Staples speeds up business card service

Staples Inc. unveiled today a nearly real-time program for printing business cards at its copy-and-print centers nationwide.

The Framingham-based retailer of office supplies is calling the new service "Business Cards in Minutes."

The service aims to make it easy for customers to design, proof, and print professional quality business cards in as fast as 30 minutes, the company said.

According to Staples, printing business cards is a growth opportunity as everyone from "teens to soccer moms" are using highly personalized cards for social purposes.

The Staples service allows customers to print as few as 100 cards at a time, compared to the industry-standard minimum of 250, the company said.

"By offering this new convenience, Staples is doing for business cards what 'instant photo' did for photo processing," Staples vice president of business services Rob Schlacter said in a statement.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)