Social and professional cards should be engraved either on copper or steel; plain, readable type should be used. Ornate scripts that are hardly legible should be avoided. Ordinary script type is permissible, but it must not be fancy or comprised wholly of swinging flourishes. A plain letter is always preferable. The ordinary Roman type, or any new modification of it, or Gothic lettering, is always in good taste.
When a large quantity of cards is desired, the copper-plate should be requested, as the greatest number of clear impressions can be taken from it. Requests may also be made of the stationer to use an embossed plate so that the letters stand out in relief. The color should be white or cream. Other colors are in bad taste, although sometimes buff and pale blue cards are used by professional men and women. The stock should be thin; not as thin as paper, but much thinner than that used for other kinds of cards.
Cards are engraved with the owner's name and address, or with the name alone. If it is a professional card, the word "Artist" or "Attorney-at-law" or whatever the profession happens to be may appear in the lower left-hand corner. Military men may also print their rank or position in this corner, as may also professors and others holding a title of distinction.
The engraving of names and addresses should never be in any color but black. Black engraving on a pure white card is the best form for the social card. Gilt letterings are an indication of ignorance, and so are brightly colored engraving or highly tinted paper.
SIZE OF CARDS FOR WOMEN
Each new visiting season brings with it new fashions in cards—fashions that chiefly affect the size of the card. Thus it would hardly be practical to state definitely correct sizes. But we will give here the approximate size for the woman's visiting and social cards, and exact information can be acquired from one's personal stationer or from one of the current magazines which run special departments to take care of matters of this kind.
When a lady's card bears her name only, it should never measure more than two and seven-eighths inches in length and two and one-eighth inches in width. No card should be smaller than two and one-half inches in length and one and seven-eighths inches in width. A double card, on which the names of both mother and daughter or both husband and wife appear, should be about three inches and a half in length, by two and one-half in width. No decorations of any kind should be used on a card.
Polite society at the present time favors pure white, unglazed bristol board about two and two-thirds inches in length by two and one-eighth inches in width.
SIZE AND MATERIAL OF CARDS FOR MEN
It is usual for a man's card to be narrower and the least bit shorter than a woman's. The ordinary size is two and five-eighths inches by one and three-eighths inches, but like the woman's card is subject to change. The stationer will be able to give definite information regarding the size of the man's card at the present time.