After getting BoingBoing‘d the other day, I’ve been inundated (or something similar) with questions about how you make, acquire, or design for metal business cards. Here are some answers:

• How were they made? The cards were produced using a process called photochemical etching.
• Where did you get them made? The Hand + Eye cards were produced by Acu-Line in Seattle. There are other outfits around the country, but Acu-Line was the one closest to me. I was very pleased with the result.
• Will the metal cut you? The metal is thick enough that a flat piece with a smooth edge, with most normal handling, will not cut you. After the photochemical etching, the cards are deburred to smooth the edges, removing any metal snags. However, if you design the card with sharp corners, they are capable of scratching and poking, which is why rounded corners are recommended.
• How much does it cost? At the time they were made, these cards were roughly $1 each to produce, but that price appears to have gone up.

That’s the basics. Acu-Line, or some other outfit, is best able to answer production questions.

Tomorrow, I’ll post something more specific about designing for metal cards, especially the cool bendy stuff that gets three-dimensional.