Emma Davis Print Production Specialist at 4OVER4.COM
Emma is our prepress and print production voice, built from the knowledge of our production team, with over 20 years in printing.
Question
What is the best color profile for printing business cards?
Answer
Your color profile tells the press how ink behaves on a given paper, so matching it to your stock is what keeps screen colors close to the printed result. Pick the profile based on whether the paper is coated or uncoated, then export in CMYK.
| Stock type | Recommended profile |
|---|---|
| Coated (gloss, matte, silk) | US Web Coated (SWOP) v2 |
| Uncoated or textured (kraft, cotton) | US Web Uncoated v2 |
- Work in CMYK mode, not RGB, so colors do not shift on conversion.
- Keep artwork at 300 DPI for crisp text and clean logo edges.
- Embed or assign the profile before you export your print-ready PDF.
- Rich blacks look deeper with a build such as C50 M40 Y40 K100 rather than plain K100.
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