Folding business cards are one of the top trends in business card design today.

They’re designed to fold down to the size of a standard business card, so they fit easily into a regular wallet or card holder, but have twice the space to fill. You can choose between the long fold, which will look like a mini greeting card, or the short fold, which allows it to stand upright and unfold into a long bookmark. There’s also the offset fold where the front is shorter than the back and reveals the bottom information panel both open and closed. Well designed, all of these formats can be attractive, functional and cutting-edge, but there are also pitfalls to be avoided.

advantages
You get a lot of extra space to include more information about products or services. You can add images, maps and all kinds of details inside the fold, even turning your cards into double-duty mini-brochures.

The fold makes the cards stand up on their own so they can stand up and stand out on a tabletop display, making them much more noticeable and eye-catching than ordinary flat cards.

This format allows for many creative design ideas and turns your business cards into useful gifts that people may want to keep longer. Consider printing a reference guide relevant to your business in between: perhaps a weights and measures conversion guide; keyboard shortcuts list; a calendar; a planting guide; a color chart, anything your contacts would like to put on a desk or kitchen counter for long-term reference.

You may prefer this format just because it allows for a lot of white space inside for scribbling notes. Some people print on the outside and leave everything inside blank, especially in a business where the personal element is important. You can then scribble a Twitter handle, blog address, and personal cell phone number inside before handing it over—whatever information is most relevant to that particular contact, making your conversation more memorable.

cons
Folding business cards can get too cluttered as you try to pack as much information as possible into a relatively small space. Don’t forget the main business card design mantra: less is more.

These cards will cost more than ordinary business cards: effectively, they are twice the size and require twice the printing and design, as well as scoring for the fold. Consider whether you are saving money on other flyers and informational materials by having extra space inside; It could still be profitable if it saves you the printing and delivery of various other pieces of printed paper.

At twice the size, they’re twice the volume, so you’ll have to carry more weight in your pocket to keep the same number of cards on hand – a small consideration, but one worth remembering if you like to travel light.

Similarly, if you go the eco-friendly approach, they may not be your best option: they use twice the amount of cardstock and ink, so even if you choose recycled cardstock and natural vegetable inks, you’re doubling the amount of resources. used on their business cards.

If you decide to go for a fold, make sure your designers make the most of it, so you really stand out from the crowd.