Custom Metal Business Cards
Etched Stainless Steel Business Cards
A metal business card is a calling card that survives the pocket: 85 x 54 mm of stainless steel, brass or aluminium, laser engraved or chemically etched, brushed, matte black, gold or mirror finished. It is handed over once and kept — which is the entire point when the person receiving it is a client, a distributor or an investor rather than a stack of conference contacts.
These are produced in the same plant as our metal plaques and badges, using the same etching, laser and finishing equipment. That is why a card can carry an etched logo at the same line weight as an award plaque rather than a printed approximation of it.
Key Features
- Stainless steel, brass or aluminium, 0.5 mm to 0.8 mm thick
- Laser engraved or chemically etched, on both sides in one pass
- Five standard finishes — brushed, mirror, matte black, gold, rose gold
- Custom outlines laser cut, including logo silhouettes and notched corners
- Colour fill into etched recesses for a brand colour or a highlighted mark
- High-contrast QR areas etched into a matte field so the code scans
- Edge finishing — deburred and rounded so the card is safe in a pocket
- Packing — individual sleeve, rigid gift box, or a matched metal card holder
Metal Card Specifications
| Material | Stainless steel (default), brass, aluminium |
|---|---|
| Thickness | 0.5 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm |
| Size | 85 x 54 mm standard with 4 mm corner radius; custom outlines on request |
| Finish | Brushed silver, mirror silver, matte black, gold, rose gold |
| Decoration | Laser engraving, chemical etching, screen print, partial colour fill |
| Sides | Single or double sided; both faces are decorated in one operation |
| Edge | Laser cut, deburred, corners rounded |
| Contactless | Solid metal blocks NFC; tap-to-read cards are a different build and must be raised before quotation |
| Packing | Individual sleeve, rigid box with foam insert, or metal card holder |
| Shipping | Worldwide by air express or sea freight; freight quoted with the order |
Engraving, Etching and Colour
Three ways to put a mark on metal, and the right one depends on how deep the line should be and whether colour is involved. The proof shows the chosen route on the chosen finish, because the same artwork behaves differently on brushed steel and on matte black.
Laser engraving
A focused beam burns away the surface coating or oxidises the metal, leaving a crisp, permanent mark. Fastest and cheapest route, and the best one for fine text and line logos on coated and brushed surfaces.
Chemical etching
Acid bites into unmasked areas of the metal, so the line has real depth and can be felt with a fingertip. The premium option, and the only one that gives a genuine relief edge on a bare steel card.
Colour fill
Etched recesses filled with a brand colour, or a screen printed panel for a block of solid colour. Used sparingly: one accent colour on a brushed card reads as considered, three reads as a printed card on metal.
Cut-out and shaping
The outline itself is laser cut, so a card can follow a logo silhouette or carry a notch. Keep the narrowest part of the outline substantial, or the card will bend when it is carried loose.
Sizes and Thickness
85 x 54 mm is the international card size, and it is what wallets, card sleeves and holders are built for; depart from it and the card stops being a business card and becomes a small plaque. The table pairs thickness and finishing with the way the card is normally delivered.
| 85 x 54 mm, 0.5 mm | Standard card that fits wallets and card sleeves |
|---|---|
| 85 x 54 mm, 0.8 mm | Heavyweight card for gifting and presentation boxes |
| 85 x 54 mm, rounded | 4 mm corner radius; the usual safe edge |
| Custom outline | Logo silhouettes, notched corners, shaped cards |
| Card holder | Slim steel holder matched to the card finish |
| Gift box | Rigid box with foam insert for client gifting |
Thickness changes the feel more than the look: 0.5 mm behaves like a stiff card and can be carried with paper cards; 0.8 mm is a gift object, best handed over in a sleeve or a box. Both are deburred, because a laser cut edge on steel is sharp until it is finished.
Where Metal Cards Are Used
Sales and Distribution
Cards for export sales staff and distributors, where the card has to survive a trade show and be remembered after it.
Hospitality and Premium Services
Hotels, private clinics, architects and property agents using a card as part of the brand presentation rather than an afterthought.
Corporate Gifting
A boxed set for executives and long-standing clients, often produced with a matching metal keychain or plaque.
Membership and Access
Club and membership cards where a durable metal card replaces a plastic one, decorated on both faces with the member's name and number.
Artwork Guidance for Metal Cards
Send vector artwork — AI, PDF, EPS, SVG or CDR with fonts outlined — set to 85 x 54 mm with 3 mm of clear margin from the cut edge. Four notes that save a proof round:
- Line weights: 0.25 mm minimum for etching, 0.15 mm for laser engraving on a coated finish. Hairlines disappear into the brushed texture.
- Small text: 6 pt minimum for etched text, 5 pt for engraved. Below that the texture of the metal breaks the letters up.
- QR codes: etch into a matte or brushed field, not a mirror one — a reflective QR code will not scan reliably. Keep the module size at 0.4 mm or larger.
- Mirror finishes: plan a matte etched panel for the text, because engraved text on mirror steel has almost no contrast.
The proof is supplied as a rendering on the chosen finish, showing both faces at full size and the edge treatment; the etching plate is not made until that proof is approved.
How to Order Metal Business Cards
Send the artwork, the metal, the thickness, the finish and the quantity to sales@sinoawards.com or via WhatsApp, and the team returns a quotation with a rendering on the chosen finish.
- Choose the metal, thickness and finish — steel, brass or aluminium, 0.5 or 0.8 mm, brushed, matte or mirror.
- Send the artwork — vector file, both faces, fonts outlined, 3 mm clear margin.
- Review the rendering — decoration route, line weights, colour fill and edge treatment.
- Cut, decorate and finish — laser cutting, etching or engraving, colour fill, deburring and inspection.
- Packing and shipping — sleeve, gift box or card holder, shipped by air express or sea freight.
Packaging and Shipping
Metal cards mark each other if they are stacked loose, so they are sleeved individually before boxing. Gift orders go into a rigid box with a foam insert; corporate sets are often paired with a matched card holder. The packing is quoted with the cards because it changes both the unit cost and the carton weight.
Cards are dense and thin, so a few hundred fit into a small carton and freight is priced on actual weight. Air express is normal for a launch date; sea freight where there is time.
Why Order Metal Cards From Sinoawards
A metal business card is a small etched metal plate, which is what this factory makes all day for plaques, badges and award pieces — the etching baths, laser stations and edge finishing are not bought in for the job. That means the line weight on a card can match the line weight on the plaque in reception, and the finish is consistent across a reprint a year later.
For companies ordering a set, cards can be produced alongside keychains, plaques and badges in one artwork pass, packed together and shipped on one invoice. OEM and ODM work is available for distributors and agencies reselling under their own brand.
Related Products
Frequently Asked Questions
What metal and thickness are the cards made from?
Stainless steel is the default because it does not tarnish and takes both laser engraving and chemical etching cleanly. Brass is used for a warmer, gold tone; aluminium for the lightest and cheapest card. Thickness runs from 0.5 mm to 0.8 mm — 0.5 mm is a card you can carry in a wallet alongside paper cards, 0.8 mm is a heavier statement piece that is normally given in a sleeve or a box.
How is the design applied — engraving, etching or print?
Laser engraving removes the surface coating or oxidises the metal, giving a crisp mark that does not rub off. Chemical etching bites into the metal for a deeper, more tactile line and works on both sides at once. Screen printing adds solid colour, and a partial colour fill puts brand colour into etched recesses. Most cards use one or two of these together.
Will a metal card work with contactless readers or an NFC chip?
A solid metal card blocks contactless reading, so a card that has to be tapped or read by a machine is a different build and needs to be discussed before quotation — do not assume a printed QR code will behave the same way as on paper. For handing over a link, a high-contrast QR code etched into a matte area is the reliable route.
Can the cards be cut to a custom shape?
Yes. The standard size is 85 x 54 mm with rounded corners, which is what most wallets, holders and card sleeves expect. Custom outlines — a logo silhouette, a notched corner, a shaped brand mark — are laser cut from the same sheet, and the only constraint is that a very narrow neck in the outline can bend if the card is carried loose in a pocket.
Which finishes are available?
Brushed silver, mirror silver, matte black, gold and rose gold are the standard finishes. Brushed and matte surfaces show engraving most cleanly; mirror finishes look the most premium but show fingerprints, so they are usually paired with a matte etched area for the text.
How does the weight compare with a paper card?
A metal card is several times the weight of a 350 gsm paper card and noticeably rigid, which is the point — it is handed over as an object rather than a slip of paper. That also means it should be packed in a sleeve or a holder rather than a stack, because metal edges will mark each other in transit.
Can both sides be decorated?
Yes, and both sides are normally decorated: the front with the name, role and logo, the back with the contact details or a QR code. Etching is done on both faces in the same process, so a two-sided card is not twice the cost of a one-sided one.
What is the minimum order for metal business cards?
Minimums are quoted per order because they depend on the finishing route — etching, laser engraving, colour fill and packing all have different set-ups. Send the artwork, the finish and the quantity and the quotation states the minimum for that specification.
Get a Quote for Metal Business Cards
Send the artwork for both faces, the finish you have in mind and the quantity for a quote and a rendering. Tell us whether the cards are for staff, clients or a gift set, so the packing is quoted with them.
Request a Quote See Metal Plaques