KENYA · GUIDE 0543 · EDITION 4.7
Business card design in Kenya: Equipment and Supplies
Buy for the acceptance standard
The procurement decision starts with the result you must deliver: No clipped text or incorrect contact data in the approved print proof.
Ask each named person to proof their own contact details and test any scannable link from a physical sample before approving the full printing quantity requested.
A tool or material is suitable only when it can support this specification at the pilot scale. Use the following shortlist as a starting point, not a compulsory shopping package:
- design software
- contact brief
- printer template
- proof checklist
Write comparable requests for quotations
| Resource | Questions for the supplier |
|---|---|
| design software | Confirm the precise variant, usable quantity, compatibility, delivered cost, lead time, invoice and remedy for a mismatch. |
| contact brief | Confirm the precise variant, usable quantity, compatibility, delivered cost, lead time, invoice and remedy for a mismatch. |
| printer template | Confirm the precise variant, usable quantity, compatibility, delivered cost, lead time, invoice and remedy for a mismatch. |
| proof checklist | Confirm the precise variant, usable quantity, compatibility, delivered cost, lead time, invoice and remedy for a mismatch. |
Ask for the exact unit or pack size, rather than accepting a price without a quantity. Where equipment is involved, check maintenance needs, safe operation, available support and whether you can obtain replacement consumables. Inspect a sample or demonstration where practical. A photograph and a low asking price do not prove suitability or available stock.
Connect procurement to the operating sequence
- Verify the clients exact name, contacts and role, then confirm card dimensions, printer requirements and included design options in the brief.
- Develop the layout using permitted assets, test readability at actual size and obtain a final spelling and contact-detail approval.
- Export the approved print file, check bleed and safe area against the printer instructions and record which party orders production.
At each step, identify the input whose absence would stop delivery. Arrange that input before accepting a deadline. Compare buying with suitable hire or a competent subcontractor, while keeping the responsibility for inspection and customer handover explicit.
Inspect before release to use
Retain the quote and check the delivered specification, quantity, condition and identifying details. Keep unsuitable items separate while you resolve the discrepancy. Record supplier identity and payment reference privately; do not post customer or supplier personal data in a public planning sheet.
Include artwork setup, individual name variations, proof rounds, print coordination, delivery, and reprints arising from late contact changes rather than assuming every card uses identical details.
Limit the first purchase to the agreed scope: Prepare cards for a defined contact purpose, verifying names, roles, phone formats, email addresses, brand assets, print finish, and who authorizes each person' s details before production. Expand the resource list only when actual orders and measured capacity justify it.
Exact procurement specifications for this offer
| Item | Specification to quote | Acceptance evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Approved logo/font files | Vector logo and licensed text fonts. | Check the logo owner supplied permission and that no low-resolution screenshot is used. |
| Printer artwork specification | Written trim/bleed/safe-area and colour requirements. | Confirm double-sided orientation before final export. |
| Actual-size proof | One A4 page carrying all six faces and QR samples. | Print at 100%, measure one card and scan the printed code. |
A usable quotation states the exact variant, comparison unit, minimum order, delivered quantity, tax, delivery charge, payment dates, expiry and exclusions. Obtain written clarification of substitutions; compare only equivalent scopes. Match the delivered item against the same check before releasing it to use.
Supplier evidence and limits
- Business-card base listing: KSh 8.00 per one card; minimum 100; 300 gsm/plain/single-sided/square; tier 100–249; captured size unspecified. Printred, Nairobi, recorded 2026-10-26. Not a price for this double-sided three-name design. Captured SpotUV option added 20/card and showed 2800/100; tax unspecified, artwork/delivery excluded; confirm exact configuration.
Any listing above is an earlier observation, not a fresh quotation or confirmed stock. Reconfirm suitability and landed cost. The supplier comparison in the operating pack separates purchase quantity from usable requirement when a minimum order creates surplus.
AI-assisted planning reference. Examples are illustrative. Editorial method and evidence limits.