Even if your business operations and communications happen online, knowing how to network remains crucial for entrepreneurs and ecommerce store owners. Connecting in person with peers, customers, and partners creates co-marketing opportunities, builds community, and can take your business to the next level.
Physical business cards are a time-honored tradition of in-person networking. They’re a great way to share your contact info, project a professional impression, and create connection. If you only need business cards for a few in-person events a year or you’re looking to save on costs, here’s how to make business cards at home.
What are business cards?
A physical or digital business card is a small, purpose-built card with a person or company’s important information—including contact details, website address, and type of business. Business cards tell professional contacts or potential clients who you are and what you’re selling. You may also include social media links or additional brand details on your card.
While a professional printing service can create business cards in bulk, you can easily and cheaply make custom business cards at home with readily available resources such as a home printer, cardstock paper, and free business card makers or templates.
What you need to make business cards at home
If you want to make a great first impression with DIY business cards, you’ll need a few things to get started:
Design software
Popular graphic design tools, like Photoshop or InDesign, let you make a custom business card design with nearly infinite customization options. You can also save time using a ready-made template from online software like Canva or Vistaprint. With Shopify’s business card maker, a free automatic card designer, you can add a logo or QR code and print your final design in minutes.
Cardstock
Cardstock paper is the most common and effective way to print custom business cards at home. Cards may appear different on varying paper weights. For example, 100-pound (12-point) cardstock is economical for business cards, while thicker options like 14- and 16-point stock offer a more premium feel. (A pound measurement refers to the weight of 500 sheets of a given paper size, and point measurement refers to individual sheet thickness, with each point representing 1/1,000 of an inch.)
You can also make your business cards stand out or convey a specific impression with alternative paper stock, such as matte, glossy, textured, or recycled. Additional finishes, like embossing or foil stamping, add extra flair, but make sure they align with your brand identity to avoid mixed messaging.
Printer
An inkjet or laser printer can print business cards at home, but some have limitations. Most home printers can handle a maximum cardstock thickness of 100 pounds, though some may only be able to do 80 or 90. Before you start creating your business card design, check your printer settings to verify you have color and double-sided printing to ensure your design ideas work with your printer.
Paper cutter
Use a paper cutter to get sleek, professional edges after the printing process. If you own an electronic cutting machine, like Cricut, you can create a simple cutting pattern to guarantee easy and perfectly aligned cards. If you don’t have a paper cutter, use perforated business card paper from a business supply store, which you can fold and gently pull apart in just a few minutes.

Free Brand Guide Template
You’ve built a strong brand. Keep it consistent across all your channels with our detailed brand guide template.
How to make business cards at home
- Determine what information to include
- Lay it out in design software
- Test the printer and cardstock
- Print in batches
- Cut
Follow these steps to print business cards at home and make a lasting impression on new contacts:
1. Determine what information to include
Most business cards have important details like your brand name, logo, website, industry, and phone number. Your own business cards for personal use can include information like your name, title, contact details, and available services.
Create custom business cards for specific circumstances to ensure your information is relevant to the recipient. For example, if you’re attending a design conference, you could include creative graphics that demonstrate your abilities, and use Shopify’s QR code generator to create links to your portfolio.
2. Lay it out in design software
Save time and ensure you have a strong layout with a business card template. A blank template often has customization options that let you add your brand colors or upload a logo as a PNG file.
If you’re creating business cards with software like Photoshop, keep design fundamentals in mind. Choose the correct design elements—like a brand-relevant color scheme and fonts—and ensure you keep all details within the bleed area (the outer edge that extends past your final design). When designing, include some light crop marks so you know where to cut after printing.
An automatic card designer, like Shopify’s business card maker, lets you skip the design guesswork.
3. Test the printer and cardstock
Always check your printer settings and print a test page before printing large batches of cards. Calibrate your inkjet or laser printer by cleaning the printing heads and checking the ink levels.
Ensure the color on your test page looks clear and crisp on your chosen cardstock and materials by comparing against your original design. If you have a double-sided design, the printing process may require reorienting to ensure nothing ends up upside down, so be sure to test it first.
4. Print in batches
Rather than print all your business cards at once, separate them into batches in case of error. For example, if you plan to print 250 pages of business cards, start by doing the first 50 to see how they turn out.
With a laserjet printer, the ink should be dry right when you print, but if you print business cards on an inkjet printer, let them stand and dry for several minutes before you handle them.
5. Cut
With your business cards printed, you can now use a paper cutter to cut them out, following your crop marks as guides. If you’re using pre-cut paper with perforations, pull them apart carefully.
How to make business cards at home FAQ
What tools do I need to make my own business cards?
To make your own business cards at home, you’ll need cardstock paper, a paper cutter for clean edges (or perforated business card sheets), and an inkjet or laser printer. You can use design software or online business card templates to create business cards with your information and branded elements.
Can I use a regular printer to print business cards?
Yes, you can use a regular printer to create business cards at home at a low cost—but you may face some limitations. For example, not all printers have color printing or double-sided printing capabilities, and the maximum paper weight they can handle is typically 100 pounds. For thicker cards, you may need to place an order with a professional printer.
What kind of paper do you use for business cards?
For DIY business cards, a standard 100-pound cardstock will give you high-quality prints with a hefty feel and durable quality—much better than regular printing paper. Thicker options like 14- and 16-point stock also offer a more premium feel, but test a sheet with your printer to ensure it can handle it. If you don’t have a paper cutter, you can find perforated cardstock for easy tear-away cards.