34+ InDesign Rack Card Templates – InDesign
Completing any kind of design project is now easier thanks to the advent of different computer software geared to address any digital design needs. A few examples are Microsoft Paint where you can create simple images and basically draw pictures using simple tools. If you want something more advanced, there is Adobe Photoshop, a raster image editing tool. There is also Adobe Illustrator, a vector image compositing, and editing software. And finally, there is Adobe InDesign, a desktop publishing computer program that allows you to create, format, and publish content in various formats. We are only talking about a few examples from Adobe since they dominate the market in the digital design realm, but know that there are a lot of other software programs available.
However, in this short guide, we talk about Rack Card templates and specifically how the desktop publishing software Adobe InDesign contributes to the daily lives of graphic artists and designers all around the world. In this guide, we will also share a few tips on how to create effective rack card templates and showcase 30 different rack card templates in the InDesign file format.
Simple Marketing Agency Rack Card
Agency Rack Card Template
Sample Advertising Agency Rack Card
Spa Rack Card Template
Royal Resort Rack Card
Simple Advertising Consultant Rack Card
Car Show InDesign Rack Card Template
Corporate InDesign Rack Card
Multipurpose InDesign Rack Card Template
Creative InDesign Rack Card Template
Restaurant InDesign Rack Card Template
Education InDesign Rack Card Template
Elegant InDesign Rack Card Design Template
Halloween Rack Card InDesign Template
College InDesign Rack Card Template
Why you should use InDesign rack card templates
When creating a rack card, one of the factors you need to consider is how you should begin the design project. You need to ask yourself if you prefer to create a card design from scratch or if you will be using a design template. There are pros and cons associated with each choice, but let us highlight the different advantages you get to enjoy when you opt to use InDesign rack card templates.
- To save time. Image editing and compositing software mainly serve to make life easier. In the same vein, using a rack card design template in an InDesign file format will let you save precious time in creating a card design from scratch. For small and medium business owners, these time savings could translate to more time spent on other core business processes. For graphic artists hired to create a rack card design for a company, you will be able to complete the rack card and proceed to another paid work. Isn’t that a good way to spend your work time instead?
- To streamline your design creation process. Adobe InDesign is mainly a desktop publishing software, but it includes different image editing and compositing functionalities. When you are creating a rack card design, you need to juggle between image editing and arranging all text and images into a cohesive layout design. When you use an InDesign card design template, you do not have to switch between different programs. This saves precious design creation time and you also gain an organized repository of all your design (images, text, etc) elements under one file.
- To save costs on other software programs. In connection with the previous advantage, exclusively using an InDesign rack card template inadvertently allows you to save on separate software subscription or license fees for each program that you use. For instance, Adobe Systems, Inc. sells their software through a monthly subscription plan for its entire Creative Cloud Suite and a different monthly subscription plan for those who are looking to use only select Adobe programs. If you think you are only going to use the desktop publishing, layouts, and minor image editing features of a program, it may be best to subscribe to the standalone Adobe InDesign software plan.
- You need to incorporate other design elements into your rack card design. It is important to remember that rack cards are a unique mix of informational and advertising material. Therefore, a rack card design will include paragraphs of text about the specific service, organization, thing, or event that the rack card was created for. When designing card projects like this, you need to be able to easily add other design elements into the card design file. This is all possible when using Adobe InDesign. You may import both vector and raster images from Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator into any existing Adobe InDesign project. Even if the rack card template that you have chosen already has the built-in text boxes and layout options, you will still need the flexibility to add other design elements like professional business logos to high quality background images.
- You need to incorporate your rack card design into other design projects. Cross-platform integration is relatively easy with any Adobe software program. So if you are thinking of transferring your InDesign Rack Card Template into a PSD or AI file, it is totally possible. There also are other computer software programs that may open InDesign file formats. Using an InDesign card template gives you a degree of flexibility in storing and accessing your rack card design files.
- To save on professional graphic designer fees. Another important advantage of using an InDesign card template is that you do not have to hire a professional graphic designer to do the card design creation for you. If you do not know how to use Adobe InDesign yet, there are a lot of tutorials available online. Graphic designers may also use pre-made InDesign templates available online to help create any commissioned design project. So if this is the case, why not just create a rack card design yourself? You may also consider learning how to use Adobe InDesign as a new skill you can add to your resume.
- You already know and have Adobe InDesign installed in your computer. It would make sense to use an InDesign template to create a rack card if you already have the Adobe InDesign program installed in your computer. InDesign allows you to start creative projects such as a card, brochure, flyer, eBook, newsletter template, and magazine. It also has a few image editing capabilities that will be invaluable tools for your job. There is no reason for you to forgo using Adobe InDesign if you already have the necessary skills for it.
Depending on your skill level and personal preferences, you may also have to explore and learn different methods of creating rack cards first before you can go the pre-made InDesign template route.
Art Gallery InDesign Rack Card Template
Bowling Rack Card Template
Harvest Festival InDesign Rack Card Template
Hotel InDesign Rack Card Template
Kids Club InDesign Rack Card Template
Kids’ Fitness InDesign Rack Card
Locksmith InDesign Rack Card Template Design
Pet Boarding InDesign Rack Card Template
Pizza InDesign Rack Card Template
Plumbing InDesign Rack Card Template
Who can use InDesign rack card templates
Adobe InDesign was created to cater to the desktop publishing market. As a computer program, it makes the jobs of print media creators more convenient. For example, college magazine template creation becomes easier and more democratized as anyone who is savvy enough to learn InDesign will be able to design even simple school paper editions. But aside from that, here are other groups of people who can benefit from using Adobe InDesign templates:
- Graphic designers or artists. It is primarily the task of graphic designers and artists to conceptualize and create a design that will translate well digitally and offline. Most professional graphic artists are well-versed in using different computer programs that are essential to their job. But just like any type of profession, people tend to get swamped with work. To help decrease one’s workload as a graphic artist, using pre-made InDesign templates will help them juggle all their deliverables.
- Business owners. InDesign rack card templates can be important to entrepreneurs who are just starting out in their respective industries. These pre-made design templates allow them to create their own advertising and promotional materials themselves. Depending on the type of business you are operating, you may look into different informational flyer designs and website banner templates to help strengthen your business’ marketing plan. If you decide to go with this plan, you do not need to create or purchase a separate card design template for each design project. You just have to rely on the same InDesign rack card template and only request for different printing options or website adaptation formats.
- Those in the tourism industry. The tourism industry deserves a separate entry in a list of people who will benefit from an InDesign rack card template because they mostly need to create rack cards to help advertise different tourist attractions and sites. And in a dynamic industry like this, information reflected on rack cards should be accurate and up to date. By using InDesign rack card templates, businesses and organizations operating in the tourism industry do not have to repeatedly create rack card designs for each card design revision. Instead, they can edit the rack card design straight from the original design template. This saves them both time and money. Remember that when redesigning a rack card template, you may also update the different design elements like the travel icons used in the card template.
- Students. Knowledge about any kind of computer software begins in a learning environment like schools and universities. Students who study graphic design or those just interested in learning the computer program will benefit from using pre-made InDesign rack card templates since it will allow them to use the software program in real time and learn along the way. Students would also need to sharpen their graphic design skills, and using InDesign card templates will allow them to do that. This way, they will have more time to create unique projects after using different InDesign rack card templates.
- Everyone else who knows how to use Adobe InDesign. It is only practical to use InDesign rack card templates if you already have knowledge of Adobe InDesign. Your job as a graphic designer of your own rack cards or your client’s rack cards will be easier if you use tools that are readily available to you. Practicality aside, using InDesign card templates will also allow you to finish your card design projects more quickly than if you create everything from scratch.
So those are the different individuals who may benefit from using InDesign rack card templates. This list, however, is not exhaustive. Different types of people with different professions and different skills may still use InDesign card templates if they wish to do so.
Property Sale InDesign Rack Card Template Set
Real Estate InDesign Rack Card Template
Retro Billboard InDesign Rack Card Template
Salon Banner InDesign Rack Card Template
Price List InDesign Rack Card Template
Stamp Collage InDesign Rack Card Template
Story Time InDesign Rack Card Template
Sweet & Cupcake InDesign Rack Card Template
Travel InDesign Rack Card Template
Valentines Day InDesign Rack Card Template
What are InDesign rack card templates?
To answer that question, let us first define what a rack card is. A rack card is a written document printed on a piece of paper or card stock that measures four inches by nine inches. These cards basically function both as an information guide and as an ad. Some marketers even describe a rack card as a fusion between a business card and a brochure as a marketing tool. Rack cards are essentially a form of print media advertising.
Rack card templates are files that serve as the base of a rack card design. And InDesign Rack Card templates are template files created and stored using the software, Adobe InDesign. Just like any form of design template, InDesign rack card templates allow its users to make modifications to an existing design template to transform a rack card design into a customized one.
How to make effective rack cards
There are different ways that rack card design templates may be created and stored depending on the original computer program that created them. For instance, there are rack card templates in Adobe Illustrator files, rack cards in PSD, and InDesign rack card templates. But whatever type of card design template format you choose, your card design needs to stand out against other rack cards or print media materials. An effective rack card is one that possesses a good card design and is able to capture its intended audience or market well. To create a rack card of such quality, here are a few tips that may help you:
- Select an appealing color scheme. Rack cards are usually placed in high traffic and conspicuous areas in a store or establishment. You may see them placed on top of a receptionist’s desk or on a store counter. That is why a card design needs to be striking enough for it attract anyone passing by. A rack card design’s color is one of the first things that tends to catch the attention of passersby. And when designing a rack card, this is among the first things that a designer should decide on. For instance, it may be best to choose complimentary or analogous colors on the color chart to make sure that your rack card design does not overwhelm the naked eye just by glancing at it. Selecting a specific color scheme for a company’s rack cards may also depend on the company’s official colors. Crafting a rack card based on this alone may be tricky since the company colors may not help with the brand’s recognizability as a rack card. If this happens, talk with your boss or client so that you may work out a better alternative.
- Spur the reader into action. Another quality that makes an effective rack card is having an effective Call To Action (CTA) message. A Call To Action are words or phrases that encourage readers to do something regarding the rack card’s message. Effective Call To Action examples are Find Out More, Buy Now, Register Here, Call 1-800 ASAP, Save More, Download Now, and a lot more! The type of call to action verbiage to use will largely depend on the kind of rack card you are creating. For example, a simple Shop Online Now call to action message may be used if you are creating a rack card for an online retail store. Rack cards about tourist spots, on the other hand, may benefit from designs sporting bold letters about tour package promotions or discounts.
- Include clean and good copy. In order to create an effective rack card, you should also make sure that the rack card does not include any grammar or spelling mistakes, formatting issues, and layout anomalies. When all these aspects are looked into, the rack card will boast of good and clean design copy. In addition, you should make sure to incorporate only bite-size pieces of information and memorable catchphrases on the rack card. If you need to add more information, limit this to one to two paragraphs of text interspersed between images. You may also check out the following link for different project layout templates.
- Choose good photos. As with any card design project, choosing good photos either as the main background photo of a flyer template or as an inner website page photo is an essential step. Your photo selection prowess should be excellent enough so that it will fit well with the rest of your rack card design. A rack card design’s image quality is another thing that rack card readers will notice first once they get their hands on a rack card. If the photos included in a rack card design are blurry or of poor quality, for example, the recipient of the rack card may not read and/or will altogether abandon the rack card. To ensure that your rack card templates maintain their image quality when they are printed out, it is best to use InDesign templates or card designs in PSD templates.
- Write business or personal information legibly. Another thing that you should keep in mind when creating rack cards is to make sure that the company or organization contact information is written legibly on the rack card. This allows potential customers or clients to easily visit your website or social media sites and increase customer engagement. Remember that a rack card acts as a marketing tool for entrepreneurs so you should do everything in your power to get an individual interested in your services or products. Aside from your business’ contact information, make sure to incorporate your business symbol and another brand logo into the rack card design. Doing this helps increase your brand’s recognizability to the general public. For new business owners, check this link for the definitive guide to creating your own company logo.
- Print in high-quality resolution. Once you have finished creating or customizing a rack card design template, it is time to print it out. At this stage, you should remember to set the highest printing resolution possible for your rack card template. This way, you ensure that what you see on your rack card template is what gets printed out. Also, remember to choose the CMYK color model if you want to have printed rack cards that match their true colors in the design template.
- Choose a good quality card stock or premium paper. If you are looking to print your rack cards at home, make sure to use high-quality card stock or thick premium paper. In this scenario, you may also need to invest in a good color printer. However, printing at home may only be applicable if you are printing a few pieces of rack cards. Printing rack cards in bulk may require you to use the services of a professional print shop. If this is the case, the print shop personnel can recommend different printing paper types for you to choose from.
- Consider other uses for the rack card. Another option for creating an effective rack card is by thinking of other practical uses or applications of such a card. Potential customers tend to become easily bored with regular four-inch by nine-inch standard rack cards and they may not pick up or read the rack card at all. To prevent this from happening to your own rack card design, you may start by thinking of other ways that you can transform a rack card design into something more useful. For instance, there are different business card design inspirations where business cards become strainers or eco-friendly seed sources. You may take a cue from these business card designs and apply it toward your own rack card designs. Customers (prospective and current ones) tend to appreciate a business’ creative efforts in gaining or keeping their loyalty.
Are you now ready to create your own rack card design using InDesign templates? Let the information listed in this article guide you to creating the best rack card that you can think of. If you have other design tips on creating a rack card, do not hesitate to leave a comment or share this post.
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