Interesting - I didn't know those card cutters existed. I used the Staples ivory stock for printing Club membership cards every year on our color laser. They came out ok, and since I laminated them, the edge was irrelevant. No question, though, that you can get better plain stock in bulk, with a lot more choices in color, weight and finish, from paper companies.
However, how does the price for having cards offset printed in those large quantities compare with your total costs - time, printer toner and paper - for doing them yourself? I'd think the breakeven quantity would be relatively low - in the few thousands or so.
I suspect that once one gets into the thousands, having business cards printed is the way to go. Plus, there's that nice raised ink. At the same time, one loses the flexibility of homebrewed business cards.
My sense is that buying one's own machines, such as business card cutters, saddle staplers, or binding machines, tends to pay off.
I did a quick check on Vistaprint. My cards are 2 sided, color. In quantity (5,000) they would be $28.60/thousand.
My inkjet goes through a set of all colors in 6 weeks, black more frequently. I use that printer for shipping labels, cards and labels. That is $36 in ink for all purposes in 6 weeks. I would guess business cards are 20% of that printing. Probably use 400 cards in that time- so about 1.8 cents per card, plus the (new) card-stock is 1.28 cents each. Total $30.80/thousand.
Bumping up my ink estimates by 50% would not even put the cards over 4 cents apiece.
Close enough to the Vistaprint pricing, without the hassles.
You bastard! Never sent me a fucking card. Oh no, lets not send cards to the Old Dominion which is too close to those fucking retarded congress critters... no way.
Nope. Nary a one. I still have your address and account info handwritten on the side of the fridge. Kid may have grabbed some. No big deal, just yanking your chain. But next time I buy would be nice to get one, or when you send me a birthday card. ;-p
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However, how does the price for having cards offset printed in those large quantities compare with your total costs - time, printer toner and paper - for doing them yourself? I'd think the breakeven quantity would be relatively low - in the few thousands or so.
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My sense is that buying one's own machines, such as business card cutters, saddle staplers, or binding machines, tends to pay off.
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My inkjet goes through a set of all colors in 6 weeks, black more frequently. I use that printer for shipping labels, cards and labels. That is $36 in ink for all purposes in 6 weeks. I would guess business cards are 20% of that printing. Probably use 400 cards in that time- so about 1.8 cents per card, plus the (new) card-stock is 1.28 cents each. Total $30.80/thousand.
Bumping up my ink estimates by 50% would not even put the cards over 4 cents apiece.
Close enough to the Vistaprint pricing, without the hassles.
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Mind you, you do have a point, you are in the middle of Stupid Land...
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