Business Cards
This page contains information about ordering faculty/staff business cards, student networking and job search cards, QR Codes, cards for volunteers, the standardized appearance of the cards, and guidelines for contact information, dual appointments and translations.
Ordering Information for University Employees
Faculty and staff may order university business cards online through Document Services' Web page.
Students employed by the university are considered staff and may order university business cards that list only their official job title and university contact information. Please contact the appropriate human resources staff in your department/campus unit.
Guidelines for University Employee Business Cards
Standardized Appearance for All Cards
The Illinois wordmark appears in the top center of the business card. The one-color logo appears under it to the left. An individual's name appears in bold type under the Illinois wordmark, followed by that person's title in smaller type below. The college, school, department, or unit name and all contact information appear below this.
Campus unit logos, additional text such as taglines, and other illustrations are not permitted.
Contact Information
Only university-related information such as mail, email, and Web addresses may appear on business cards, with the exception of telephone numbers. Campus office telephone number(s) must appear first, although cellular phone, pager, or home telephone numbers may appear as secondary contact numbers.
Campus Unit Cards
Campus units may order business cards for the unit. The name of the campus unit appears in the name field instead of an individual's name.
Information on the Reverse Side 
The reverse side of university business cards should be used only by faculty and staff with dual appointments or job titles, for foreign language translations of the information on the front of the card, or for a Quick Response (QR) Code, pictured at right. A QR Code contains encoded information that can be text, a URL or other data, including vCard information, that can be scanned by a smart phone with the appropriate app. Free code generators are available online.
For dual appointments or job titles, the layout and typography of the back of the business card should be identical to the existing template for the front of the card. Text on either side should be modified to indicate specialization or affiliation.
Titles of Academic Degrees
The following abbreviations for common degrees are used: B.A., bachelor of arts; B.S., bachelor of science; M.A., master of arts; M.S., master of science; and Ph.D., philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy). However, those ordering cards may choose to strike the periods: BA, BS, MA, PhD.
Consortia and External Partners
Consortia and external partners should use their own logo and design for their stationery, which includes letterhead, business cards, and envelopes. Consortia and external partners may order business cards online via the Document Services Web page. The logos of partners, including the university, should not appear on the cards.
Read more information about how the university manages partnerships.
Student Business Cards
Student Networking Card
Campus units may purchase a networking card for students that are representing their department, college, school, or institute at a conference or poster presentation, or at other outreach and public engagement events and activities.
With the exception of telephone numbers, only university contact information such as college, department, degree sought, year of anticipated graduation, department mail address, and campus email address may appear on the card.
Campus units may order university business cards online via Document Services' Web page.
Student Job Search Card
Students who wish to purchase an officially branded card for their personal job search may order them online from Document Services. Students should use their personal contact information (home address, phone, email [may be either their Illinois email address or a third-party provider], etc.). The cards are provided at cost; students must use their own funds to purchase the cards.
How to Indicate the Expected Degree on the Printing Department's Online Order Form
- Leave the field under the "Degree Designation (optional)" heading blank.
- In the field under the Title(s)/Classification (required for faculty and staff)" heading, enter the name of the degree and the year you expect to graduate. Example: Jane Smith, Journalism, M.S., 2012. It's also acceptable to enter less-specific information such as "Master's Degree Candidate" or to omit the year if it is uncertain when the degree will be granted to allow longer use of the cards. There is space to list two degrees on the cards.
University Volunteer Cards
Campus units may order business cards for those volunteering their time to the university. The card must include the name of the department, college or campus unit the volunteer is serving and should use the volunteer's personal contact information (home address, phone, email).
Order Business Cards
Order business cards online from Facilities & ServiceS PRINTING DEPARTMENT
