What File Format Should I Send to a Card Printer?
The right file format means your cards print exactly as designed. The wrong one means problems — colours that shift, logos that print soft, or files that need reworking before they can go on press.
Here is exactly what to send and why.
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The bottom line up front
Send a print-ready PDF. Specifically: a PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 exported from a professional design application, set to CMYK, 300 dpi minimum for raster elements, with 3mm bleed on all sides and crop marks included.
Everything else is a compromise. Some card printers accept other formats; that does not make them ideal.
PDF — the right choice
PDF is the industry standard for print-ready artwork for a reason. It embeds fonts, preserves vector paths, contains colour profile information, and can be checked by prepress software before it goes on press.
PDF/X-1a: older standard, CMYK only, no transparency — very safe, widely accepted.
PDF/X-4: supports live transparency and layers — fine for modern digital printers.
Regular PDF: usually fine, but make sure you have flattened transparency and embedded all fonts before exporting.
Vector vs raster — know the difference
Vector artwork (created in Illustrator, CorelDRAW, etc.) uses mathematical paths and scales infinitely without quality loss. Logos and text should always be vector.
Raster images (photos, JPEGs, PNGs) are made of pixels. For print, you need a minimum of 300 dpi at the final print size. A logo that looks sharp on your website at 72 dpi will look blurry on a printed card.
What about other formats?
AI / EPS: acceptable if your printer requests native files. Make sure fonts are outlined.
TIFF: acceptable for raster-only artwork at 300 dpi+ in CMYK. Large file sizes.
JPEG: only if 300 dpi at print size, CMYK, and no heavy compression artifacts. Not ideal — irreversible compression.
PNG: RGB by default. No bleed. Generally not suitable for professional card print unless the printer specifically accepts it.
Word / PowerPoint / Canva exports: avoid. They are not print-ready and create predictable problems with fonts, resolution, and colour mode.
PSD: Photoshop native. Some printers accept it. Flatten layers, embed colour profile, 300 dpi minimum.
Bleed — do not skip this
Cards are printed on sheets and then die-cut. The cut is never pixel-perfect. Without bleed — artwork that extends 3mm beyond the card edge — you risk a white border appearing on one or more edges of your finished card.
Standard plastic card size is CR80: 85.6 x 54mm. Your artwork canvas should be 91.6 x 60mm (3mm bleed all around), with your important content (text, logos) kept at least 3mm inside the trim edge as a safe zone.
Resolution check
Check your effective resolution, not your document resolution. An image placed at 200% of its native size is running at half its stated dpi. A 150 dpi image placed at 100% will print soft. Use Photoshop or Illustrator's link info to verify actual output resolution before you send.
Quick checklist before you send
- PDF (X-1a or X-4 preferred)
- CMYK colour mode
- 300 dpi minimum for all raster elements
- 3mm bleed on all sides
- Fonts embedded or outlined
- Important content kept within the safe zone
Ready to send your artwork?
We check every file before it goes on press and will flag any issues before we print. If you are unsure about your artwork, get in touch and we will take a look before you commit to an order.
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