Can You Print on Both Sides of a Plastic Card?
Yes — and in most cases, you should. Double-sided printing is standard across the industry and typically adds a modest cost compared to single-sided. Most professional card printers default to offering both options.
View our plastic card printing options
Why both sides matter
Your card front carries your brand — logo, name, design, membership type. Your card back is where the functional and legal information lives — barcode, magnetic stripe, website, terms of use, contact details.
A single-sided card either wastes the back completely or crams everything onto one face, which usually looks cheap and creates design problems. Double-sided printing costs a little more but produces a significantly more professional result.
Front — what goes here
- Company logo and brand colours
- Card type or tier name (e.g. Gold Member, Loyalty Card)
- Customer name if personalised
- Card number if printed (not just encoded)
- Design elements — imagery, patterns, finishes
Back — what goes here
- Barcode or QR code
- Magnetic stripe (if applicable — this occupies a defined zone on the card back)
- Signature panel (if applicable — below the magstripe)
- Website, phone number, social media handles
- Terms and conditions reference or short T&Cs
- Small print — Property of [Company], security wording
Design constraints for the back
If your card has a magnetic stripe, the stripe occupies a specific zone defined by ISO 7811 — a band approximately 12mm wide across the full width of the card, positioned to standard height from the top edge. You cannot print over the stripe itself. Your back design must work around this.
Similarly, signature panels have a defined position and size. If you are adding both a signature panel and a barcode, plan the layout carefully — there is limited real estate on a CR80 card back.
If your card has RFID or NFC, there are no physical constraints on print layout — the chip and antenna are embedded internally and invisible.
Finishing options
Both sides can have gloss or matte laminate applied. Spot UV, metallic foil, and other premium finishes can be applied to the front only or both sides depending on the printer's capabilities.
If you are specifying a magnetic stripe, note that the stripe side is typically gloss-laminated as standard (for swipe durability). The card front can have matte or gloss as desired.
When single-sided makes sense
Single-sided printing is appropriate if: the back will be encoding-only (magstripe with no printed design), you have a tight budget on a very large run, or the card application is temporary and appearance of the back is irrelevant.
For any customer-facing loyalty or membership card, double-sided printing is the right choice.
Ready to order?
We print plastic cards single or double-sided, manufactured in England with free UK delivery. Design both sides — it makes your card look professional and gives you space to include everything it needs. The cost difference is small.
View our plastic card printing options or get in touch to discuss your design.
