A folded business card is a standard card with one extra move built in: a center score line that lets it open like a miniature booklet rather than lying flat as a single panel. The most common version folds a horizontal card in half to create a small square, though a vertical fold works just as well depending on the layout. What that fold actually buys is space — roughly double the printable area of a flat card — without changing the footprint in a wallet or card holder, since a well-scored fold sits just as flat when closed. That extra room gets used a few different ways depending on the business. A service-based business might use the inside panel for a short list of offerings that wouldn't fit on a flat card without shrinking the type to an unreadable size. A restaurant or venue often uses the inside for a small map or directions. Some businesses use the inner spread for a loyalty punch card or appointment log, effectively turning the business card into a small utility card that gets kept and reused rather than filed away or discarded. Others simply use the fold for a design reveal — a closed cover with a logo or tagline that opens to a fuller message or image on the inside. Stock choice matters more here than on a flat card because the fold has to hold a crease cleanly without cracking the coating. A 14 pt to 16 pt cardstock folds reliably and keeps enough rigidity that the card doesn't feel floppy when open. Scoring before folding is what keeps the crease sharp and prevents the fibers on the outside of the fold from fracturing — an unscored fold on stiff stock tends to crack visibly along the bend, especially on darker inks or laminated surfaces where the white core of the paper shows through. A gloss or matte laminate adds some resistance to wear at the fold line from repeated opening and closing. When laying out a folded card, it helps to think of it as two connected panels rather than one continuous design — content that reads correctly closed (the "cover") and content that reveals itself opened (the "interior"). Keep essential contact information, like a phone number or website, on the outside cover so it's visible without opening the card, and reserve the interior for supporting detail. Because the fold adds a production step, folded cards typically run in smaller minimum quantities than flat cards, which suits businesses ordering a distinct, higher-impact card rather than a bulk giveaway stack.