PCB business card - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: VEGETA
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2018, 05:20:24 pm
content: Dear friends,I wanna make a PCB business card using KiCAD, I won't put my real-life details here... but I will make an example of a card for my channel Thundertronics.please see the picture in attachments and tell me your opinion and suggestions! I wanna make it gold finish (supported by JLCPCB so no worries about money) to look good...looking forward to your opinion!

author: VEGETA
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 06:33:02 am
content: I think I will use this design, but I need to get ideas from everyone else since it is my first time doing pcb business cards

author: hsn93
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 06:53:02 am
content: i've seen pcb as key chain was circular from a pcb fab company as gift (and it had contact details). so its key chain business card. it was nice idea.

author: VEGETA
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 08:04:30 am
content: Quote from: hsn93 on December 24, 2018, 06:53:02 amnot a bad idea really, but won't serve me here as i want a traditional business card. do you think mine above is good?

author: hsn93
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 08:15:31 am
content: QuoteEDIT: i just read your topic yeah, its for video tutorial. so:and since you have logo, maybe you can stuck it in the pcb.i would probably put few traces and some small QFP-chip on the side of that business cardthat's all from me.

author: VEGETA
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 08:28:02 am
content: Quote from: hsn93 on December 24, 2018, 08:15:31 amThe example I posted here is for my youtube channel but I will make one for my real contact, I just didn't want to post my details online.

author: soldar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 09:11:53 am
content: You might want to rethink this. I don't think people hang on to business cards at all and they end up in the trash in short order. They may scan them or transcribe the information but the card itself goes to the trash.

author: TomS_
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 09:27:42 am
content: Quote from: soldar on December 24, 2018, 09:11:53 amMy manager is the only person I know with a large collection of physical business cards.I dont tend to hang on to them, usually just taking the details and adding them to a contact on my phone. Got enough other crap floating around as it is.As an attention grabbing exercise, perhaps as part of a job application/interview it could be an interesting idea - if the card did something (i.e. contained active electronics).

author: VEGETA
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 09:45:38 am
content: I am doing it for fun and because it is a new idea here... so not too serious. I won't make 1000 of them! just 10-20 as a test, then probably would make a better one with LEDs and touch lighting feature, but that is for another day.Is there any design recommendation you could give?

author: soldar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 10:37:08 am
content: Quote from: TomS_ on December 24, 2018, 09:27:42 amI would not use it for such purpose as it might backfire by making you look a bit weird or trying too hard to stand out.In my professional life I have given out and received many promotional items/gadgets but they were not business cards. They had to do something useful or would be in the trash within minutes. Miniature keyring flashlights, miniature keyring utility knives, usb pendrives, etc. And chances are the guy will say "cool" and hand it to his children as soon as he gets home.I don't think people would hang on to a useless PCB business card or that it would make a good impression for a moment. As they say "This and $3.00 will get you coffee at Starbucks". Come to think about it, better make your card a gift card which has some value somewhere. Even then most people will still ditch it.

author: chrisl
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 10:40:15 am
content: If you want people to keep your card put some useful info on the backside of the card such as all the footprints of commonly used SMT parts.

author: VEGETA
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 01:15:31 pm
content: guys, you are over-complicating it ^__^. I have a read traditional paper business card that I barely gave 5 of them, so I am not trying to impress anyone... it is just for fun and trying things out. I don't think I can make a gift out of it, maybe for the next time.Putting smt footprints on back is good advice, but I won't take it here. I will take it when I make a PCB ruler for sure, thanks for reminding me.I guess for business card, the front should be like in my picture but with my real name instead of channel name. Also, my work phone and email...etc.what about the back?I could put my company logo and name in the back... also in gold, how about that?I will make 10 of these as a test but the next version will be something like a card with 2 pads... if you grab it, it will light some LEDs. So it would have a small battery + ICs in the back.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 01:23:08 pm
content: Quote from: soldar on December 24, 2018, 10:37:08 amDecades ago I received an aluminium business card (with text screen printed on it). I kept it for a while until it fell into an open PC which was on. Fortunately no sparks but the aluminium card went straight into the trash.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 01:57:13 pm
content: If you want people to keep it you gotta make it useful. e.g. Do a uRuler Lite and put rulers for various SMD and connector pin pitches round the edges, with gold pads at the pitch, so its easier to match up. Put the fine ones on the short sides and the coarser ones on the long sides. Mark every fiftth pin and number every tenth with Imperial or Metric (depending on the pitch) total distance from 0 beside it bracketed.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2018, 02:56:34 pm
content: You could also make the backside some sort of SMD prototyping board (with 1.27mm pitch pads for instance with maybe a few standard footprints in between such as SOT23...)Then it could stand a chance to actually get some use and not end up in the trash bin!