What are some design tips for creating embossed business cards?

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re creating an embossed, 3D business card: The gloss is shiny and reflective, so to help with readability, make sure that any glossy text is 10pt or larger. Choose what design elements (text, logos, patterns) to apply gloss to carefully – by limiting how much gloss you use, you can really make certain things stand out. The gloss color will match the original color of your design as closely as possible, so we typically recommend bright colors and high-contrast designs for the most impact.

Embossed Gloss Business Cards

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Better by Design

Want the front of your card to jump out at people? Add raised, 3D shine to your text, design – or even both. See details

Browse our templates

Turn raised printing into raised interest with embossed business cards.

2 paper thicknesses: standard (14pt) & premium (16pt)
Rounded corners available
Spots of raised, glossy printing on a matte front
Easy-to-write-on matte on the back
Great for highlighting logos, names & more

A cut above

With our embossed business cards (also known as 3D business cards or spot UV business cards), you can add layers of thick, raised gloss to specific parts of your design. The special finish gives text and visuals a can’t-miss shine and 3D texture that stands out against the smooth, matte background. It’s a great option for almost any design, since you can use embossed gloss on up to 75% of the front of your card.

Stylish & smart

Embossed business cards give you a creative, professional look, and point customers towards the most important information and images. You choose where to use the special finish. For the best look – and to avoid any peeling – avoid placing embossed gloss right along the edges. Give your company name and contact info a little extra oomph. Emphasize your logo and branding. Or make sure a special offer gets extra attention.

Fast, easy design

You can upload your own design or browse a variety of templates created specifically for embossed cards. Then, you decide where to add the raised, glossy printing. You can go with our default suggestions, but you’ll typically be able to choose almost any piece of your design. You’ll always see a chat option if you need a hand.

Better by Design

This item is part of our Better by Design collection, which connects you to responsibly sourced products. Learn more.

What Makes it Better

Responsibly Sourced Materials: Products made from responsibly sourced materials are designed to help reduce environmental impact. They're selected not only for the materials themselves, but also with consideration for the workers who farm and manufacture them, indigenous communities affected by production and the biodiversity in and around production areas.

VistaPrint offers Embossed Gloss Business Cards design templates in assorted styles.

FAQs

Reviewed by 6195 customers

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Very happy

Jun 2, 2026 | Lucas a. |

Verified Buyer

Everything looks great

Amazing Quality & Professional Look!

Jun 2, 2026 | Christy P. |

Verified Buyer

I absolutely love the embossed gloss business cards from VistaPrint! The quality is beyond amazing very professional, premium, and affordable at the same time. The cards look clean, elegant, and high-end. My husband ❤️ loves them, and all of our employees were very impressed too! The printing quality, colors, and finish came out perfect exactly how we expected. The delivery timeline was also on time and very reliable, which we truly appreciated for our business needs. This is not our first order, and every experience has been excellent. Highly recommend VistaPrint for anyone looking for high-quality business cards at a great price! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Haven’t failed me yet, customer since 2013

Jun 2, 2026 | Kelly M. |

Verified Buyer

I first started ordering from vistaprint as a grad student in the hunt for a job. Used them for several nonprofit jobs, and since becoming disabled I’ve used them to print stuff for my art business, my husband’s plumbing business, holiday cards, all kinds of things. We have yet to be disappointed in any of the business cards, stationary, mass mailing materials I’ve designed and ordered of the years.

Business cards

Jun 2, 2026 | Vincent P. |

Verified Buyer

Turned out perfect. Easy ordering process.

Almost

Jun 2, 2026 | Stefanie J. |

Verified Buyer

This is my second order with a slight font change from the previous version, and unfortunately I’m having a much harder time reading this batch. The font appears thinner and less legible in print than I expected based on the digital proof. I wish there were a more accurate “see it as printed” preview feature, as it was difficult to judge how the final product would look before ordering. I’m disappointed with the readability and overall result compared to my previous order.

Response from Vistaprint Customer Care Team:

We are sorry to hear that your recent Embossed Gloss Business Cards did not match the readability and clarity you experienced with your previous order, and understand your concerns regarding the thinner appearance of the font in print. After reviewing your file, we noted that the font size used was relatively small and did not fully utilize the available print area, which can result in reduced legibility and a lighter appearance once embossed and printed. To help prevent similar issues in future orders, we strongly recommend carefully reviewing the on-screen preview and downloading the PDF proof available on the editing page before finalizing your order. These tools are designed to provide the closest possible representation of layout, spacing, and text appearance prior to production, helping set clearer expectations for the final result. For future designs, we recommend increasing the font size and ensuring the text takes full advantage of the available design space to improve readability and overall impact. Once any adjustments have been made, you may feel free to reorder at your convenience. We appreciate your feedback and hope these suggestions are helpful for your next order. Should you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to call us at 1-866-207-4955.

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No more guesswork. We take care of the entire design process, from brainstorming ideas to delivering the files to your account.

Frequently asked questions

Embossed printing is a process that puts raised lettering and images on paper to create an eye-catching, three-dimensional effect. With our embossed business cards, you can decide which design elements you want to pop out.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re creating an embossed, 3D business
card:

The gloss is shiny and reflective, so to help with readability, make sure that any glossy text is 10pt or larger.
Choose what design elements (text, logos, patterns) to apply gloss to carefully – by limiting how much gloss you use, you can really make certain things stand out.
The gloss color will match the original color of your design as closely as possible, so we typically recommend bright colors and high-contrast designs for the most impact.

You can apply embossed gloss to up to 75% of the front of your card, though you should avoid adding the special finish to the edges as doing so can cause it to peel. With that in mind, we highly recommend keeping your design within the printing safety margin (shown as a dotted line in our design studio).

Yes, the type of printing we use is also known as spot UV. This process actually has a lot of names, so you might see this type of product listed elsewhere as spot UV business cards, 3D business cards, spot gloss business cards or raised print business cards.

Our embossed business cards are made using either a 14pt standard or 16pt premium. Each point (pt) is equal to .001 of an inch, to give you a frame of reference. All of the options have a smooth, matte finish.

For complete information about card dimensions, check out our business card size guide.

For now, you can only have embossed gloss on the front of your 3D printed card. But we are working towards offering that option at some point in the future. In the meantime, you can get customized printing on the back of your card for an additional fee.

You can order our spot UV business cards with rounded corners, but not in a square shape.

On our templates, the embossed areas can’t be changed. However, if you upload your own design, you have more freedom to decide which parts are raised. You can do this through our design studio, or you can leave specific directions for our team.