Find a local business card designer in Melbourne

Front and back layout, typesetting your details, and a print-ready file built to your printer's template. Most gigs include one or two concepts and a round of changes. You should get a print-ready PDF with bleed and crop marks plus the source file. If you need several staff versions, say so up front so the designer builds it as a template.

Legibility first. Contact details set too small or in a thin grey are the most common fault, and they defeat the entire object. Good cards commit to one idea, whether that is a strong logo, a bold colour or an unusual stock, and keep everything else quiet. Leave real margin: text crowding the edge looks cheap and risks being trimmed off.

Usually 2 to 4 days from existing brand files, including a round of changes. Add time if the logo needs redrawing as vector first, or if you are choosing a specialty finish and want to see how it sits on the design. Proofread the details carefully before you print, because a typo on 500 cards is a reprint.

You can, and for a sole trader with a clean logo it is a reasonable thing to do yourself. The risks are print setup (bleed, 300dpi, CMYK) and margins that look fine on screen and get trimmed in production. If you are ordering a small run, the design cost is low relative to the reprint you avoid.

The standard here is 90 x 55mm, which is slightly different from the US and European sizes, so do not lift a template from an overseas site. Square (55 x 55mm) and slim formats are available from most printers at a small premium. Confirm the size with your printer before the design gig starts.

Stock weight is the one people actually notice: a 400gsm card feels substantially different from a thin one and costs little more. Matt laminate resists fingerprints better than gloss. Spot UV, foil and letterpress look excellent but need artwork prepared specifically for them, so decide before design rather than after.

In Melbourne, a business card designed from existing brand files typically runs $150 to $450. A card designed alongside a new logo or with specialty finish artwork more commonly lands at $500 to $1,200. A staff template covering multiple people usually sits at the upper end. Printing is separate.

The range on this page runs from about $69 to $188 an hour. Nearer $69 is a junior designer, the middle of the band covers most gigs (an experienced designer working solo), and the top of the band is a design lead. A business card is a small job, so most gigs are quoted as a fixed price rather than hourly.

Ask whether they have supplied files to your printer's template before, and look for printed samples in their portfolio. If you want a specialty finish, check they have prepared artwork for it, since spot UV and foil need separate layers set up correctly.

Post a business card design gig in 60 seconds. Describe the work, set your budget and timeframe, and choose whether it is time-based or outcome-based. Local freelancers send a bid with a quote, you compare their profiles, portfolios and reviews, then pick the one that fits. Posting is free, so you only pay for the work.

Every gig runs on a payment schedule you both agree on up front, and every payment is held securely through Stripe. On an outcome-based gig you fund each stage before the work starts and it is released once you sign off. On a time-based gig you are charged for each month as it starts, and it is released to your freelancer once that month has been worked. No chasing invoices, and no paying for work that is not done.