Core77

Hello in a Handbasket: A 3D-Printed Business Card

By Ray Hu - February 5, 2013

in Digital Fabrication

Well, we butchered the locution, but only because the product at hand is kind of confounding in and of itself: business mavericks and mavens alike can now introduce themselves and distribute their deets in 3D. At one-inch in each of three dimensions, the CallingCube is billed as "the premium business card they won't throw away": "Unlike flimsy paper business cards, the CallingCube is hollow with solid walls, and features standard indented text and logos for a premium weight and feel."

The CallingCube originated at Ohio-based digital fabrication outfit 3D Bakery, who set out to reinvent the traditional business card. The result is a 3D-printed cube allows professionals to "differentiate yourself in today's overcrowded marketplace [and] stand out from the crowd" with the patent-pending product: "Don't end up in their desk drawer. End up on their desk!"

Wheras even the most memorable wooden and QR-printed cards abide by the standard wallet-friendly format, the CallingCube defies convention—and arguably convenience—as a plastic tchotchke. Nevertheless, the company notes that "the CallingCube isn't a replacement for normal business cards. It's designed to be given to your most promising sales leads and contacts (trade-shows, networking events, one-on-one sales meetings, dream-job interviews, etc.)."

The CallingCube is available now at $299 for 80 of 'em... as the saying goes, yea or nay?

Thanks to Neil Brennan for the tip!

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Hayden Tapia

7 years ago

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In 3D world walking up with paper business cards can throw you out of the run from business world. Outdated techniques and tools make you feel inferior in the crowd so better switch to the latest technology and grab your best deserving place. For your reference you can go through https://www.plascards.com/plastic-business-cards-composite-p-6.html to decide your best option. But before making any decisions just draw a comparison of various options and the benefits that you can avail from its usage. This will help you to go for the best option.

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thomas

11 years ago

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Kind of defeats many of the purposes of a business card. Boring though they may be, subverting the main standards is a good way to get your card chucked.
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Vijay

11 years ago

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I hope you guys at Core posted this up as a joke.

This idea is just ridiculous. Here we are trying to reduce clutter in our lives, enable ease of use, in fact trying to get rid of the idea of a business card - and this object comes in.

This is not solving any problems. And clients don't want to hold on to square little pointy objects, where would they even store it? It's very novel yes, but then it becomes garbage. The idea is for them to keep your card.

It is YOU that makes the impression; NOT your business card.
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Scott W.

11 years ago

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What does this cube do that requires it to be 3D printed? I imagine there's tons of other cheaper, more sustainable, more efficient ways to make a little cube and then put really boring words in really boring fonts on it.

Give me a small bust of you or your CEO, or a miniature version of your products, or something with any kind of complex geometry and cool-factor and I will be glad to have it. Hell ecen custom dice with your logo on it would be cool. But give me a cube? Whoop-de-freaking doo.

Maybe because I have a Makerbot my ability to be wowed by the fact something was made using an additive process is diminished, but I don't think that's the only reason I give this a thumbs down.
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bob

11 years ago

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This thing would hurt me if I sat on it.
maybe if they rounded all the edges/corners, made it flatter, and out of paper.

I love the lego brick concept though- business info pad printed on the side of a lego
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will

11 years ago

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Nay. This is pure novelty. Business cards are flat and fit in your pocket nicely. I would consider this cube to be a nuisance if someone gave it to me.
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michael

11 years ago

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This business cube will be very unique type by its style itself. It can be used on the table as a paper weight too. Easily find-able against your other business cards.
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Steve

11 years ago

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It's certainly an interesting concept. We've done trade shows and are always trying to have giveaways that stand out. Business cards never worked for us. We used mini-CDs for a while and die-cut magnets. So, we'd be willing to give it a try. I can see someone leaving it their desk, at least for a little while. Not sure if that would translate into sales later on, but anything that would make a potential client hold on to my info for a little while longer is something I'd be interested in.
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nadia

11 years ago

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It might be neat to collect these and build little structures on your desk... but at that point, why not just have your info printed onto the sides of a LEGO brick?
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Andrew Moore

11 years ago

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Nay. Once the novelty of the object wears off, it's clutter. At that price point, you'd be much better off printing your business info on a USB flash drive that not only has intrinsic usefulness, but can be loaded with digital content for later viewing.
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