We print in bulk to get you our best pricing per card! Our runs typically consist of sets of 250 cards, so our immediate pricing is based off of those increments.
Need a custom quantity, no problem! You can customize the quantity of any of our products on the site, but please note that since we print in sets of 250, the quoted pricing could be very similar to the pricing for the increment of 250 cards above your desired quantity.Adding foil to your order does require a few extra file steps, but the impressions it leaves are well worth it! In order to add foil to your product, we will need your files sent over in one of two ways. Please note that vector files are always recommended for a clean foil application. This avoids any jagged edges on foil due to pixelation in your files.
You can send us the layered version of your file, which is usually in one of the following formats: .ai, .psd, .pdf, or .eps. From there, you can specify in the names of the layers, or the order notes, on which layers or areas you would like foil applied.
You can send us the foil and print files separately in the file formats we accept. When sending print and foil files, the foil areas should not be indicated on the print file. Foil areas should also not be blank on the print file. The print should continue the area behind the foil as if nothing is affecting it. Foil files can be sent as black and white masking files, where the black areas indicate where the foil is to be applied.
If the foil area takes up a majority of the card, we recommend that you consider going with a custom “No Lamination” option for that side of the card. If foil is applied to our laminated stock, such as silk or suede, in large areas, the foil could flake with normal wear. Going with No Lamination will allow the foil to stay on more effectively when added in large areas.
Our colored edges are the perfect finishing touch to make your cards stand out. We offer a wide range of standard inks, fluorescent inks, metallic inks, and foils that can be applied to the edges of your cards. We also have the option of providing a custom ink color to be added to your cards.
What colors can I add to the edges of my cards?
All colored edges done in ink do have to be a Pantone or PMS color. We are not able to print CMYK ink on the edges of the cards. If you have a custom PMS color you would like to use on your cards, we would need you to provide us with the PMS color code, and we will check to make sure we have this ink color.
Our selection of colors is vast, but the colors we carry are typically 3-4 digits in length, and end in a “C” or a “U”. The “C” or “U” refers to how the color looks on a coated or uncoated stock. When choosing a color, one should ensure they are looking for a color that corresponds with the type of stock it is being printed on. The edges of our cards are always uncoated.
Colored edges often coordinate with the colors on your cards, but getting an exact match may be difficult for a few reasons. First, the edges of the cards are uncoated, and the face of the card is usually coated. This causes a difference in color. Additionally, we typically print the face of the card in CMYK, while the edges of the card are always PMS inks. We could get close if the build of the CMYK is close to the PMS inks, but can’t guarantee that they will match exactly. We do offer the option to print on the face of the cards in PMS ink as well, but the printing method on the edge of the cards is different from printing on the face of the cards, so there will be slight variances. We can get it close, but it won’t always be exact.
Foil edges
Foil edges can be a showstopper for your cards! The foil options for the edges of cards are the same as foil options for the edges of cards, so we can match them exactly.
One stipulation of foil edges is that they can only be applied to cards with straight edges. No custom shapes, or cards with rounded edges or corners. If you need to have those rounded edges, we recommend going with a custom ink edge instead of foil.
If you are wanting a metallic edge color, but your design won’t allow for straight edges, we do have our metallic ink options! We offer a metallic gold, silver, and copper ink edge. The metallic silver edge is very subtle.
Metallic ink edges do reflect light, just not as dramatically as our foil options. They have more of a shimmer than a reflection, but they are definitely eye-catching!
Bleeding risk for colored edges
You may have noticed on our proofs that there is a note on a few of our products that the colored edges could bleed slightly to the face of the cards. This is mostly a risk on the following cardstocks: Cotton, and linen. These cardstocks are more absorbent and ink application could cause a slight bleed to the face of the cards.
Another risk for bleeding is when the colored edge color and card color have a very high contrast, such as a white card with a black edge, or a black card with a metallic silver edge.
Bleeding with the colored edges is very slight, but will be more noticeable on the more absorbent stocks, or with higher contrast colors.
Standard Die Cut - General Shapes
A standard die cut should be used to get a basic cut on your cards. A standard die cut cannot get sharp corners, or precise intricate cuts, but more the approximated shape. Standard die cuts are done with a general die creation, and do have limitations in what can be cut. A design done with a general die cut that has sharp corners, such as a square, would give you the general shape of the design, thus giving you a square with slightly rounded corners.
Laser Cut - Precise/Intricate Cuts
Our laser cuts allow for intricate and precise cuts for the shape, or elements of the design on your cards! Laser cuts, unlike general die cuts, allow for sharp and precise corners in your designs. Please note that we do not recommend doing a laser cut on the following card stocks, as there is a risk of burn marks on the cards: Cotton, linen, or Suede finish cards that are white in design.
Premium - Precise/Intricate Cuts
A Premium cut has very similar capabilities to our laser cuts, but instead of being done with a laser, it is done with a die creation. This option does need to be custom quoted, but it does have benefits for certain designs! A premium die cut should be selected if you need an intricate cut on a stock that could be negatively affected by a laser cut. This would be stocks such as cotton, linen, or white suede cards, as a laser cut on these stocks could cause some burn marks around the edges of the cut. Because our premium cuts are done with an intricate die creation, these
File Creation
Like our other options, files for a die cut add-on need to either be sent with a masking file, or indicate the die cut in the layers of the file. Please note that we do still require the print file to have bleed around the edges of the die cut.
Additionally, below are some file requirements for each type of die cut.
All die cuts:
We require a thickness between cuts of at least 4mm to glue down a cut on a multi layer card. Not all areas of the cut must be glued down, but we do recommend allowing for that spacing in major connection points of your design for more stability.
Standard Die Cut:
The space between each cut must be 1.2 mm or larger, and the width of the cut itself must be at least 2mm.
Laser Cut:
The space between each cut must be 1.2 mm or larger, and the width of the cut itself must be at least 0.6mm.
Premium Cut:
The space between each cut must be 1.2 mm or larger, and the width of the cut itself must be at least 1mm.
Cardstock requirements
We are able to do any of our types of cuts on any of our stocks, but the capability of the design can be amplified by the cardstock!
For example, our 16pt cardstock is a one layer card, so all cuts on this card would need to go through the entirety of the card. But if you were to switch to a 32pt card, which is two layers, you would be able to cut out a design through just one layer of the card, to show print behind that cut on the back of the second layer! You then have the full backside of the card to add your contact information. A three layer card then gives you the ability to cut a design into both sides of a card while still having a full layer in between the two! Therefore, if you are wanting a cut to go only part way through a card, you would need at least a two layer card.
*Please note that die cuts on one layer of a Cold foil card do have to be custom quoted
Debossing is texture add on, created by pressing in a portion of your design! This add-on is best showcased on our cotton card stock, as cotton is more malleable and can retain the impression of your design.
On other card stocks, such as silk or suede, debossing may not be as pronounced as on our cotton card stock. Debossing can only be pressed in as far as the paper will allow without tearing. Additionally, if the card has multiple layers, if the top layer is debossed, then when the layers of the cards are put together, the other layers could press back up the debossing slightly.
Please note that we cannot do embossing on our Onyx suede cards, as the card stock is too thick.
Our embossing is a wonderful texture add on, created by pressing up a portion of the design into the cards! How raised the embossing is can be affected by a few variables, such as the cardstock, the design, and card usage.
Cardstock can affect the embossing, as different card stocks are more malleable, such as cotton, and a design can be pressed further into the paper. Linen on the other hand, is a cardstock that already has an embossed texture, so embossing another design into the linen won’t be as noticeable. Since embossing is pressed into the stock, a one layer card, such as our 16 pt stock, would show the opposite impression on the backside of the card. To avoid this, opt for one of our two layer stocks, so that the embossing can be done on only one side.
The design can be more noticeable when embossed in smaller areas, rather than a larger area. If a large area is embossed, you will most likely just feel it around the edges of where it is embossed, opposed to the middle of that large section. This is because the edge of that design will contrast more with the unembossed areas.
Card usage can also affect the embossing, as the normal packaging and use of a card can slightly press the embossing back to the level surface. The texture will still be there, but it may be dulled over time.
Please note that we cannot do embossing on our Onyx suede cards, as the carstock is too thick.
If you have an expectation of how raised the embossing will be, please always let us know, so that we can do our best to meet that expectation!We offer our rounded corners in various sizes, including 3mm, 6mm, and 9mm. This measurement refers to the radius of the corner, with 3mm being the smallest, and 9mm being the most round cut.
Need a custom rounded corner cut? No problem. Any custom rounded corners, including just two or three of the corners being rounded, would just be considered a custom die cut. Simple custom rounded corners can be done with a standard die cut, or a more intricate corner design could be done with a laser cut.Spot UV is a thin layer gloss that can be applied to specific areas of a design. We also offer a Raised UV and Dusting UV option. Our spot UV pairs well with our matte finishes, to add some shine in important areas of your design, or add contrast to the matte background.
Raised UV
Raised UV is a couple layers of the Spot UV, giving it a glossier look, and more raised finish.
Raised UV cannot go all the way to the edge of the design, as it will crack when the cards are cut. To avoid cracking, we can apply Raised UV almost to the edge, but not quite. This could create a small gap between the edge of the card and where the UV stops, and could vary slightly per cut. The other option is to opt for Spot UV with embossing instead of raised UV. Spot UV can bleed off the edge of the design with no cracking.
Raised UV also cannot be combined with our embossing option, as the raised UV can crack when the embossing is pressed into the card.
All areas that are white in your files that have raised spot uv over will result in an off white color. If this isn’t the look you are going for, we recommend changing the option to a spot UV.
Dusting UV
Dusting UV is our Spot UV, mixed with multi color glitter. The different glitter colors mixed in can vary based on what we have in stock at the moment, but you are welcome to reach out to us to see what we have in the mix at the time.
Our embossed numbering is offered in both 13.5pt and 18pt. Embossed numbering is the process of pressing up numbering into the plastic cards, like the raised numbering on a credit card. This does create an indentation on the opposite side of the card.
We also offer gold or silver foil tipping for this add on. We can also do our other foil colors on the card, but that option does need to be custom quoted. This is the process of adding foil to the raised surface of the numbering. Doing so makes the numbers stand out, as well as gives it a more clean appearance, as pressing up the numbers into the plastic does stretch out any print that is in those specific areas.
Our 18pt font is comparable to the numbering size on a credit card, whereas the 13.5pt font is similar sizing to the raised name and expiration date on a credit card. Our 18pt embossed numbering only allows for numeric characters, and our 13.5pt numbering includes alpha-numeric characters. Both allow for varying numbering or names to be added to each specific card.
A custom QR code can add a few unique features to your cards! We can encode your QR code either as a link to a website URL, or as a Virtual Contact.
If used for a website URL, then scanning the QR code can take your card users directly to your website, sign up page, or any other site destination, as long as we are provided the correct URL! This URL would need to be specified in your order notes, or in an email to us, so we can create the QR code accordingly.
If used for a Virtual Contact, scanning the QR code would bring up your contact on your customer’s smartphone! Simply send us the contact information, we create the QR code, and when your customers scan your card, your contact will pull up instantly for them to save to their cell phone.
Virtual Contact QR Code Specifications
Your Virtual Contact QR code can contain the following information: First Name, Last Name, Organization/Company, Phone(Work), Phone(Mobile), Email.
You can provide this information either in the order notes when the Custom QR code item is added to your cart, send over the information in an email, or we can send you a link to fill out a form! If you need additional information in that QR code contact, we are happy to check to see if we can add what you are looking for, but note that the more information you have on that QR code, the larger it needs to be on your cards to scan.
Website URL QR Code Specifications
Your Web URL QR code can link to one website address, which should be provided to us in full when the order is placed, or via email!
QR Code Approval
Having a custom QR code does require a second step of approval! This information on the QR code is custom, so we want to verify that it was created correctly, and that it pulls up your accurate information. Once we have reviewed your order and received the information to encode your QR code with, we will send you a copy via email of the QR code. From there, you can scan the QR code, verify that it works, and review the information to make sure all is correct. Because we will have sent out that QR code for review, the approval of your printing proof will be taken as approval that you have reviewed the QR code, and that all information on that QR code is correct and functioning properly.
If you have any questions on that QR code, you are welcome to let us know and we are happy to correct any mistakes prior to proof approval.
Variable data is the printing of varying numbers or data onto each individual card. This can be used to number your cards with different numbers, add a specific name to each card, and much more! We charge our variable data per line, and it comes in a generic font. We can either do the variable data sequentially if given a starting number, or we can do a specific set of numbers/information if given a spreadsheet.
We offer our variable data in two formats. Either solid or dot matrix, which varies mostly in how it looks on your cards. Solid variable data looks just as if you had printed out the numbers as normal, with the numbering being composed of solid lines. With dot matrix, the numbers are composed of dots. For example, the number 1, instead of being a solid straight line, would be a line composed of a row of dots.
Solid variable data can only be done on our plastic gloss stock, whereas the dot matrix can be done on our silk or gloss stock plastic stock, or our paper stocks. Both of these variable data types do require that the area behind is white, so if you are wanting to add variable data onto a colored background, we will add a white box in that area to your proof.A signature panel is an application of a white, writable surface that is added to a specific area on our plastic cards. This allows for a space for a signature, or even a place for someone to add their name, or notes on the card.
We offer our signature panels in white, or by custom request, we can do clear. Signature panels are also charged per side, not area. We can add multiple lines of signature panels, or a signature panel in a specific rectangular size.
File creation for your signature panel is quite simple. You can either let us know in the order notes where you would like the signature panel added, or indicate in a separate layer or file where you would like the panel to go. We recommend that you don’t leave a blank white space in the print of your design where the panel is to be applied, but instead continue the design as normal in that area. If you were to have a blank white space, and the signature panel application is just barely off, you will notice the change in print underneath that slightly offset area.
With the correct information, we can encode cards to properly work with any system. Our magnetic stripes do not come with the number printed below the stripe, but we can add it with the addition of our variable data option.
Our magnetic stripes are currently encoded in either Track 1 or Track 2 and the strengths we currently offer are either Hi-Co or Lo-Co.
Your POS provider will have the necessary information your system requires, as well as what magnetic strength will be necessary (Hi-Co or Lo-Co).
If there is a specific list of numbers your POS system requires you to use, please send it as an Excel spreadsheet.
On our frosted and clear plastic cards, we offer a white blocking option. This adds a mostly opaque white area on your cards prior to printing, in the areas you specify. You can then add print on both sides of that white blocking without the print on either side interfering.
We recommend not having the white blocking and print try to line up exactly, especially in small areas, as the white blocking may not line up perfectly.
