Design Tools
Everything you need to design cards for print.
Card templates, finish layer setup, packaging dielines and release ideas in one place, for designers, agencies and creative teams building files for a Trading Card Memories project.
Card templates
Start from the right size.
Each template has a front and a back with the bleed, cut line and safe zone on a separate GUIDES layer that won’t print. Open the PDF or SVG in your design app, put your art on the ARTWORK layer, and hide the guides before you export.
Standard card, portrait
2.5 x 3.5 in finished. The classic trading card.
Standard card, landscape
3.5 x 2.5 in finished. Keep the top of the front and the back on the same long edge, so the card flips left to right.
Working in a pixel editor? Start a 2.75 x 3.75 in canvas at 300 ppi (825 x 1125 pixels) and drop the PNG overlay on top as a guide layer. Need a 5 x 7, a jumbo or another size? Ask and we’ll send a matching template.
Finish layers
Foil, etch, gloss and numbering, set up right.
Every finish is its own page, the same size as the card and lined up with it. Solid black means “put the finish here” and white means “leave it off.” Your quote lists which finishes your project has.
Holographic and foil
Ink is see-through on foil. Black on the WHITE page puts solid white ink under faces, names and panels; leave it off where the foil should shine.
Etched lines on chrome
Black vector lines at least 1 pt thick and at least 2 pt apart. Only have flat art? Send it and we can build the etch.
Spot gloss
Solid black where the shiny coat goes, like a name or a logo. No soft shadows or gradients: gloss is on or off.
Numbers and autographs
A clear 3/4 x 1/4 in spot for serial numbers, and a plain light area at least 1 1/2 x 1/2 in for signatures, away from gloss and foil.
Relic windows and shapes
Tell us the window size you want and we send a die line before you design around it.
The guide walks through each finish with diagrams and the page order to send. Choosing a holographic board? See the foil patterns →
Finish layers guide (PDF)Packaging templates
Dielines for packs and boxes.
Flat art with the bleed built in. Each template has an ARTWORK layer, a non-printing GUIDES layer that names every panel and marks the parts to keep clear, and a DIELINE layer you can leave in. We switch it off to print.
Custom printed foil wrapper
6.75 x 5 in flat. Holds a stack of standard cards, sealed on the back with crimped ends. Keep words and faces out of the crimps and the fin seal.
Display box
Holds the packs, opens into a counter display with a pop-up header. The template names every panel and shows which way is up once it’s folded.
Worked example
Our own foil wrapper, front and back
We designed the Trading Card Memories pack on this same template. The front carries the logo and the shimmer; the back folds around the fin seal, so the QR code and the text sit on one side of it, clear of the tinted strips.
Need a 5 x 7 box with a pocket, a slab sleeve, a hanger tab or a custom box? Tell us what goes inside and we send a dieline sized to it. More on packs and packaging →
Artist and creator releases
Build a release collectors want to open.
A great release is more than a set of cards. It’s the wrapper people tear, the box on the shelf, the chase they hunt for and the piece they frame. Here’s what goes into the artist packages we produce, and ideas to take yours further.
Joey Feldman, Musical Portraits
Custom foil wrappers, art cards with tiered parallels, blank sketch cards for hand-drawn one-of-ones, and 5 x 7 prints for collectors who want something to frame.
See the release →Kickstradomis, Stay Drippin
A full box release: printed foil packs, a display box with a bonus 5 x 7 jumbo card in every box, gloss and foil parallels and numbered chase cards.
Foil wrapper packs
Your art on the pack itself. Tearing it open is half the fun, and the empty wrapper becomes a keepsake.
Display box with a 5 x 7 pocket
A box that holds the packs on the counter and a jumbo card in a front pocket, so every box has a centerpiece.
5 x 7 jumbos with upgrades
Holographic, signed, numbered or etched 5 x 7s sell as a box topper, a bonus or a premium add-on.
Uncut sheets
Collectors love a full press sheet of the set before it’s cut. Number and sign a small run and they frame them.
Parallels and chase cards
The same card on different foils, numbered to 50, 25, 10 and 1. A ladder of rarity keeps people opening packs.
Sketch cards and one-of-ones
Blank cards you draw on by hand, sealed into random packs. Nothing gets a community talking like a hit. More on sketch cards →
Autographs and redemptions
Signed cards, or a redemption card that collectors trade in for a signed piece, a print or a custom sketch.
Checklists and set completion
A printed checklist card, numbered sets and a reward for finishing the set give collectors a reason to keep going.
Planning a release? We help you choose the mix for your audience and budget, and build every template you need. Tell us about your release →
File checklist
Before you send your files.
- Size: 2.75 x 3.75 in per card side (2.5 x 3.5 in plus 1/8 in bleed), or the template size for packaging.
- Bleed: art and backgrounds run all the way to the edge of the page.
- Safe zone: names, numbers, logos and faces sit at least 1/8 in inside the cut line.
- Color and resolution: CMYK, images at 300 ppi at the size they print.
- Fonts: outlined or embedded in the PDF.
- Guides off: the GUIDES layer is hidden before you export.
- Page order: one PDF, one page per side: front A, back A, front B, back B. Finish pages right after the side they belong to.
- Names: files and finish pages labeled so anyone can read them at a glance.
Check your files
Our free print-ready checker shows the cut and safe lines on your actual cards. It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Open the checker →Send your files
New project: start with a quote and we’ll set up where to send everything. Already working with us: upload to your project, or reply to your project email.
Start a quote →Questions
Designer FAQ
Which design apps do the templates work in?
All of the common ones. The PDF keeps its layers in most professional design apps, the SVG opens anywhere that reads vector files, and the PNG overlay works in any pixel editor.
Can you fix my file if something is off?
Yes. We check every file before it prints and tell you what needs a change. If you’d rather we fix it, file prep is available, and your quote shows the price.
Do I need to add crop marks?
No. Send each side at the full size with bleed and no crop marks. We lay out the press sheets and cutting ourselves.
Can I send RGB files?
We prefer CMYK so the colors you see are the colors that print. If you send RGB we convert it, and bright blues, greens and purples may come out a little duller on paper.
How do I set up a card that is mostly foil?
Use the WHITE page. Anything that should look solid gets 100% black on that page, and anything left white lets the foil shine through. The finish layers guide shows it step by step.
Can I get a template for a size that isn’t here?
Yes. Tell us the size or the packaging you have in mind and we send a matching template with the bleed, cut and safe lines.
Ready when you are
Bring your designs. We’ll handle the rest.
Tell us about the project and we’ll reply with a quote, usually within 1–2 business days (a little longer during busy stretches).