Paper business cards are a thing of the past. Everyone has one, and they don't really convey anything special. In our modern age, we're just as likely to take a photo of it and throw it away. So how do you make an impression? Change the game. Instead of paper, these cards are made out of printed circuit boards. Instead of having to manually copy information off the card, tap your phone to instantly transfer your information. Don't have NFC? No problem, the back has two customizable QR codes, perfect for your website, portfolio, or LinkedIn profile. These cards are fully reprogrammable, so you can update the data stored on them whenever you need to.

What is it?

The business card is composed of a 0.6mm thick PCB in the standard business card size (3.5"x2"), along with a NT3H1201 NFC IC, an LED, NFC antenna, and a few support components. This means that every time you scan it, the LED will light up, magically harvesting power from the device that's scanning it. That's right, no batteries!

This listing includes 5 cards, with a customizable front and back.

Why did you make it?

I initially created this as a way to look into the design of antennas and NFC technology for a class project. But after making a few for myself, I ended up making several more runs for my friends and colleagues. Now that I have the production process down, I want to share these with other students like myself, and give them a tool to differentiate themselves in the marketplace.

What makes it special?

• Fully reprogrammable, up to 2kB capacity (plenty for contact information, link, or even small images)
• Onboard LED lights up when scanned
• Antenna is integrated into the edge of the card
• The components are encased in a bubble of resin to keep them safe from damage

Compatibility

These cards are compatible with any NFC equipped device. Some devices may need a dedicated app to be able to read these tags, including iPhones after the iPhone X. Android phones that are NFC equipped generally read these cards without issue, just turn on NFC and tap the tag to the area where the scanner is.

I've tested it with the following models. If you try another one, and it works, please let me know so I can add it to this list.

Production Time

Each of these boards is custom made, sent to a manufacturer in China for PCB production, then hand assembled in the USA. Because of this, there is an extended lead time of about 3 weeks from order to shipment. If you need them sooner than that, please reach out. We offer shipping nationwide as well as local pickup in Mesa, AZ, USA.

Customization

The back and front are totally customizable. The easiest way to customize your order is to create a copy of our template, available on Canva here. Make a copy of it, then modify the content to match what you want on your design. Once it's ready, share the link with us through the contact us button on our store page.

We also have a stock design available perfect for students, with a single QR code on the back, contact information on the front, and a person logo in the middle (take a look at the last photo in the listing). We can get this one out the door usually faster than a fully custom design.

If you decide to make a fully custom design, keep in mind a few things:

• Keep the design single color, we're only able to print in white.
• Try to stay away from large filled areas, the printing process sometimes leaves these a little splotchy.
• Don't put anything outside the red border, or in the red keep out zone on the board (that's where the electronics are)

We'll reach out after you place your order to get the design information and contact information you want programmed on the NFC IC.

Programming

The NFC ICs on the business cards can be reprogrammed by any NFC equipped smartphone. The NFC tools app works well for this, and it's available on Android and iOS