How to Design Your Own Plastic Card for Printing
Instead of spending hefty amounts of money on production companies and graphic designers to make plastic cards, create them yourself at home. You'll be able to set your own dimensions, such as for a business-card size item, phone card, gift card or even plastic instruction manual card, along with adding your own images, designs and text. Use your computer's Microsoft Publisher, included with most Microsoft Office Suite installations, and design a plastic card ready for printing in just a few quick clicks.
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Instructions
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Determine the size of your card, which will let you know how much space you have for design elements and how many cards you'll be able to print per page. A credit card's dimensions are 3.370 inches by 2.215 inches.
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Decide whether you want front and back printing, and if so, whether you'll be printing two-sided or printing two separate pages and then attaching or laminating them together. Many basic, small home printers cannot print double-sided.
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Select your graphics, photos or logos for the card. Free clip art is available online and through your Microsoft Word and Publisher programs in the Microsoft Office Suite.
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Choose the information for the card, such as your contact details---phone number, email address, website, name and any information about your product or service.
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Open Publisher and select "File," "New," then "Blank Publications." Double-click the "Index Card" option; don't worry if that's not your plastic card size; you'll change it in the next steps.
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Click "File," then "Page Setup." Change the dimensions as preferred, such as 3.370 inches by 2.215 inches. Notice the "Printing options" section; this tells you how many of your plastic cards can print on a single page. Click the "OK" button when satisfied.
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Click the "Text" tool, which looks like an index card with an "A" on it, on the "Tools" palette all the way on the left side of the screen. Drag a rectangle on the card with your mouse; a text box forms. Type your card information. Highlight the words, then choose a font, color and size from the text toolbar at the top of the screen. Add more text boxes as required.
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Click the "Insert" menu, then choose "Picture," then "From File." Browse to where you have graphics for the card located on your computer, such as a logo. Double-click the image and it appears on the card; drag it into place. Repeat to add any more graphics.
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(Optional) Click the "Insert" menu, then choose "Picture," then "Clip Art." Pull down the "Search in" menu and check all the boxes. Pull down the "Results should be" menu and check "Clip Art," "Photographs," or both boxes. Type a word into the "Search for" box, then click the "Go" button. Scroll through the results and double-click images to add them to your card.
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(Optional) Click the "Format" menu, then click "Background." Choose a background design to serve as wallpaper or backdrop for the entire back of your card; it will not cover up your images or text. Click the "More backgrounds" link for more options, such as tie-dye, sunbursts or textures, or to use your own image.
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Tips & Warnings
Divide the standard page of 8.5 by 11 inch sizing by the dimensions of your card, then you'll know how many cards per page you'll be able to print.
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You can design your own card, then email it or save it to a disk and send it to a printing company if you don't want to do your own printing. Check with the company to determine the exact file types they require.
