Business Card Printing in 2026: Standard, Premium, Spot UV, Raised UV or Foil?

16 October 2026 · 6 min read · Colorbourne Graphics, Melton

A business card is the smallest thing we print and the one people agonise over most, because it is the one physical object a customer takes away from a meeting. We print six versions. Here is what each one is, who it suits, and how to choose without paying for a finish nobody will notice.

Standard

Full-colour print on a good card stock, 90 by 55 millimetres. This is the right card for most businesses: trades, cafes, shops, services. It is crisp, it is cheap in quantity, and you can write on the back. If you are not sure, start here.

Premium

The same print on a heavier, better-feeling stock. The difference is in the hand, not the eye: a premium card feels substantial when it is handed over. Professional services, consultants, agents and anyone whose price point is high choose this one. It is the best value upgrade of the six.

Spot UV

A glossy clear coating applied only to chosen areas, usually the logo or the name, over a matt card. In the hand the logo catches the light and the rest stays flat. It is subtle, it photographs badly and it feels expensive in person. Designers, salons, architects and brands with a strong logo use it.

UV raised

Spot UV built up so the coated areas stand proud of the card: you can feel the logo. More noticeable than flat spot UV and a step up in price. Works best on simple shapes and bold type; fine detail gets lost in the thickness.

Gold foil and silver foil

Metallic foil stamped onto the card, on the logo, the name or a border. Foil is the finish people remember, and it is the real estate industry's favourite for a reason: it signals that the agency spends on presentation. Gold reads warm and traditional; silver reads modern and pairs with blues and greys. Foil needs clean artwork, so give us the logo as a vector file.

How to choose

You hand out a lot of cards: standard. Quantity matters more than finish.
You sell something expensive or advisory: premium, and consider foil on the logo.
Your logo is the brand: spot UV or raised UV on the logo over a matt card.
You are a real estate agent: gold or silver foil. Your competitors already have it.
People need to write on the card: keep one side plain and uncoated, whatever you do on the other.

Three things that matter more than the finish

First, the artwork: a logo supplied as a vector file and type no smaller than seven points. Second, the content: name, what you do, phone, email, website, and nothing else; a card is not a brochure. Third, the proof: we send one by email before every print run, and the expensive mistakes are caught there, not after five hundred cards arrive. Every finish is priced on its product page by quantity, and the price includes delivery in metro Melbourne.

Quick answers

What size is a standard business card in Australia?

Ninety by fifty-five millimetres. Our template for the standard card is on the product page; design to it with three millimetres of bleed so nothing important sits at the edge.

How many cards should I order?

Enough for a year. The price per card falls steeply with quantity, and details rarely change inside twelve months. If you expect a new phone number or address, order less and reprint.

Can I have a different finish on each side?

Spot UV and foil are applied to chosen areas, so yes: a foil logo on the front and a plain back for writing on is a common and sensible choice.

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Need a quote? Call 1300 722 583, email sales@colorbourne.com.au or use the contact form.

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