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lopcc59788386
Participant
July 12, 2019
Answered

Printing Business Cards on an Office Printer

  • July 12, 2019
  • 3 replies
  • 1078 views

I am creating several business cards, but have zero budget to print them professionally. As a result, I have to print them in-house on our office printer.

Is there a way to set up an InDesign template to account for the 1/4" gripper when printing?

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Correct answer Randy Hagan

Sure. I can help you with that ...

Here's a couple of great tutorials on how to build an individual business card:

https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-a-great-business-card-in-10-steps--cms-29303

How to create a business card in InDesign CC 2017 - YouTube

Once you create that card, you can set up a second InDesign document to print it 10-up, or 10 cards at a time on a single letter-sized sheet of paper. Copy and paste your single-card design, use InDesign's Edit>Step & Repeat menu command to place 10 of them on the page, then print it:

https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/quick-tip-how-to-impose-business-cards-for-digital-printing-with-indesign--vector-…

(the examples offered use metric measurements and a larger sheet to create 24 Euro-sized cards on a larger sheet, but the lessons apply to set up 10 cards 2x5 on a 10-up sheet)

Demo: Creating an 8-UP Business Card Template - YouTube

(this talks about setting up 8 cards, or 2x4 on an 8-up sheet)

One last trick to share: laying down toner to print your cards is pretty fragile, so laying down a shellac over your printed card forms before you cut them protects the cards. Experiment with a can of cheap hair spray to apply a thin cover coat above the toner you put on the cards. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Hope this helps,

Randy

3 replies

Randy Hagan
Community Expert
Randy HaganCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
July 12, 2019

Sure. I can help you with that ...

Here's a couple of great tutorials on how to build an individual business card:

https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-a-great-business-card-in-10-steps--cms-29303

How to create a business card in InDesign CC 2017 - YouTube

Once you create that card, you can set up a second InDesign document to print it 10-up, or 10 cards at a time on a single letter-sized sheet of paper. Copy and paste your single-card design, use InDesign's Edit>Step & Repeat menu command to place 10 of them on the page, then print it:

https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/quick-tip-how-to-impose-business-cards-for-digital-printing-with-indesign--vector-…

(the examples offered use metric measurements and a larger sheet to create 24 Euro-sized cards on a larger sheet, but the lessons apply to set up 10 cards 2x5 on a 10-up sheet)

Demo: Creating an 8-UP Business Card Template - YouTube

(this talks about setting up 8 cards, or 2x4 on an 8-up sheet)

One last trick to share: laying down toner to print your cards is pretty fragile, so laying down a shellac over your printed card forms before you cut them protects the cards. Experiment with a can of cheap hair spray to apply a thin cover coat above the toner you put on the cards. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Hope this helps,

Randy

jane-e
Community Expert
Community Expert
July 12, 2019

I agree with Bob about using Moo.

If you are going to print the business cards yourself, however, you will probably buy Avery business cards and they will have a number on them.

Here is the link to the free download for Avery Business Cards # 5371: Avery .

Then click the Application you want and download the template.

~ Jane

BobLevine
Community Expert
Community Expert
July 12, 2019

Check out moo.com. If you have no budget for them, you have no budget for paper or ink / toner.