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Playing Card Finish Types & Styles
Finishes are applied on top of your printed project for the purpose of adding protection and artistic style. When choosing a finish, you will need to decide between either varnish or lamination.
Playing Card Finish Types
The finish type (varnish or lamination) protects the ink and prevents scratches.
Varnish is the most common finish type used for playing cards. This liquid gloss finish is applied by the offset printing press to seal in and protect the ink. Lamination is the most protective finish and makes your cards water resistant. Lamination is a thin polypropylene film that is applied after the printing process is complete. Lamination is available in gloss and as an anti-scratch matte lamination (discussed below).
Matte (Anti-Scratch)
Anti-scratch matte lamination is highly recommended if you prefer a matte style and your card artwork has a large coverage area of a dark color. Regular matte is more prone to showing scratches on dark ink, which is why we offer anti-scratch matte-lamination via the custom quote option.
If you’re interested in reading more about creating card games, be sure to check out our custom card game hub. This part of our site contains all the information you need to know about creating a card game – beyond just the standards listed here, this hub also contains detailed information on all the types of materials and packaging types we offer for your game. We’ve also analyzed popular card games to figure out what makes them work – and how you can apply these principals to your custom card game. There’s lots more to explore, like interviews with card game creators who have printed with PrintNinja, and special features you can add-on to your card game to make it stand out. Check it out!