Create a business card

Open the supplied sample file, business-card-design_START.indd. Our sample business card uses standard US dimensions: 3.5 in. x 2 in. For Europe and elsewhere, use 55 mm x 85 mm. With nothing in the document selected, you can see the document settings in the Properties panel on the right.

You’re viewing the front of the business card in Normal mode which lets you see non-printing objects like margins and text frames. Press the W key to switch between Normal and Preview modes — the Preview mode hides the distracting non-printing objects.

Press the W key to return to the Normal mode.    

Choose File > Place and navigate to the supplied logo-color.ai file. Click Open.

With your cursor loaded with the logo art, click at the intersection of the top and left margins and drag a rectangular frame.

To resize the logo and frame proportionally, with the Selection tool selected in the Toolbar, press Command+Shift (macOS) or Control+Shift (Windows) and drag a corner point.

If you need to move the logo, click the frame with the Selection tool and drag it to the desired position on the page.

Select the Type tool in the Toolbar.

Highlight each line of text individually and replace it with your own text. These steps maintain the font, text layout, and text styles.

Although the text is already formatted, you can customize it by changing various settings in the Character section of the Properties panel.

To format an entire text frame, select the text frame with the Selection tool.

Click the down-facing arrow next to the font name and select a font installed on your computer or click Find More to find and activate an Adobe Font. 

To format some text differently, select it with the Type tool and try changing up the look.

• Select your name, and then click the All Caps button in the Properties panel. Increase the font size to make it stand out.
• Select your title and practice changing the font and font style. 

Now you’ll finish the back of the card. Click the tab for the Pages panel or choose Window > Pages. Double-click the page 2 thumbnail to show it in the document window.

Select the black rectangle with the Selection tool and click the Fill Color box under Appearance in the Properties panel. Select a color swatch — you may have to scroll to see all the colors we provided.

Next, you’ll place another logo using what you learned earlier.

Choose File > Place and navigate to the supplied logo-white.ai file. Click Open.

With the loaded cursor, drag a rectangular frame somewhere on the colored rectangle. Press Command+Shift (macOS) or Control+Shift and drag a corner point on the frame to resize proportionally.

Now, you'll position the logo.

Drag the logo to the center until you see intersecting Smart Guides that help you align your logo precisely.

Choose File > Export > Adobe PDF (Print) and click Save.

In the Adobe PDF Preset menu, change the following:

Choose either the High Quality Print or Press Quality options, based on your print provider's recommendations.

Select the Marks and Bleed Marks category and:

• Select Crop Marks and Bleed Marks in the Marks section.
• Select Use Document Bleed Settings in the Bleed and Slug section.

Click Export to save a print-ready PDF that you can email or upload online.

Note: Since the background runs to the edge of the paper, the sample file is saved with a bleed. The bleed extends the design slightly beyond the page edges so that no white edges show up when the cards are printed and trimmed. See How to set a print bleed to learn more.

Nailed it! Now you can practice working on more identity projects — view Create a letterhead and an envelope.