Printing these cards — one page for your print shop

Show this page (or read it out) at the shop. Getting these seven things right is the difference between cards that fit a lanyard pouch and cards that do not.

1. 1

   Print at 100%, never "Fit to page"

   In the print dialog set Scale to 100% or "Actual size". "Fit to page" shrinks everything by a few percent and the cards come out slightly small — which nobody notices until they do not fit the pouch.

2. 2

   A4, portrait, single-sided first

   The sheet is built for A4 in portrait. Print the fronts page first and check one card against a debit card before running the whole job.

3. 3

   For double-sided cards, use long-edge flip

   The backs page is mirrored left-to-right for exactly this. Choose two-sided printing, flip on the long edge, and each back lands behind its own front.

4. 4

   Paper: 300 GSM card stock, or inkjet PVC sheet

   300 GSM matte or glossy card stock is the common choice and cuts cleanly. Inkjet PVC sheets (the kind used on Epson L-series printers) give a proper plastic card. Ordinary 80 GSM paper works only if the card will be laminated.

5. 5

   Cut on the corner marks

   Each card has four faint corner marks. Line the guillotine to the marks, not to the artwork edge. Standard card size is 85.6 x 54 mm — the same as a debit card, so keep one nearby to check.

6. 6

   Laminate after cutting

   Seal each cut card in a lamination pouch. For blank write-in cards, print, write the names by hand first, and laminate last — ink will not take on a laminated surface.

7. 7

   Punching for lanyards

   Punch at the top centre. Our portrait designs keep that strip clear, so the hole never lands on a name or a photo.

Cards made free at siddhixsys.com/id. Printers and shops are welcome to keep this page handy for customers.