Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

To ensure a smooth and efficient production process, we request that you submit your artwork as multi-page PDF files. A few hours spent preparing your files using our template guide can save days of revision and prepress time.

For Stapled Booklets

Please submit your multi-page PDF in reading order:

• Page 1: Front cover
• Page 2: Inside front cover
• Followed by all internal pages in sequence
• Final page: Back cover

This straightforward format allows us to produce your booklet exactly as intended, without the need for further rearrangement.

For Perfect Bound Books

Submit your multi-page PDF beginning with the inside front cover:

• Page 1: Inside front cover
• Followed by all internal pages in order
• Final page: Inside back cover

Your cover should be prepared separately, using our dedicated perfect bound softcover template. This ensures the spine, front, and back align perfectly during binding.

When artwork is supplied in RGB, it will be converted to CMYK for print by our press. This conversion process can result in noticeable differences between the colours you see on screen and those produced in print. For the most accurate colour reproduction, we recommend supplying all artwork in CMYK format.

Yes, Canva is an excellent free online tool that can be used to set up artwork for print. To make things even easier, we offer Canva-accessible templates which you can download using our online template calculator. This ensures your designs are perfectly aligned with our print specifications.

Step 1: Prepare Your Files

• Ensure your files are final and ready for production.
• Check they are in .pdf format.
• Name your files clearly to reflect their content (e.g., CardFronts.pdf, BoxDesign.pdf).

Step 2: Visit the Upload Portal

Go to www.ivory.co.uk/upload

Step 3: Enter Your Order Details

• Order ID – This is the unique number you received in your confirmation email.
• Email Address – Use the same email address that your quote was sent to.

These details ensure your files are matched accurately with your order.

Step 4: Upload Your Files

Our upload portal features a separate upload box for each component of your card pack. These typically include:

• Cards
• Leaflets
• Books
• Boxes

Select ‘Choose File’ or drag and drop your artwork into the appropriate upload box. Only upload files specific to that component in its designated section.

Step 5: Submit and Confirm

Once your files are fully uploaded and the bar turns green:

• Click the ‘Upload Files’ button.
• Wait for the confirmation message to appear – this means your files have been successfully received by our studio.

Once an order has been placed, our studio aims to provide your digital proofs within 48 hours. If you have not heard from us after this time, please get in touch.

Whether you’re finalising your design or just getting started, our in-house Studio is here to support you with three tiered services tailored to your needs. You can view our full tiered artwork services by going to Design Studio. Contact us via info@ivory.co.uk for a bespoke quote with exact pricing for your project.

Contact us at info@ivory.co.uk and one of our team will be able to advise the best designer for you.

Yes! We can print fully playing cards, or we can also print your design, photos, logo, etc. for the card back. Visit our Personalised Playing Cards page to learn more.

Yes! We can print fully custom card games with bespoke card amounts, sizing and packaging. Visit our Custom Card Game Printing page to learn more.

Yes! We can print fully custom flashcards with bespoke card amounts and packaging. Flashcards are a greta tool for educators, trainers and professionals who want to onboard clients. Visit our Flashcard page to learn more.

Yes! We can print fully custom tarot cards with bespoke card amounts, sizing, books and packaging. Visit our Custom Card Game Printing page to learn more.

No, we no longer produce board games and their specific components. But, we can help you with producing custom cards to go alongside your board game. Visit our Custom componentsard page to learn more.

While printed colours will never be an exact match to what you see on screen—due to differences in how digital devices display colour using light (RGB) versus how inks absorb and reflect light (CMYK), we use industry-standard methods to get as close as possible.

Our prototyping service is ideal for testing colour accuracy in real-world lighting and usage conditions. This ensures your card pack looks exactly as intended, whether it’s a bold new card game or a deeply intuitive tarot deck.

Ideally, you should store your card decks in the boxes they were originally shipped in. These boxes are sealed and offer more protection against environmental fluctuations, helping to preserve the integrity of your cards over time.

Once opened, store your decks in a controlled environment at approximately 20°C, with relative humidity maintained between 30% and 50%. This range helps to prevent common issues such as warping, curling, or sticking—ensuring your cards remain in pristine condition.

Most importantly, aim to maintain a stable setting. Avoid any temperature shifts greater than ±3°C or humidity changes exceeding ±3% within a single 24-hour period. Consistency is key to long-term preservation.

By following these guidelines, you protect both the appearance and functionality of your card decks—preserving their value and usability for years to come.

Our general minimum order quantity (MOQ) is 50 units; however, some of our more labour-intensive products have their own specific MOQs.

Card Sizes – MOQ x50:

• Bridge
• Poker
• Trumps
• A7
• Tarot
• Wide Tarot
• Large Tarot
• Tall Tarot
• A6

Paper Inserts – MOQ x50:

• Folded Leaflets
• Stapled Booklets
• Perfect Bound Books

Extras – MOQ x100:

• Cello-wrapping
• Foiling

Yes, you can find all of our templates online at Templates. We offer a template calculator to generate the exact templates you need for your order, ensuring everything fits perfectly. This allows you to prepare your artwork with confidence, knowing it will align seamlessly with our production standards.

Through our Test Your Deck service, you can receive a free hard‑copy prototype of your card deck — a full physical pack you can shuffle, inspect, and test before committing to larger production. There’s a small one‑off fee to cover the cost of manufacturing that single test pack, which is fully refundable against your main order (min. 100 packs) once you go ahead. This gives you the perfect opportunity to “try before you buy” — prototype your design, feel the card stock, test shuffling, and tweak artwork if needed — completely risk‑free.

Learn more about Test Packs.

Our sales team will send over a bespoke quote within 24 hours of a request being submitted via our online Quote Request.

To place your order, simply go to your bespoke quote email and click the "Place My Order" button at the bottom. This will guide you through our delivery and invoice details, artwork upload, and ordering process. Once completed, you’ll receive an order acceptance email, and your order will then be sent to our studio for digital proofing.

To place a repeat order, log in to your Ivory portal and navigate to the "Orders" tab. There, you'll see a "Reorder" button next to each of your previous orders. Simply select the one you'd like to repeat and submit your request. Our sales team will then provide a new quote based on your previous order, allowing you to place your order directly through the updated quote email.

We do not offer any proofreading services, all content decisions are at your discretion.

Over the past three decades, we have printed millions of card packs and games for delighted creators across the UK and beyond. Our Satisfaction Pledge ensures your project will be free from technical or production errors. If your project arrives with a printing error, we will make it right—either through a reprint or a refund.

Please note, however, that our guarantee does not extend to artwork or content decisions, such as typographical errors or low-resolution images, as these are entirely at your discretion. We reproduce the files you provide to the highest standards, ensuring your vision is brought to life with precision and care.

Yes, our printing passes all UKCA, CE and GPSR requirements for toy safety. Learn more about our testing.

Once you have approved your digital proofs, you can expect your order to take 14 working days to print and then up to 2 days to ship. We also offer Express services so that your order will take up to 5 working days to print, this service is subject to availability and costs an extra 20% to originally quoted price.

Your turnaround time only includes production and will vary based on your project, your turnaround time will be noted on your quote and order details.

We offer next-working day delivery for all UK orders. If you are based outside of the UK, you will need to contact us to receive a bespoke quote for pricing and shipping estimate on timing.

Yes! Once your order is dispatched, we send an email confirming the address used along with a tracking link, allowing you to follow the delivery every step of the way.

We are able to ship internationally. For pricing details and an estimated delivery timeframe, please contact us directly at info@ivory.co.uk.

Yes, we can deliver to multiple addresses. Simply inform our sales team that you have more than one delivery location, and we will include this in your bespoke quote.

Yes, we regularly ship to fulfilment centres. Each centre often has its own specific labelling and packing requirements, so we ask that you confer with your fulfilment centre in advance. Once we have those details, we’ll ensure your order is sent directly to your chosen location, fully prepared for smooth receipt.

We are based in March, Cambridgeshire, UK. You can arrange to collect your order from us by contacting us at info@ivory.co.uk.

Order delivery dates are not 100% guaranteed, as delays can occasionally occur due to couriers, customs, or production. However, we are committed to maintaining full transparency throughout the process, keeping you informed so you know when to expect your delivery. If you have a specific date or event in mind, please let us know when placing your order and we’ll do our best to meet your deadline.

We do not offer credit on any orders. Full payment is required before we commence any printing of your order.

You can place your order and make payment online using your quote email.

Simply scroll to the bottom of your quote and click “Place My Order.”

From there, follow our Buy Online process to confirm your delivery and invoice address, upload your artwork, and enter your payment details.

Once your payment is confirmed, you’ll be redirected to a confirmation page.

We accept the following payment methods:

• Bank transfers
• Online card payments

We accept the following card payment methods:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• American Express
• Google Pay
• Apple Pay
• Discover

If your card is not being accepted during payment, there may be a few simple reasons behind it. We recommend the following steps to help resolve the issue:

• Double-check your card details – Ensure that the credit or debit card number, billing postcode, and security code (CVV) are entered correctly. Remember, your billing postcode might differ from your home or work address.
• Check your daily spending limit – Some cards have daily transaction limits. Please verify that the total amount of your order does not exceed this limit.
• Review your credit availability – Ensure that your purchase does not surpass your current available credit or balance.

If you’ve reviewed all of the above and your card is still not being accepted, we recommend contacting your bank or card provider directly for further assistance.

Declined transactions can occur for a few reasons. We recommend the following steps to help resolve the issue:

• Double-check your card details – Ensure that the credit or debit card number, billing postcode, and security code (CVV) are entered correctly. Remember, your billing postcode might differ from your home or work address.
• Check your daily spending limit – Some cards have daily transaction limits. Please verify that the total amount of your order does not exceed this limit.
• Review your credit availability – Ensure that your purchase does not surpass your current available credit or balance.

Please note that for privacy and security reasons your financial institution does not inform us why your transaction failed. Please contact your financial institution directly to resolve any issues or try paying via bank transfer using our bank details on your order’s invoice.

We accept payment via bank transfers, you can find our bank details on your order’s invoice.

Contact us at info@ivory.co.uk to change your shipping address.

You can check the status of your order by going to the Ivory Portal. Our portal contains a breakdown of what stage your order is at and if we require anything from you before your order can go to print.

Once your order is placed we sent an automatic acceptance email, this confirms your order specification and details – please check thoroughly.

Your order is then sent to our Studio for digital proofing, our Studio will check through all artwork supplied and if ok send digital proofs. They will be in touch if they have any concerns or questions.

Once your digital proofs are approved, your order will be moved into production. Our production team will schedule your order according to your turnaround time and current availability, you will then receive an order confirmation email. This confirms for the last time, your order specification and delivery address. Make sure to check through thoroughly that this is correct.

Once your order is dispatched, we send an automatic email confirming what address this was sent to and tracking details so that you can follow the progress of your order.

We offer 10% discount to charities and non-profits.

We offer EAN-13 barcodes for £42.00 (inc VAT). These can be placed on your artwork so that shops and retailers can identify your product.

All cards can be recycled, but any component that has lamination cannot be recycled. This includes laminated boxes and perfect bound book covers.