Plastic Card Printing
— everything answered

Email your artwork or artwork requirements to sales@cpcards.co.uk. If you need a quote first, use the quote request form — we aim to reply within 10 minutes during business hours. There is no online checkout; every order is handled personally by our team.

We aim to email your quote within 10 minutes during business hours. Use the quote request form and our sales team will respond fast. If you have an urgent enquiry, email us directly at sales@cpcards.co.uk.

The minimum order is 25 cards. Whether you need 25 for a small club or 25,000 for a national rollout, we can quote for any quantity. Larger quantities bring the unit cost down significantly.

Pricing depends on quantity, card type, and any extras such as RFID chips, variable data, or specialist finishes. The best way to get a price is to request a quote — it takes less than a minute and we reply in around 10 minutes. We also run special offers on popular quantities; check the special offers page for current deals.

We can supply sample cards so you can assess the print quality and feel before placing a larger order. Contact us via the enquiry form or email sales@cpcards.co.uk to discuss sample options.

We supply to everyone — sole traders, limited companies, clubs, charities, schools, and private individuals. If you need plastic cards, we can help regardless of the size or nature of your organisation.

Yes. We regularly run special offers on popular quantities of plastic business cards and other card types. See the current deals on our special offers page.

Yes. If you cannot supply print-ready artwork, our studio can design your card from scratch. We work from a document, a rough sketch, a photograph of your existing card, or one of our example designs. See the design service page for full details and pricing.

We accept PDF, EPS, AI (Adobe Illustrator), PSD (Photoshop), and high-resolution JPG or PNG files. For vector formats (PDF, EPS, AI), all fonts must be outlined or embedded. Full specifications are on our artwork guides page.

Yes, always. Once we have your artwork or requirements, our studio produces a free photorealistic email proof showing exactly how your card will look when printed. Nothing goes to print until you have approved it in writing.

Raster images (JPG, PNG, PSD) should be at least 300 dpi at actual print size. Vector files (PDF, EPS, AI) are resolution-independent and preferred for artwork containing text or logos. Full details on our artwork guides page.

Yes — for professional results, artwork should include a bleed area and keep important content (text, logos) within the safe zone. Our artwork guides page has exact measurements and template downloads. If you use our design service, we handle all of this for you.

We print in full CMYK. For best colour accuracy, supply artwork with your brand colours set to CMYK values. If your brand uses Pantone references, we will convert to the nearest CMYK equivalent — be aware that some vibrant Pantone colours cannot be perfectly replicated in CMYK. The photorealistic proof we send you gives you a realistic representation of how colours will print, so you can check before committing.

Yes. The proof stage is exactly for this. Reply with your requested changes and we will revise the proof until you are happy. Once you give written approval, that version goes to print — so make sure everything is correct before you confirm.

We print a wide range including: plastic business cards, membership cards, loyalty cards, gift cards, event passes, hotel key cards, RFID smart cards, combo cards, key fob cards, biodegradable cards, EcoTough cards, plastic-free board cards, frosted translucent cards, satin black cards, metallic cards, and white plastic cards.

Yes. Loyalty cards are one of our most popular products for hair salons, beauty salons, barbers, nail bars, spas, and similar businesses. We print full-colour loyalty cards with stamp boxes, QR codes, barcodes, or any layout you need, from a minimum of 25 cards. See our loyalty cards page for more.

Absolutely. We print membership cards for sports clubs, social clubs, gyms, professional associations, charities, schools, and more. Cards can include member names, membership numbers, expiry year, barcodes, or QR codes. See our membership cards page.

An RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) card contains a chip and antenna embedded inside the plastic that communicates wirelessly with a compatible reader. They are used for access control, hotel room entry, cashless payments, and loyalty systems. Yes, we supply custom-printed RFID smart cards. Visit our RFID smart cards page for more information.

Yes. We supply custom-printed hotel key cards with RFID or magnetic stripe technology compatible with your existing door lock system. Contact us with the details of your lock system — the chip specification, frequency, and encoding requirements — and we will advise on the right card. See our hotel key cards page.

Yes. We offer three sustainable options: biodegradable plastic cards that break down in landfill conditions, EcoTough cards made from recycled materials, and plastic-free board cards for customers who want to avoid plastic entirely.

Yes. We print full-colour gift cards to credit card size. Note that we supply the printed cards — if you need the cards to be loaded with monetary value or linked to a payment system, you would need a separate gift card software provider. We print the cards; the technology layer is a separate decision. See our gift cards page.

A combo card (also called a carrier card) is a full-size card with one or more smaller punch-out cards attached — for example, a standard card with a key fob card or mini card integrated into it. Useful when you want to give a customer both a wallet-size card and a keyring version in one piece. See our combo cards page.

Our standard plastic cards are 0.76mm thick — the same gauge as a standard credit or debit card. This gives the premium, rigid feel that people associate with quality. Some specialist card types (such as board cards) have different thicknesses; ask us if this is critical to your project.

For full-colour printed cards, we offer both gloss and matt laminate finishes. Gloss is vivid and high-impact; matt has a premium soft-touch feel and hides fingerprints better. Specialist cards such as metallic, satin black, frosted translucent, and white plastic cards use hot foil printing rather than standard laminate.

Standard cards are made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), the same material used in bank cards. This gives durability, flexibility, and a premium feel. If you need an alternative material — biodegradable, recycled, or paper-based — we offer eco-friendly alternatives including biodegradable PVC, EcoTough, and plastic-free board.

Hot foil printing uses heat and pressure to transfer metallic foil or white ink onto the card surface, creating a striking visual effect not achievable with standard CMYK printing. We use this process on our metallic, satin black, clear frosted, and white plastic cards. The result is bold, high-contrast, and premium-looking. See the individual product pages for examples.

Yes. Standard PVC plastic cards are waterproof, scratch-resistant (particularly with matt laminate), and built to last in a wallet. They are far more durable than paper or card alternatives, which is the whole point. The print is sealed within the laminate layer, not on the surface.

Yes. Double-sided printing is available and is standard practice. The reverse of the card is often used for terms and conditions, a barcode, contact details, or loyalty stamp boxes. Supply artwork for both sides and we will proof both before printing.

Yes. Free delivery on every order within Great Britain. No minimum spend, no hidden delivery charge added at checkout.

Standard turnaround is typically 5 to 7 working days from proof approval. The clock starts when you approve your proof — so if you approve quickly, the order moves quickly. If you have a firm deadline, tell us at the point of ordering and we will do our best to accommodate it.

Faster turnarounds may be available depending on our current workload and the type of card required. Contact us before ordering to discuss your deadline — we will tell you honestly whether we can meet it. Do not assume express is available without confirming first.

Free delivery covers all of Great Britain — England, Scotland, and Wales. For Northern Ireland and international addresses, contact us for a delivery quote before ordering.

Cards are packaged securely to arrive in perfect condition. If you have any specific packaging requirements — for example, cards split into packs of a certain quantity — mention this at the time of ordering.

All our standard plastic cards are printed to CR80 credit card size: 85.6mm × 54mm. This is the internationally recognised standard for credit and debit cards, and fits in any standard wallet. Key fob cards are a different form factor; see the key fob page for dimensions.

Yes. We can print variable data — individual names, sequential numbers, unique barcodes, QR codes — across a run of cards. Supply your data as a spreadsheet and we will map it to the card template. Contact us to discuss the best way to set up your data file.

Yes. Barcodes and QR codes can be printed on your cards — either a single code on every card, or unique codes per card (variable data). Supply the data and we will generate and position the codes. QR codes should encode your URL or data; we print them, we do not host or manage the destination.

We supply cards with various chip options including MIFARE Classic, MIFARE DESFire, and other common RFID/NFC chips. The right chip depends entirely on your reader infrastructure. Contact us with your system requirements — the lock brand, existing chip type, or system supplier details — and we will advise on compatibility.

Yes. We can supply cards with magnetic stripes (HiCo or LoCo) and/or signature panels on the reverse. These are added at production. If you need encoding on the magnetic stripe, let us know what data needs to be encoded and in which tracks.

Every card is printed and manufactured in England. We have been manufacturing in England since 1992. We do not outsource production overseas. This matters for quality control, turnaround times, and for customers who care about buying British.