Choosing a business card comes down to three things: the shape, the paper stock, and the finish. Graphics Design Media prints every option below in-house at our Las Vegas shop, so this guide covers what each term actually means, no jargon left unexplained, and links you straight to whichever card you want to order.
Every Business Card Style We Print
Classic & Everyday: the cards most businesses start with: full-color printing, fast turnaround, no gimmicks.
- Standard Business Cards: our most-ordered card, available in 14pt or 16pt stock.
- 14pt Business Cards: a slightly thinner, budget-friendly stock.
- 16pt Business Cards: the industry-standard thickness for a substantial feel.
- Folded Business Cards: extra room for a map, menu, or second location.
Shape & Cut Specialty: die-cut into a shape that makes your card impossible to lose in a stack.
Foil & Metallic Finishes: shine and dimension that catches the light and the eye.
- Raised Foil Business Cards: a single foil color with raised texture.
- Dual Raised Foil Business Cards: two foil colors on one card.
- Foil Worx Business Cards: full-color print plus foil accents.
- Akuafoil Business Cards: a flatter, budget-friendly foil effect.
- Pearl Metallic Business Cards: a shimmering pearl-finish stock.
- Raised Spot UV Business Cards: thick, glossy raised ink (not foil, but similar impact).
Want the full breakdown of how each foil option is made and how they compare side by side? Read Foil Business Cards: The Complete Guide.
Unique Stocks & Textures: cards you choose by how they feel as much as how they look.
- Painted Edge Business Cards: a solid color painted along the card’s edge.
- Black Edge Business Cards: thick 32PT stock with a black-painted edge.
- Linen Uncoated Business Cards: a textured, fabric-like uncoated stock.
- Natural Business Cards: an eco-friendly, uncoated natural stock.
- EnduraACE Business Cards: a waterproof, tear-resistant synthetic stock.
- Magnetic Business Cards: sticks to any metal surface.
- Plastic Business Cards: clear, durable 20PT plastic.
- Brown Kraft Business Cards: a rustic, uncoated kraft stock.
- Suede Business Cards: a soft, velvety laminate finish.
- Silk Business Cards: a smooth, elegant laminate finish.
Paper Types & Stock Weights, Explained
Two different measurement systems show up on our product pages, and they measure different things:
- PT (point): a direct measurement of thickness, in thousandths of an inch. 14PT and 16PT are the two most common business card thicknesses; 32PT (used on our Black Edge card) is roughly double the thickness of a standard card.
- LB (pound): a paper industry weight measurement, used mostly for uncoated and specialty papers like our 100LB Cover Linen stock. Higher numbers generally mean a heavier, sturdier sheet.
- C2S stands for “coated two sides”, a smooth coating applied to both faces of the sheet before printing, which is what most of our standard and specialty cards (14PT C2S, 16PT C2S) are built on.
- Uncoated stocks (like our Natural, Brown Kraft, and Linen options) have no coating at all, giving a more matte, tactile, and often eco-friendly feel.
- Synthetic stocks like EnduraACE (a waterproof polyester-based material) and Plastic (clear PVC) aren’t paper at all, they’re built for durability in wet or heavy-use environments.
Coating & Finish Types, Explained
- No Coating: a natural, matte, uncoated feel, easy to write on, no glare.
- Aqueous Coating: a water-based coating that adds a light protective sheen without much added gloss.
- UV / Gloss Coating: a high-shine, liquid coating cured under UV light for maximum protection and pop.
- Spot UV: a thick, glossy UV coating applied only to specific design elements (like a logo), leaving the rest of the card matte for contrast.
- Raised Spot UV: the same idea as Spot UV, but built up thicker so you can feel the raised texture under your fingertip.
- Foil Stamping: a thin layer of metallic (or matte) foil pressed onto the card under heat, often combined with a raised texture, see our Foil Business Cards guide for the full rundown of foil options.
- Suede & Silk Laminates: a soft-touch or smooth plastic film laminated over the card for a distinct feel that also adds durability.
- Edge Painting: ink applied to the raw edge of a thick card stock (used on our Painted Edge and Black Edge cards) for a color pop most competitors don’t offer.
What Do 4/4, 4/0, 5/1, and 5/5 Mean?
These numbers describe how many ink colors print on each side of the card, written as front/back:
- 4 = full-color printing (the four CMYK process inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, black).
- 1 = a single ink color, almost always black.
- 0 = no ink at all, that side is left blank.
- 5 = full color plus one extra “hit,” such as a spot UV coating, foil stamp, or a spot color, layered on top of the four process inks.
So in practice: 4/4 means full color on both sides (our most popular setup). 4/0 means full color on the front only, with the back left blank. 4/1 means full color on the front with a black-ink-only back (handy for simple text on the reverse). 5/1 means full color plus a special finish (like foil or Spot UV) on the front, with a black-only back. 5/5 means full color plus that special finish on both sides, the most premium (and most expensive) combination.
How to Choose
Start with how the card will be used: everyday networking usually calls for a Classic & Everyday option; a design-forward brand benefits from a Foil, Metallic, or Shape & Cut card; and a durable, weatherproof need points toward EnduraACE or Plastic. Still not sure? Request a free quote and tell us what you’re going for, we’ll recommend the right stock and finish for your budget.
Browse every option at once on our Business Cards hub, or go deeper on foil finishes specifically in Foil Business Cards: The Complete Guide.
