Trading Card Printing
Ride-alongs
What is a ride-along?
When we use offset (CMYK process) printing for a trading card project, we can fit 100 different cards on a single 28” x 40” sheet.
But sometimes, the project requires less than 100 cards- so part of the sheet would be empty, or blank.
Sometimes we use those extra slots to print promotional cards, or small vanity sets. Occasionally, if there are many slots available, we open it up for others to have their cards printed inexpensively.
Any Ride-along cards would need to match the material, inks, and finished size of the print run.
Ride-along artwork guidelines
Some ground rules for what is on the cards:
- Legal copyright. Either your own original art, public domain,, or substantially transformative if/when sampling other artworks.
- Reasonably tasteful. No outright pornography or exceptionally outrageous imagery.
Digital artwork file requirements
Best file specs:
CMYK mode
300 dpi (up to 600 dpi for art with small details)
Pure black (not rich or 4 color black)
Separate files for front and reverse sides
PDF format
Outline fonts, or provide copy of fonts
Overprint black
Less best files:
Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop PSD
TIFF or PNG
Worst:
JPG
Filenaming preference:
<cardname><cardnumber>front.pdf
<cardname><cardnumber>reverse.pdf
i.e. “wombat01front.pdf” and “wombat01reverse.pdf”
Link to latest trading card template
The Deal:
You send in artwork, then we print, cut and box for shipping.
We’ll calculate shipping costs, and you pay us for the cards + shipping
Then we ship to you.
Next print run with ride-along slots available
August 2024
Material and quantities
Material is “chip-back” 18pt cards stock. This is clay coated white on the fronts, and raw brownish flat cardboard on the reverse. Vintage 80’s style material.
Front of cards: material is white on this front side, for full color artwork.
Example of chip-back stock. This is the reverse side of the material. Any areas white or blank in your artwork will reveal the chip.
Card size is 2.5” x 3.5”. Artwork can have bleed (color to the edges) but artwork files must be 2.75” x 3.75”.
How many slots available
Sheet with total print run of about 800 copies. ($50 per slot)
none available, all of the 13 have been reserved
Sheet with a total print run of about 1600 copies. ($90 per slot)
none available (12 of the 12 are reserved)
Digital artwork deadlines
– For first time card designers, or those on a learning curve, August 6th. This will give some time to review and time for any revisions
– For those with experience preparing files for CMYK printing, August 8th. Our plan is to go to pre-press Friday, August 9th.
For more information, or to reserve a slot, please use this form: