Free Sample
The Complete Handbook of Business Card Books
The Professional's Guide to Selection, Organization, and Maintenance
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: Understanding Business Card Books
A business card book looks like a simple thing: a cover, some rings or a spine, and a set of clear plastic sleeves. But treating it as just a folder is a mistake. It is a filing system with a specific mechanical design, and understanding how that design works will determine whether you have a useful tool or just another box of clutter on your desk.
At its core, a business card book is a portable, structured repository for storing and presenting items of a standard size. The item in question is the business card, which, after decades of industry practice, has effectively standardized to 3.5 by 2 inches in the United States and 85 by 55 millimeters in most of the rest of the world. This standardization is the entire reason the business card book can exist in such a simple form. Because the cards are a predictable dimension, the sleeves that hold them can be built to a precise tolerance. Too tight, and a card will curl when you slide it in. Too loose, and it will slide around or fall out. A well-designed sleeve holds a card snugly but without deformation.
You will notice that we said "effectively standardized." This is a key point. The book's design, and your own sanity, depend on understanding that "standard" is a convention, not a law. Some cards are printed slightly over or under the standard size. Some are made of thick, textured cotton stock.