Plastic card design is one area of the promotional process where people can make a lot of mistakes. There are many reasons why these mistakes occur. Several of these follies are so common they’ve earned a nickname among marketing professionals. They are known as the seven deadly sins. Obviously, not as well-known as their namesake, but these seven missteps can be a promotion killer.

Plastic Printers would like to take this opportunity to:

• Tell you what these sins are.

• Show you how they apply to plastic cards Help you avoid making or repeating these mistakes Let’s get started.

Meet the Seven Deadly Sins of Plastic Cards

The goal of plastic cards is two-fold:

1.To produce a call to action whether it’s in the form of a lead, web traffic or a sale.

2. To show return on the investment (ROI) This is true of every card be it:

• A gift certificate
• Plastic business card
• VIP Membership Card
• Key tag

A lot of designers and developers loose site of that right out of the gate, which brings us to sin number one.

Sin One: Losing Sight of the Goal. Believe it or not this is pretty easy to do. After all, that’s why it made the list. When it’s done right, the design process is painstaking. Trying to fit the core idea and brand of the company together can cause some designers to put blinders on. While it’s good to focus on this element; if you don’t take those blinders off and remind yourself of the goal, you can lose sight of it completely.

Sin Two: Creating promotional imbalance. Attention-getting colors, graphics, and text placement should send a promotional message. A successful call to action must have both a message and a motivation. Without both pieces, you’ve left a customer stuck on one side of the sales ravine or the other. Balance builds the bridges that lead to revenue. Design with a customer response in mind and use colors and messages that attract them.

Sin Three: Forgetting that busy equals dizzy. When your canvas is a plastic card you need to keep an eye on the parameters you’re working with. This is not a pamphlet or a banner; it is a hand-held promotional tool. Avoid collages, busy backgrounds cramming information onto every bit of free space. Plastic cards are sleek, interesting and different all on their own. Let this unique point of interest stand out.

Sin Four: Forgetting the back. In interior decorating, they like to say that the ceiling is the fifth wall so don’t forget to paint it. Well, with plastic cards it’s the same rule-different application. In fact, these cards generate a lot of customer interest. When people see the clarity on the front of the card, 9 times out of 10 they flip it over to see what’s on the back. Don’t disappoint your target demographic. Put address information, a continued design element, and/or a QR Code on the back. It will strengthen your ROI.

Sin Five: Skimping on the Printing. Businesses are on the lookout for ways to synch their bottom line. Cost-effective solutions are one thing; low-quality problems are another. Your plastic cards are an extension of your promotional image. Don't waste money on a cheaper print job. It may be done quickly, but that doesn't mean it will be done right. Poorly maintained machines can leave pitting or dust particles on the card which show through after it's printed. Trust your cards to Plastic Printers and they'll be pristine right off the presses.

Sin Six: Relying on machine-cut cards. Machine-cut cards are another short cut. Cards that are machine stamped are mass-produced with no guarantees. Large portions of your order could be misprinted, off center, or uneven. Cards from Plastic Printers are quality-checked by press employees and guaranteed.

Sin Seven: Not asking for help. The most common sin of all is not asking for help. Our expert design teams can be with you every step of the way. All you need do is ask, and you'll have direct access to all the help you need. We'll keep working with you as long as it takes to get your order just right.

If you're in the market for plastic cards to promote your business; don't risk making these classic mistakes. Make the right move and contact Plastic Printers for a quote at www.plasticprinters.com