How sampling works: from artwork to a deck you have actually held

A custom deck is approved twice: once on screen, once in your hand. The sample is where most problems get caught — before a print run makes them expensive.

What to send

Five things are enough to start a project review:

• Your artwork. Vector is ideal, but a clear raster file works for a first look.
• Intended use. A hotel giveaway, a retail collection and a licensed venue have different requirements.
• Card material preference. Paper or full PVC.
• Packaging requirements. Box style, and whether the deck ships with accessories.
• Target market and order timing. This drives packaging, carton labels and shipping documents.

You do not need a finished file to start the conversation. An early review usually saves a round of sampling.

The sampling window

Once artwork is approved, sampling runs 7 to 10 days. During that window the card body, print and box are produced at the real specification — not a digital mock-up. What you receive is what would be printed at volume.

Sampling starts from USD 50, and the fee is deductible on orders above 5,000 decks. On standard items a free sample is often possible, which is worth asking about before paying for a custom one.

What to check when it arrives

Hold it in the light you will actually use it in, and check these four:

1. Colour. A brand colour on a matte surface reads differently to the same colour on gloss. Approve both together.
2. Thickness and snap. This is the feel difference between a cheap deck and one people keep.
3. Box fit. The box should hold the deck without rattling and open without tearing.
4. The card back. It is the side that stays visible on the table, and the one most often under-designed.

Where things usually go wrong

Almost every delay we see comes from one of two places: artwork approved before the colour target is settled, or packaging decided after the deck is signed off. Settle both at the sampling stage and bulk production is uneventful.

Bulk production runs 25 to 30 days after the sample is approved.

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