Accessible business cards: contrast, type size and raised braille for readers with low vision

Why accessibility matters on something as small as a business card

A business card is about the smallest piece of print most companies produce, and that is exactly why it so often fails people with low vision. Pale grey text on white, a 6 pt phone number, a script font for the name, a gloss finish that throws glare under office lights: each choice looks fine to the designer on a big screen and becomes hard work for the person holding the card.

Plenty of your contacts read with some difficulty. Many people over fifty need reading glasses for small print, some have conditions that reduce contrast sensitivity, and some are blind and read braille. An accessible business card is not a special product for a small group. It is a card that more people can read the first time, without squinting, turning it to the light or asking you to repeat your number.

This guide covers the practical choices: contrast, type size, fonts, finishes, layout and raised braille, and what to ask your printer.

Contrast: the first thing to fix

Low contrast is the most common problem on business cards. Light grey text, pastel text on white, and mid-tone text on a mid-tone background all lose detail for readers with reduced vision, and they also fade badly in dim restaurants and on phone camera scans.

• Dark on light reads best for most people. Black or very dark navy on white or cream is the safest choice for contact details.
• Reversed text needs more weight. White text on a dark background can work, but thin strokes fill in on press. Use a heavier weight and slightly larger size. Our guide to black and dark business cards explains why fine reversed type is risky.
• Check contrast before you print. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) publish a contrast ratio method, and free online checkers will compare two colours for you. WCAG was written for screens, but it is still a useful test for print colours you plan to use together.
• Do not rely on colour alone. If your phone number is in red and your email in green, someone with colour vision deficiency may not tell them apart. Labels such as "T" and "E", or small icons, help.

Type size and font choice for readable business cards

There is no single legal minimum for business card text, but there are sensible habits. Many designers treat 7 to 8 pt as the floor for contact details on a standard card, and that floor is too small for many readers. If accessibility is the goal, aim higher: 9 to 10 pt for the details people actually need, and larger for your name.

Fonts that hold up at small sizes

Choose a plain sans-serif or a sturdy serif with open letter shapes, clear differences between similar characters (capital I, lower-case l and the number 1), and a generous x-height. Avoid:

• script and handwriting fonts for anything people must read;
• condensed or very light weights;
• long lines set in all capitals, which remove the word shapes readers rely on;
• wide letter spacing on small text, which breaks words apart.

Our article on typography on business cards goes deeper into pairing and hierarchy. For accessibility, the main rule is simple: fewer fonts, fewer sizes, and the important details large.

Layout: give the card fewer jobs

A crowded card is harder for everyone to read, and much harder for someone with low vision. If you have a lot to say, move some of it to the back of the card or to your website, and keep the front for the essentials. A clear order helps: name, role, then one or two ways to reach you.

• Keep generous space around the phone number and email so they stand out.
• Left-aligned text is generally easier to scan than centred blocks.
• Avoid placing text over photos or patterned backgrounds.
• If you add a QR code, print a short readable web address next to it as well, since not everyone uses a phone camera.

The back of the card is a good place for extras. Ideas for using it are in what to print on the back of a business card.

Finishes: avoid glare, add touch

A high-gloss laminate reflects light and can hide text when the card is tilted under ceiling lamps. Matte laminate or uncoated stock gives a calmer surface that reads well from any angle. The difference between surfaces is covered in coated or uncoated name card stock.

Texture can also carry information. A raised logo, an embossed edge or a notch cut into one corner tells a blind person which way up the card is and which side is the front. Techniques that add feel, such as embossing and letterpress, are described in embossing, debossing and letterpress.

Raised braille on business cards

Braille business cards are the most direct way to reach contacts who are blind. They are common among accessibility consultants, organisations that work with visually impaired people and businesses that simply want every customer to be able to keep their details.

How braille is added

There are two usual methods. One is embossing, where a die or a dedicated braille embosser pushes dots up from the back of the card. The other is a raised clear coating, sometimes called tactile or raised UV, where dots are built up on the surface. Both can work. What matters is that the dots are the right size, height and spacing to be read by touch, and that they survive handling in a wallet.

What to check before you order

• Use a recognised braille standard. Braille codes and dot dimensions differ between countries and languages. Ask which standard the printer follows, and whether contracted or uncontracted braille is being used.
• Keep the braille text short. Braille takes far more space than print. On a standard card, a name and one phone number or email is often all that fits.
• Leave the braille area clear. Do not put printed text or heavy ink right under the dots, and keep them away from the trim edge.
• Have it read by a braille user. Ask for a sample and have someone who reads braille check it before the full run. A sighted proofreader cannot confirm that dots are legible by touch.
• Keep the print readable too. A braille card still needs high-contrast print for sighted readers and those with partial vision.

A quick accessibility checklist before you approve the proof

• Contact details at 9 pt or larger, in a plain font with a solid weight.
• Dark text on a light background, with contrast checked.
• No important text over images, patterns or across busy colour.
• Matte or uncoated finish where glare would be a problem.
• A tactile cue for orientation if you are adding braille or have blind contacts.
• Braille checked by a braille reader on a physical sample.

It also helps to print the proof at actual size and hand it to someone over sixty without telling them what to look for. If they read the phone number first time, you are close.

Printing accessible business cards with JustPrintCard

We print business cards on uncoated and matte laminated stocks that keep glare low, and we can add embossing, raised coatings and corner notches for cards that need to be read by touch. Before your job goes to press we check type sizes and contrast on the proof and point out anything likely to be hard to read, so you can fix it while it is still cheap to change.

For braille, tell us early: we will confirm what can be produced at your card size and quantity, and send a physical sample you can have checked before the full run. Browse our business card printing options or get in touch with your artwork and the text you would like in braille.