Autograph and business cards are the memories that your fans, the producer, the label or radio and television presenters take away from you. They don’t just serve as “mementoes” but can also be collector’s items. Therefore it is all the more important to pay special attention to the design.

A few considerations to the design criteria are listed here:

1) The format

Autograph and business cards are often seen in standard formats. Autograph cards often have DIN A6 format (high), business cards usually come in 85 x 55 mm format (landscape or portrait). Many online printing services offer these cards in the usual way. The advantage of such standard formats is that they can be inserted seamlessly into larger collections, fit into standard cases and are therefore available when required. The disadvantage, however, is that this does not create a unique selling point. If you want to attract attention, you have to stand out. This is also and especially true for your cards. Of course not only the size can be varied, but also the form. A square business card already catches the eye through its shape … A round autograph card all the more. Technically this is no problem – the catch is rather the increased production costs (special formats) – and here a round format is again clearly more cost-intensive than any rectangular format. On the other hand, not every format that stands out is equally useful. A jagged star certainly catches the eye and is something special, but it is put into your pocket twice, the corners are bent or torn off and the “signboard” for you has become a battered shred paper. That can’t be in your interest. In this respect, formats with pointy and narrow corners are not recommended.

2) Printed on one or both sides?

The front side of your cards should be clear and concise. So if you absolutely want to store a lot of information, the back is suitable for this. It should be borne in mind that double-sided printing increases costs. In addition, many people like to use an empty back on business cards to make notes about the other person or the conversation, in order to be able to assign the card later better. One has no chance to do so if it’s printed.

3) The material

Besides the optical impression, the material of your card plays an important role in the first impression you make. A thin paper under 200g/qm is perceived as cheap or of little value. And impression one will transfer to your image. Common business cards range from 300g/sqm to 350g/sqm. Heavy papers are haptically pleasing, but are more difficult to transport in large quantities (you don’t get 10 of them in your wallet). In addition, the production costs for heavier paper also increases. Besides the paper thickness, many business card manufacturers also offer different types of paper. Thus, a structured paper or a bamboo paper naturally leaves a different impression than a simple coated paper (thus with a usual smooth surface). If you want it very special, you can also ask for possibilities to use completely different materials (plastic/fabric/metallic materials). Other materials but also special papers cannot always be printed with digital printing methods (see next paragraph). This in turn drives up costs.

4) Printing

When it comes to printing, the choice of colours plays a costly role. Simple SW printing is much more cost-effective than complex multicolor printing. The printing process is also essential. Digital printing is the cheaper choice for small and medium runs. Classical offset printing is better in terms of quality. It also offers the option of using spot colours that are not available in the digital printing process (e.g. Pantone colours). Furthermore, many manufacturers now offer the use of coatings for surface finishing or design. Thus one can design very beautiful formative effects with the use of partial clear varnish. Metallic ink, (foil) embossing and UV varnishing are further means of finishing. These additional features naturally increase the attention paid to a business card (something special is rarely thrown away) – but they are always associated with additional costs. However, it is worth clarifying this in advance, as some exciting features, such as clear varnish, hardly carry any additional financial weight.

Important note for autograph cards (but also business cards): You want to sign your cards or write a short text on them. Therefore make sure that the card is not painted all over. You can only write on a varnished surface with special pens, which you usually don’t have at hand. This also prevents the radio presenter or the representative of a label you met shortly after the performance from quickly taking some personal notes on your business card – very bad 😉

5) The content

Often one is inclined to place as much information as possible on the card. There is beside the own logo, the band name, your own name or if necessary even the names of all band members. Then you want to have an address, phone number, a link to your homepage and an email address on it. Facebook, Spotify, Youtube and Instagram are mentioned. And suddenly you don’t know where to put all the information. There you are quickly inclined to print the backside for reasons of clarity. However, we advise against it. As so often, the rule “KISS” (Keep It Simple Stupid) applies here as well. Less is more. So think carefully what really has to be on the card. The front should contain the duty – the back may show the freestyle. Our minimum recommendation is:

for business cards: band name, logo, website, email address and phone number – back side photos/graphics/free space for notes

for autograph card: official photo/logo, artist, band name, website – back blank/photo(s)/tour dates/postcards layout

6) The design

A few general design rules should be observed.

For an autograph card the photo of the artist or the logo is in the foreground. This should be professional and of high quality. Also a good picture of a concert can be used here. With a band you should make sure that all members of the band are recognizable. In case the photo was taken with a black or dark background, you have to make sure that there is a bright (uncoated) area for signatures. If you don’t use special pens, you won’t be able to recognize the signatures. If this is not possible on the front side, an appropriately prepared reverse side is also possible – but this should be avoided, as this separates the image from the signature. A logo can be placed as an overlay over the front image or photo to increase the degree of identification.

With a business card, the use of a good logo is often completely sufficient. If a logo already exists, the design of the card should underline the style of the logo. The same applies to typography and colour selection. Daisies on pink background paper with digital typo are probably perceived as less suitable ideas for a grindcore band.

For most designs, less is more. Whoever gets his hands on your cards should immediately recognize who you are and also recognize all important information immediately. Your cards are your figurehead. Here saving makes little sense.

If you have any further questions or need advice on this topic, the Sound Marketing Team will be happy to assist you at any time.

Autor:
Timo Bierbaum

Why do you need a Logo?

Man is a “visual being”. This means that we usually remember graphics and forms more easily than texts or complex contexts. A good, unique, differentiating logo is therefore an important marketing instrument for brand recognition.

Imagine Apple without the apple or Mercedes without the star … !
Just as you are a brand! Therefore you also need a logo, so that you stand out from other musicians and have a unique recognition mark.

Your logo is your unique trademark.

What makes a good logo

So that your logo has the desired effects, e.g. on your fans, audience, bookers, promoters, labels and on media, some rules have to be observed:
– Uniqueness: Your logo should be associated ad hoc with you – and only with you. It should make you unmistakable.
– Memorability: A working logo should not be too complex to facilitate recognition.
– Comprehensibility: It should be related to the topic it and you stand for. Only in exceptional cases can it stand in direct contradiction to the topic in order to generate attention.
– Reproducibility: During the development you should pay attention to good reproducibility. It should also be reproduced in a reduced form, easily recognizable. The technical requirements for reproduction should therefore not be too high.
– Consistency: When developing a logo, you should be very careful, as a later change of logo is not possible without great “losses”. Because: Fans and audience have memorized the logo after some time and a significant logo change can irritate these target groups and in the worst case lead to the loss of these followers.
In this respect, later logo changes should at most involve a sensitive redesign, e.g. moderation – but not a complete redesign.

A logo must be maintained

It is important to modernize the logo sensitively from time to time in order to adapt its look to contemporary design requirements and to keep the brand visually attractive.
That’s how you get a good logo.
In general, the final design of a logo is best done by an experienced graphic designer, whose know-how makes the difference between “is professional” and “is wanted, but not skilful”. And: A later re-design, i.e. the “repair” of the logo designed by an amateur, does not only cost money, but may also lead to a loss of recognition value and customer loyalty – which should absolutely be avoided!

It is allowed to be inspired by other bands and artists. It is helpful, if these inspirations come from a musically similar area, because logo and artistic style should be as close as possible to each other.

Some tips:

– Use the Internet for inspiration: How did other bands implement their logo ideas? Take a piece of paper and sketch your ideas. This doesn’t have to be artistically valuable and well-designed – it’s just about capturing your own ideas. But be careful: avoid using too similar motifs to existing logos. This will not only dilute your own appearance, but can also lead to copyright infringements.
– Show your sketches to colleagues and friends and get their feedback. This restricts the variants somewhat and excludes unattractive ideas. But don’t get discouraged by negative feedback when you have a good idea – just talk to us about whether your idea can be preserved, but still be optimized.

This applies to bands

– Don’t forget to discuss your ideas in advance. After all, you all have to stand behind the idea and the logo should represent you all – as a band!

– The logo can be the band / artist name (e.g. Metallica) or a separate graphic signet (e.g. the outstretched tongue of the Rolling Stones) or a combination of both. A logo should have links to music style or band names – this makes it easier for your fans to make the connection between band and logo. But sometimes it’s enough if the logo is concise enough to be immediately associated with you. For example, are there specific symbols that would be important to you in your logo?

– Basically: A logo should never be created in a “quick fix”. It will accompany your band as long as you play and can only be changed with great sacrifices. Who acts hastily or saves here, pays later on it.
The Sound Marketing Team will advise you competently on all questions concerning logo design.

The challenges

You want to use colours? Colours must be very similar in print and on the web, because your appearance should always have the same visual effect. Your logo also needs to look good on both a light and dark background – or consist of 2 alternative colour designs. And: Especially from a financial point of view, it is important to remember that colour gradients and multicoloured logos can drive up costs in print reproduction.

The promotion of your new logo

So, you have your new logo and it doesn’t just look fantastic, it sets you apart from all other musicians and bands. Now it “only” has to be promoted or used perfectly in the relevant places, e.g. in your brand communication or advertising, in your press work or in merchandising, so that it generates attention for you and you not only create recognition, but also earn money with it.

Use all possibilities to place your logo in connection with your artistic work in the foreground. Starting with the band flag in the background of your live performance and the bass skin over your CD releases up to merchandising articles like band mugs, shirts and caps. Use the logo dominantly in a central place in every social media appearance. Be it the coverage of your last live gig, or an info about Spotify demo songs. Give the logo in good quality to the press to be able to present you in a press article with logo. Give the logo to your label so that they can promote you with a logo. Get stickers with your logo, so that your fans can advertise for you or you can stick them on your tour bus or private car. Also make sure that your logo can be seen everywhere on live gigs, e.g. beach flags.

The Sound Marketing Team will be happy to advise you comprehensively. We will give you tips on your marketing possibilities, support you in the implementation of your ideas and realize your logo on request.

Phone call: +49 175 1864695
or e-mail: info at soundmarketingteam.com

Autor:
Timo Bierbaum

Autor:
Timo Bierbaum