Pictures:

^ Version 1.1, the old version

^ Version 1.2.1, the newer version

^ Version 1.2.2, the card rotated 90 degrees

^ stacks of both

Skills used:

Rhino CAD software

Description:

After I cut version 1.1, I realized the 0.09 inch thick slabs of basswood were excessively large and bulky. In addition, I thought the somewhat sketchy logo was too… well… sketchy to be used on a professional card.

In response to this, I overhauled the design and logo, and put it on 0.032 inch thick birch plywood, a third the thickness of the old design. This served a double purpose, because it also burned black as opposed to dark brown, which is critical for the readability of the QR code. This design is far superior in that regard, and every QR code is readable in most lighting, whereas the old version required a very specific angle.

Also, I really liked how the hole in the card let the light through. This influenced the current design, and I ended up incorporating a mesh grid of diamonds to the design for just this purpose. It made the printing take quite a while longer, but I am happy with the result. So happy in fact that I decided to cut another version of the card rotated 90 degrees (1.2.2), and am happy with that as well.

I do have some leftover 1.1 cards that I will hand out when I get the chance.

 

Pros:

• Looks far better than 1.1.
• Is far thinner than 1.1.
• Incorporates my new logo.
• Looks cleaner than 1.1.
• The QR code works better than 1.1.
• Looks professionally made.
• Extremely creative, and draws attention to me in a stack of others.
• As many of my fans (a rather grandiose term for “people who know me”) understand, I like to bend the rules of professionalism (see “water bottle résumé” and “light-up duct tape tie”), and this is right up my alley.
• I, for one, have always liked the smell of burnt wood. Must be from my boy scout background.

Cons:

• I need a laser cutter to cut more. I am thinking of building a desktop version dedicated entirely to this purpose, but that Is way down the line.
• Still a little bit thicker than a regular paper card.

Opportunities for improvement:

Get a bigger laser cutter. Cut it out of Steel.

Conclusion:

Far superior to my original version in terms of QR code readability and overall looks. I am quite happy with it, and the only real improvement I can think of is to get it cut out of steel. One day…