Primoprint, Moo & GotPrint Business Card Comparison

I recently had the privilege of chatting with Kevin over at Primoprint about doing a comparison of products from some different printing companies. Primoprint provided me with a pack of my business cards to compare to the cards I already had from Moo and GotPrint.

I’ll describe my business cards really quickly and then get right down to it.

Red Airplane Design Business Cards

My business cards are very unique. Whenever I hand out my cards, people always feel them, turning them round and round in their hands, and comment on how thick they are or how neat the red edge is. The front of my cards are charcoal grey with my logo printed in white and red. The reverse side of the card is white with just my name and contact information.

 

1. Primoprint

Painted Edge Business Cards. Order them here.
Cost for 250 cards: $99

Red Edges

I was very excited to receive my business cards from Primoprint. They were a bit different from cards I’d ordered from other companies in that the red edge – rather than being colored paper sandwiched between the front and back – is painted so the entire edge is red. (If you’re wanting the sandwiched look, Primoprint does offer it in their Triple Layer Cards, but black is the only color option at this point.)

When the cards arrived, I was impressed by the vibrancy of the edge color. As you can see in the photo, the red is very bright and eye-catching. While the Primoprint card is about the same thickness as the cards from Moo and GotPrint, the red edge is much brighter and wider since it isn’t surrounded by the front and back white layers.

Paper Finish

The matte finish of the paper stock is very appealing, both visually and tactilely.  Of the three business cards, Primoprint’s are definitely the truest white.

Print Quality

Print quality of the Primoprint cards is very sharp. Even at small sizes, everything is very distinct. The colors are very pure and I can’t detect any hint of visible printer dots.

My one recommendation would be to saturate your colors just a bit prior to printing, as the uncoated paper soaks up color a bit more. However, the softer finish that results is very pleasant.

 

2. Moo

Luxe Business Cards
Cost for 200 cards: $119.99

Red Edges

The red edge of the Moo business cards is accomplished by sandwiching a layer of red paper between the front and back business card layers. This results in a thick card with a striped Oreo-like appearance. The red color is a deeper tone. For my own brand purposes, I prefer this darker color, but for many applications, the brighter color from Primoprint or GotPrint would likely be preferable.

Though I haven’t had this issue with my own business cards, I have seen instances in cards for clients where the layers have separated. I assume in those instances that there is some sort of glitch in the process and that this problem is not common.

Paper Finish

I really like the Mohawk paper that Moo uses. It has a bit of a matte craft texture which is very tactile. I would describe the color of the cards as more of an eggshell white.

Print Quality

When it comes to the quality of the print, Moo and Primoprint are very comparable. Moo’s print quality is also very sharp. While the paper is a bit more textured than Primoprint or GotPrint, it is finished such that the ink doesn’t absorb into the paper as much. As a result, the printed colors are a little more vibrant and have a bit of a sheen to them. Upon very close inspection, the printing dots are visible, which is not the case with the cards from Primoprint.

 

3. GotPrint

Layer Trifecta Business Cards
Cost for 250 cards: $37.31

Red Edges

The red layer on the GotPrint cards is thicker than that of the Moo cards. The color is a very standard red, which would seem to match well with a variety of brand applications. One thing I’ve noticed about the edges of the GotPrint cards is that their trimmer leaves track marks, which takes away from the quality of the card.

Paper Finish

The feel of the GotPrint cards is much softer, almost waxy. It definitely doesn’t have the pleasant craft feel that the other print companies offer.

Print Quality

Of the three cards, GotPrint has a noticeably lower print quality. The coverage of the ink is not as uniform. For example, on the front of my card, there is a thin white line around the airplane. In addition, the colors are not as vibrant – the color of the airplane is more of a brownish brick red rather than a true red like the cards from Primoprint and Moo. Because the card’s texture is softer, the ink doesn’t seem to lay as well. The coverage of the charcoal gray has a somewhat splotchy appearance. The ink easily shows scratch marks and wear around the edges of the card. Without having the Primoprint and Moo cards to compare, the GotPrint cards are just fine. But once you’ve seen how fine a business card can be, you won’t want to go back.

 

Conclusion

If you want a very inexpensive card that does the trick, GotPrint is a great way to avoid a hit on the budget. At $37.31 for a pack of 250, GotPrint cards cost about 1/3 of what Primoprint charges and nearly 1/4 of Moo’s cost. However, the old adage holds true, “You get what you pay for.” With GotPrint, you will sacrifice the amazing quality that Moo and Primoprint offer.

Really, the true comparison comes down to Moo and Primoprint. While the print quality is very comparable, I think the Primoprint Painted Edge Cards have a bit of a leg up in the competition. Since my business cards have a side printed in a solid color, the Moo cards will always show a little bit of wear and tear around the edges, revealing the white beneath. However, since the Primoprint cards have the red edge applied after printing, a lot of the visible wear and tear will be avoided. I scuffed at one of the Primoprint cards and discovered that the paint is more like a dye – it sinks in and doesn’t scuff or wear off easily.

Primoprint’s cards are also very affordable. At just under $.40 per card, it really beats Moo’s $.60 per card. (Primoprint even beats Vistaprint prices by a teeny tiny margin – $.50 cheaper for a pack of 250!)