Printing
Playing Cards
A guide to printing onto playing card
stock using an inkjet printer.
By Alex Robertson
Introduction
I’ve experimented with several ways of getting an image onto a
playing card over the years.
The method I’m sharing with you is the most effective one I have
found so far. It leaves a good finish on the card making it suitable
for use with sleight of hand without the risk of the ink smudging.
It’s perfect for printing just one or two cards if you want to test
out an idea, or perhaps you want to add a company logo to a
magic trick and need to make one up quickly; but if you want
to make a lot of cards I’d recommend you get the cards printed
professionally.
There are two main challenges with using this method:
• Having the printed image be centered on the card
• Sealing the ink so that it doesn’t smudge
I’ll share my technique for both. They are easy to do and I hope
you find them useful.
Enjoy!
Best,
Alex
If you use this technique you do so at your own
risk, neither I or the distributor of this PDF are
responsible for any damage you may do to
yourself or your property.
You will need:
Photoshop
You can do it without this program, but you will find it much easier using photoshop.
An inkjet printer
I’m using a HP Deskjet 3055A but this technique should work with most other inkjet printers
A4 card
The card should ideally be similar in thickness to a playing card, I’d recommend about 250 GSM but if it’s a bit thinner it
doesn’t matter too much.
Craft knife (Exacto knife)
Shipping tape
You can use scotch tape but I’d recommend a tape that is wide and thin.
A plastic storage file box
This isn’t necessary for the printing, but if you are making the template you’ll need something to store it in.
A blank card to print onto
I’m using Double Blank Bicycle Cards in this example, available from the good folks at Vanishing Inc Magic.
A shoebox
This is for when you spray the card. You could also use newspaper but a shoebox is much easier to carry if you are
taking it outside to spray.
Double sided tape
A respirator
You should always wear a respirator when
spray painting, especially if you are not in a
well ventilated area.
Clear Matt Sealer spray
The one I’m using is by Plasti-Kote
Method:
Step 1:
Print out the single layer called Black Borders onto a sheet of
card. It’s possible that it will be slightly off centre, so it’s a good
idea to write “Top and “Bottom” on the paper so you know what
orientation to load it into the printer next time.
Step 2:
The image will probably not be exactly the same size as a bicycle
card, so use double sided tape to stick a playing card over the
image. Take some time and try to get it perfectly centred, if you
flip the paper over and hold it up to a light source you should be
able to see how accurate you are.
Step 3:
Use a craft knife (or exacto knife) to cut around the playing card.
You should end up with a sheet of card with a playing card size
hole in it:
Step 4:
Turn the card over and cover the hole with shipping tape, this
is what you will use to hold the card in place while it is being
printed. It’s a good idea to try to take some of the stickiness off of
the tape at this point, you want it to be enough to hold the card in
place, but not so much that it’s difficult to remove the card later.
Step 5:
Add the card you want to print by sticking it to the tape, you
should find that it fits perfectly in the hole that you cut out, the
tape will hold it in place.
Step 6:
Load the card into the printer, (make sure it is orientated the same
way that it came out of the printer) and then print your design.
Step 7:
Allow it to dry for a few minutes. When it is dry carefully remove
the card. At this point it is important NOT to touch the ink, it will
smudge because it will not set properly on the playing card. You
won’t need the template until you print again so for now you can
store it in the plastic folder.
Step 8:
Stick some double sided tape to the back of the card, and position
it inside the shoebox. The reason I do it this way is because we are
about to spray the card with the matt sealer. Positioning it inside a
shoebox makes it easy to take outside, and then you can close the
lid to protect it while it is drying.
Step 9:
Spray the card with the matt sealer. It is important to do this in
a well ventilated area, and I recommend you use a respirator. If
you’ve never used spray paint before you might want to practice
before you try with the card. You shouldn’t need very much to
completely cover the card.
Step 10:
Leave it to dry, the drying time will vary but I usually leave it for
around half an hour. After that time you can remove the double
sided tape from the card, and voila! Your card should be ready to
use.
Thanks for reading.
