Metallic Rack Cards

Entice customers with metallic rack cards that stand out at first glance. Add metallic accents to your hotel logo or call attention to a list of premium massage services.

We print metallic rack cards in the standard 9” x 4” dimension and on durable 16 pt cardstock. Its thick weight adds to the luxurious impression of your business.

Choose among three finishes on the front or back sides of your metallic rack card.

High gloss UV

• Allows colors to pop and come out in vivid detail
• Gives the rest of your card extra shine and gloss
• Ideal for deeper, darker colors that complement the light, metallic hues

Uncoated

• Complements the extra shine from the metallic elements
• Provides a writable, elegant surface

Spot UV

• A shiny high gloss coating applied to specific areas
• Creates a varied texture on the surface
• Apply it on details customers seek or need to know

Metallic Printing File Requirements

Keep in mind the following file requirements below as you create a design using our downloadable templates:

1. The font size should be a minimum of 7 or 8 points. Avoid printing small text or fine lines in metallic.
2. Border and stroke must be more than 1.5 points.
3. Images and artwork should be at least 300 DPI.
4. All files should be in CMYK color mode.

How to Prepare Your Design for Metallic Printing

1. Apply metallic printing on lighter colors. The effect won’t be as apparent in darker colors.
2. Create two layers to distinguish the elements printed in ink from the elements with metallic printing. Both files should have the same size.
   1. The regular CMYK layer shows which elements are printed in ink. Apply 15% K on the area that will be printed in metallic color.
   2. The metallic printing layer only shows the elements that will appear as metallic. The element(s) that will be printed in metallic colors should have the same location as seen on the CMYK layer. Apply 100% K on the metallic area and white on the areas with no metallic printing.

   The images below show the difference between the two layers:

   
3. Alignment is crucial to the file preparation process. The CMYK and metallic printing layers should both have the same size. Common elements must be in the same position on both layers.
4. Check for a white "halo" around the knockout area or where two colors overlap on the layer. To prevent this effect on the CMYK layer, grow or stroke the metallic area in mask by 1 point. This allows the metallic silver to blend with the CMYK area, which reduces the appearance of a halo. Alternatively, you can add more color to the knockout area to reduce the halo effect.

How to Add Spot UV Elements to Your Artwork

You can also print artwork with both metallic and spot UV elements.

This requires a third layer that shows the spot UV areas, which you can create through the following steps:

1. Apply a 100% K to the areas with spot UV printing.
2. Make sure the spot UV layer has the exact same size as the CMYK and metallic printing layers.
3. On the CMYK layer, add a 1/16” gap between the spot UV and metallic areas.