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ARTWORK GUIDELINES

How to Prepare Artwork for Laser Engraved Metal Cards

In this guide, we'll walk through the most common file types, sizing rules, and tips for getting the highest quality engraving possible.


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Fast Turnaround

Most orders ship in 1 business day

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Quality Guaranteed

Every file reviewed by our team

10,000+ Customers

4.8-star average rating

Made in the USA

Proudly engraved in our U.S. workshop

Artwork Guidelines

Learn how to prepare artwork for laser engraved metal business cards, custom aluminum cards, plaques, and engraved products. Following these guidelines helps ensure the sharpest engraving quality, the cleanest detail, and the fastest production times possible.

01

What File Types Are Best For Laser Engraving?

We accept most common artwork formats, but vector files produce the highest engraving quality and the sharpest results.

SVG Best Quality
PDF Vector Preferred
PNG Transparent BG
AI / PSD Source Files
PRO TIP Avoid screenshots, social media profile pictures, or images captured from another screen whenever possible. Higher quality files always produce cleaner engraving.
02

Resolution & Sizing Tips

The quality of your file directly affects the quality of your engraving. Higher resolution artwork produces sharper edges, cleaner lines, and more detail.

  • 300 DPI recommended
  • 750px+ logo width preferred
  • Submit artwork at actual size when possible
  • Vector files provide maximum detail
03

Vector vs Raster — What's The Difference?

Vector Files (Preferred)

  • Infinite scaling without quality loss
  • Perfect logo edges
  • Best engraving quality
  • Professional print format

Raster Files

  • Made from pixels
  • Require higher resolution
  • Can lose detail when enlarged
  • Acceptable when quality is high
Good To Know JPEG files often engrave beautifully, but if you have SVG, PDF, EPS, or AI versions of your logo, those will almost always produce the best possible result.
04

What About Color?

Laser engraving removes the anodized coating from the metal and reveals the silver aluminum underneath.

Because of this, your artwork colors do not affect the final engraving. Contrast, line thickness, image quality, and design detail are far more important than color.

The Better The File, The Better The Result Clean artwork creates cleaner engraving. The sharper the file, the more premium the finished metal card will look.
05

Don't Have A Logo? That's Okay.

You don't need a professionally designed logo to create an incredible metal business card.

We regularly engrave text-only layouts, QR codes, signatures, photographs, social media handles, website URLs, and custom artwork.

Text Layouts Name & Title
QR Codes Digital Contact
Artwork Custom Graphics
Photos High Resolution
06

Will I See A Proof Or Mockup First?

For larger corporate, wholesale, and volume orders, we're happy to provide a digital mockup before production begins.

If you'd like additional peace of mind, we can often create a test engraving and send you a photograph of the actual engraved card so you can see exactly how your logo and artwork appear on real metal.

This helps eliminate surprises and gives you confidence before moving forward with larger quantities.

Need Extra Peace Of Mind? Ask us about a test engraving. A photo of the actual engraved card often tells you more than any digital mockup ever could.
07

How To Send Us Your Artwork

  • Upload artwork directly on the product page
  • Add engraving notes during checkout
  • Send multiple logo versions if you're unsure
  • Include special instructions or requests
  • Every file is manually reviewed before engraving
Already Placed Your Order? No problem. Email artwork files, replacement files, engraving instructions, layout ideas, or additional notes directly to:

michael@custommetalbusinesscards.com

Simply include your order number and we'll attach everything to your project.
08

We Can Help Bring Your Vision To Life

Don't worry if your artwork isn't perfect.

We're experienced graphic designers and laser engraving specialists. Every day we clean up logos, improve low-resolution artwork, recreate graphics, adjust layouts, optimize QR codes, and prepare designs specifically for metal engraving.

Whether you have a professional vector logo, a screenshot, a rough sketch, a phone photo, or simply an idea, we'll do everything possible to turn it into something that engraves beautifully.

Our Goal Is Simple We don't just want to engrave a card. We want to create something you'll be genuinely excited to hand out. If we think a design can be improved, we'll tell you. If we see a problem, we'll reach out. If we can make it look better, we will. That's the standard we hold ourselves to on every order.
  • 10,000+ customers served
  • Fast U.S. production
  • Professional artwork review included
  • Graphic design assistance available
  • Direct communication with our team
Precision • Materials • Permanent Detail

Craftsmanship That Makes a Lasting Impression

We don’t just engrave — we craft. Every metal business card is produced using precision laser engraving, premium materials, and meticulous finishing for a sharp, permanent result that feels unmistakably premium in hand.

Precision laser engraving on premium metal business cards

Precision Laser Engraving

Industrial laser systems engrave ultra-fine detail with micron-level accuracy for sharp, permanent results.

Premium Materials

Crafted from anodized aluminum and stainless steel for a lightweight, durable, and exceptionally refined finish.

Permanent & Fade-Proof

Our engraving process removes the coated surface layer, creating detail that won’t peel, fade, or rub away.

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Crafted in the USA

Every card is engraved and quality checked in-house for consistency, precision, and premium presentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about our custom metal business cards, production, engraving, and ordering process.

All of our cards are made from premium anodized aluminum. Aluminum is lightweight, non-magnetic, rust-proof, and resistant to patina. The cards are also washable and reusable.

Our card sizes are 3.4 x 2.13" and .43mm thick, about the size of a standard banking card, making them perfect for wallets, card holders, and lanyards.

The laser engraving process removes the top anodized coating to reveal the reflective silver metal underneath. This creates a permanent, high-contrast engraving that will not fade, peel, or wear away.
We currently offer Black, Blue, Green, Purple, Red, White, Rose Gold, Silver, and Gold anodized aluminum cards.

All engravings reveal a reflective silver contrast underneath the coating. Darker colors like black and blue typically provide the strongest engraving visibility and detail.
All of our products are laser engraved in Upstate South Carolina, USA.

Thank you for supporting a small American business. We work hard to maintain tight quality control, fast turnaround times, and premium engraving consistency since 2021.
Most orders ship within 1–2 business days. We ship worldwide using USPS and DHL.

Once your order is processed, tracking information will automatically be sent to your e-mail.

U.S. delivery typically arrives within 3–7 business days after production.

International delivery typically arrives within 7–14 business days.

You can add products to your shopping cart to view real-time delivery estimates and available express shipping options based on your location.
Absolutely. We can engrave logos, artwork, text, QR codes, social media links, contact information, and more.

We accept most common artwork formats including SVG, PNG, JPG, PDF, PSD, and AI.

If needed, we also provide design assistance and can help optimize your artwork for engraving.
Yes. Test engraving photos and digital mockups are available upon request before production.

If anything about your artwork needs adjustment for the best engraving result, we will contact you before your order is completed.
No. Your artwork is permanently laser engraved into the metal surface and will not fade, rust, patina, or peel over time.
Two words: Brand. Awareness.

Metal business cards create a strong first impression and are far more likely to be kept instead of discarded — putting your brand in more places for longer periods of time.

With room for logos, artwork, contact details, QR codes, and custom branding, a laser engraved metal business card creates a premium experience that standard paper cards simply cannot match.
Our cards are popular with real estate agents, luxury brands, tattoo artists, musicians, automotive businesses, entrepreneurs, content creators, and corporate teams looking to stand out and create memorable first impressions.
Absolutely. We store previous design assets in our engraving archives for easy reordering or scaling at any time.

Just let us know you'd like to use a previously submitted design and we can quickly recreate your order.