My Business Card

An Experiment in Topology

February, 1997

Explanation

Flat business cards are so, well, flat. They just sit there in basically two dimensions, nearly invisible from many directions. Blah. Also, they are common. Nearly everybody has a flat business card.

3D business cards are interesting, and as such capture the attention. When you hand somebody an interesting business card, they are more likely to remember you. It's a gimmick, but getting people's attention is always about gimmicks.

I saw this particular gimmick on Mr.Wizard about ten years ago, and appropriated the topological oddity for use in my business card.

Materials

• Page layout software, for creating the design and the printing master. I used FrameMaker, of course. Your software must be able to place copies of the design precisely on the page if you are going to use perforated forms.
• A design. The design needs to be two sided.

Front	Back

• Card Stock. I used perforated business card forms in a granite gray style. You should be able to get the forms at any large office suply store.
• Printer, for printing onto the forms. Make sure your printer places pages on paper accurately. You'll need ¹/₁₆" accuracy.
• Exacto knife, for cutting.

The Process

1. Make a master sheet. This sheet should be half fronts and half backs so that you only need one master. Typically, this is done as top half, fronts; bottom half, upside-down backs.
2. Photocopy or print the master onto the front of the cards.
3. Flip and rotate the sheets, then put them back in the feeder.
4. Photocopy or print the master onto the back of the cards.
5. Separate the cards from the sheets
6. Top cuts: from the top to the center, at the 1/4 and 3/4 points.
7. Bottom Cut: from the bottom to the center, at the 1/2 point.



8. Fold the top flap down to the bottom of the card, and crease firmly.
9. Fold it over to the other side, and crease firmly again.
10. Take one end of the card in each hand.
11. Turn one half of the card over, so that the center flap now sticks straight up.

Ta-da!