. wrong link. Sorry :D

Click! (http://www.xsentrik.com/dub/card.jpg)

Hi

First of all you should have at least a 1/8 margin all around your card as far as text goes. You will also have to extent the graphics 1/8 past the edge of the card for bleed.

Reversed text (white on dark) is harder to read that black on white but that's ok.

Your design means that these cards have to be printed full colour and if other employees need cards all four plates have to be changed instead of just one if the text was in black(or cyan magenta or yellow).

Being done in Photoshop your file will need a resolution of at least 400dpi and preferably 600dpi to keep the text crisp.

I would put the phone number on top of the fax as this is what most people will be looking for and the website under the cell. Some employees will not have a cell number and this will mean that the website has to move down on that particular card.

In the square logo I would reverse the blue and white squares. I think that would make it more obvious that it's xmg not just mg. With the x in blue and the mg in white it is not as clear.

When cards are cut the paper moves in the cutter slightly. That is why you should have the text near the edge and should refrain from putting line and other shapes near edges. It is very noticeable if a card is cut even slightly crooked when these things are close to the edge. Even a mm or 1/32 will be noticed, with 1/8 margin it's not noticeable. You could find this a problem with the honeycomb pattern.

As far as the artistic "value" of the card it would depend on what the client wants, what his competition has and what the client already has established. I'll leave that up to other people to comment on.
:)

Well it seems freaky has said pretty much what I was going to say regarding the printing aspects (although much more eloquently than I could have).

Aesthetically speaking, I find the design a bit too busy and dark. Of course I come from the school of 'simple is best' so my opinion tends to be a bit biased, and also like it was said before you should consider the target audience of the card, or the market the business is in. This card seems to have the look and feel of an autoparts (performance parts) place or racing car related type feel, more than marketing company. But then again, this may be the 'fast and racy' feel the client wishes to portray. :)

All in all though for the type of design it is its a decent looking card.

Am I the only getting 404's everywhere?

mojojojo: I am getting them too. I think they must be older posts....I think SD is using the old database from the old forum. I didn`t have to signup as it still held my details! :D