While most templates for rack cards can handle all the important settings for you, it is important that you should still try to understand all the technical details about them. If you are truly serious about printing rack cards for your purposes, you should try to know all the ins and outs of printing rack cards so that you can deliver the right kind of print for your goals.

So let me give you all the basic technical details that you need to know for your color rack cards.

1. Typical rack card sizes – While you do have the creative freedom to create your own type of color rack cards with a customized size, in most cases, you will want to use more standard commercial sizes. Not only is this easier for you in terms of getting rack card templates, it also makes the process of printing those rack cards easier since most rack card printing companies can print them quickly and easily.

a. 4 by 9 inches – Standard small type rack cards

b. 7.857 by 9 inches – Medium style rack cards

c. 11.875 by 9 inches – Extra long and large type rack cards

2. Common paper thickness used – Rack cards typically need to be thick of course since they are cards. However, the specific thickness usually depends on the availability of paper materials in the warehouse of your printing company. Typically you will want your color rack cards to be printed with paper that has a thickness/weight from 80lbs to 120lbs. Any thinner and you will be looking at flimsy flyers really, and any thicker and they will be a bit heavy for easy distribution. Remember to ask your rack card printer though the standard ones they use for rack card printing.

3. Common paper materials used – Besides the paper weight, you will also need to know about the paper material itself. Typically, rack cards are printed with smooth and coated type paper materials to make them look very professional and of course make them resistant to dirt and moisture. However, there are also other more customized paper materials that can be more appropriate for different marketing situations and projects. Here are the typical options that are available for rack card paper materials.

a. 1 side coated – This configuration has paper material that is coated on one side with glossy coatings. Much like color postcards where the cover looks shiny while the back is rough and writable

b. 2 side coated – This paper material has both sides coated with the glossy finish. This is perfect if you want full color designs in the front and at the back of the custom rack cards.

c. Uncoated – This is the cheapest option for rack card printing, but the least impressive one. You just have a standard uncoated material for this option, it does not gleam but it is easily writable. Perfect for form rack cards.

4. Typical rack card color configurations – Finally, we have the technical considerations for rack card colors. The best configuration that everyone uses these days is of course full color rack card printing. This is the default option for most printing companies and it should be the default color option for you as well.

If you need to save money though in rack card printing, you do have the option to lose the colors and have the rack cards printed in black and white. This may decrease the cost by as much as 20%-50% but of course it will not look as impressive as they should be. So decide very carefully which color configuration you want to choose.

So those are the important technical details that you will want to know about for color rack cards. Once you remember these things, you will be able to easily choose the best options for your custom rack cards.