Hard Copy Postal Proofs – Everything You Need to Know

We offer an optional hard copy postal proof – a real printed plastic card created using the same machinery, materials, and production process as your final order.

This is ideal if you’d like to check the final print quality, colour output, and ensure that QR codes, barcodes, or magnetic strips scan correctly before full production begins.

What You’ll Receive
• A few identical sample cards printed on our production presses
• Made to final spec: 760-micron thickness, laminated and cut to size
• Accurate representation of colours, finish, and any functional features
• We also keep file copies here for consistency

Why a Postal Proof Is Useful
While our email proof is perfect for checking design layout and text, it can’t replicate how the final colours or materials will look in print. The postal proof shows it all – colours, sharpness, finish, scan functionality, and more.

It’s especially helpful for:
• Large orders (typically 5,000+ cards)
• Colour-sensitive designs
• Projects with variable data, QR/barcodes, or magnetic strips

Costs and Turnaround:
• First postal proof: £65 +vat
• Additional/revised proof (if artwork changes): £35 +vat
• Timeframe: Around 5 to 6 working days to produce and dispatch
• Full order production: Around 7 working days after approval

Is It Required?
Not at all – the postal proof is completely optional. Most customers choose not to include one, as it adds time and cost to the order. However, it’s a great peace-of-mind option if you want to see and feel the final product before we print in bulk.

Would you like to add a hard copy postal proof to your order?
Just let us know!




Behind the Scenes: How It’s Made
There is a lot of work involved to produce the plastic cards, unfortunately it isn’t the case of clicking on “Print” and 1 card pops out of a desktop card printer 😢

What we do is print 21 plastic cards to a sheet and once printed we then laminate them with heat and pressure between clear pvc sheets which takes them up to the 760 micron thickness and then cut to the plastic card size and shape.

Even one sample requires full production setup – which is why there’s a cost involved.

You will receive a few identical cards in the post and we keep a few here as file copies.

In all honesty we rarely send postal proofs for orders, they are great but most people choose not to have them as they do cause a delay in printing the full order and of course they add £65 +vat to the order.