Alex Ruben
How To Design Double-Sided Business Cards on Canva for 2025 Printing
Crafting a professional-looking business card isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about making a memorable first impression. If using Canva, the goal is to create a polished double-sided design that stands out, without pulling your hair out. This guide kicks in when you’ve got basic design ideas but aren’t sure how to set up both sides properly, or you’re running into issues like templates not having enough pages, or print settings messing up. By following these steps, you should get a smooth workflow, ending with a set of sleek, ready-to-print cards. Expect some trial and error, but overall it’s pretty straightforward once you get the hang of Canva’s layout and export nuances.
How to Design and Print Double-Sided Business Cards Using Canva in 2025
Accessing your Canva account and setting up the project
First off, log into Canva.com. If you don’t have an account, signing up is free, and honestly, it’s worth doing if you plan to do more stuff like this. When you’re in, search for “business card” in the dashboard search bar. Click on a template that explicitly says it has two pages or is labeled as “double-sided.” If it doesn’t come with two pages, you’ll have to add a second page manually later. Full disclosure: some templates are one-sided, so you might have to create a second page yourself, which isn’t hard but can be confusing if you’re new to Canva.
Choose the template or start fresh
Picking a template that already has a double-sided design is a timesaver — just open it and start customizing. If you’re feeling more adventurous or want total control, start with a blank design. To do this, click on Create a design > Business Card. Then, add a second page via the Add page button at the bottom of the editor; this is crucial for the back side design. Just make sure you keep style consistency across pages, or you’ll end up with mismatched branding.
Design the front side
Click on the first page. Replace placeholder text with your name, title, and company info. Fonts and colors should match your brand — because, of course, you don’t want your business card looking like a rainbow explosion unless that’s your gig. Use the Elements tab for icons and shapes, and upload your logo through the Uploads tab. A little tip: align everything properly, and use rulers or guides if you can — helps with printing alignment later. Also, pay attention to bleed — extend background colors or images slightly beyond the trim zone so there’s no white border after cutting.
Adding and designing the back side
If the template doesn’t already have a second page, add one manually. On the back, typically, you add contact info, website, social handles, or a call to action. Keep it simple, but make sure your theme stays consistent. For instance, if the front has a minimal style, avoid cluttering the back. Use the same color palette, font choices, and layout style. This ensures the final product looks cohesive and professional.
Download with print-ready settings
Once your design feels solid, it’s time to download. Click the Share button and go to Download. From the dropdown, pick PDF Print. Here’s where things get tricky: make sure to check both pages — there’s an option to select all pages, which is a must if you want double-sided prints. Also, enable Crop marks and Bleed if your design extends to the edges; it’ll help the printer trim accurately. A little tip — some people forget to include bleed, and then get white edges after printing, which totally ruins the look.
Printing the cards properly
For printing, either send your PDF to professional print shops or print at home if you’ve got decent quality paper. If printing yourself, choose thick cardstock (around 300gsm or more), and select the double-sided print option in your printer settings — because if you forget this, you’ll end up with mismatched sides. Check your printer’s properties to ensure it’s set for double-sided printing, or you might have to manually flip sheets. On some setups it funnily fails the first time, then works after a quick reprint. Use test prints to verify colors, alignment, and edge trimming before doing a big run.
Finalize your order or print at home
If you’re going the professional route, hit the Print Business Cards button in Canva or your chosen print service. Confirm options like paper finish (matte or gloss), quantity, and shipping details. Super important to double-check everything—misprints are real, and corrections can be costly. For home printers, just make sure your paper is loaded properly, and the print settings are dialed to best quality for sharp results.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
Been there — sometimes the print margins or bleed aren’t quite right, and the design looks off after trimming. Double-check your design with guides and test print at least one card first. Canva being web-based can also have hiccups; if pages don’t align or the export seems off, try exporting again or clearing your cache. Also, for complex designs, it’s worth exploring Canva’s dedicated print options or exporting as high-res PNGs for your local printer.
Wrap-up
Creating double-sided business cards on Canva isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overlook key settings, especially for print bleed and double-sided options. Once everything is set correctly, your finished product should look sharp and professional — no more awkward mismatched sides or blurry images. Just a heads up, this process might need a few attempts to get right, especially with color matching, but that’s part of the fun. Fingers crossed this helps streamline your workflow and gets those cards out faster!
Summary
- Log into Canva and find a double-sided business card template
- Add a second page if needed, keep styles consistent
- Edit front and back sides with your info and branding
- Download as PDF Print with crop marks and bleed enabled
- Print at home or send to a trusted printer, making sure double-sided options are chosen
FAQ
Can I edit my business card after ordering?
Once the order’s in and printed, nope — that’s a wrap. So double-check everything before clicking submit!
What paper type should I pick?
Honestly, thicker is better. Go for 300gsm matte or glossy; it feels more premium, and the card survives a bit of wear and tear.
How long does shipping take?
Depends on your location and the print shop, but usually a week or so. Always check the estimated delivery before hitting order.