Copy Limit line vs PRL Limit Line

[Marvin347]

I'm pretty naive when it comes to printing cards. Just setting up the Poker die with provided template from UPCC. Anybody with experience have any advice? I'm not sure the meaning of the Copy Limit line vs PRL Limit Line - I'm assuming the Die Line is where the die cuts. I'm wanting a white border similar in size to a standard bicycle deck and not sure where to line up my art work.

Also I scanned my hand drawn artwork in to Photoshop at the max 4000dpi that my scanner aloud me. What's the best format to save it in to keep the quality as high as possible?

Thanks in advance.

[Don Boyer]

I'm pretty naive when it comes to printing cards. Just setting up the Poker die with provided template from UPCC. Anybody with experience have any advice? I'm not sure the meaning of the Copy Limit line vs PRL Limit Line - I'm assuming the Die Line is where the die cuts. I'm wanting a white border similar in size to a standard bicycle deck and not sure where to line up my art work.

Also I scanned my hand drawn artwork in to Photoshop at the max 4000dpi that my scanner aloud me. What's the best format to save it in to keep the quality as high as possible?

Thanks in advance.

I presume you mean USPC (the United States Playing Card Company, makers of Bicycle and Bee, among others) and not UPCC - never heard of UPCC before... 

When working with their template, yes, the die line is just that, the point at which the die cutter will penetrate the paper and cut your card out.  When someone makes a borderless pattern, such as the Bee Diamond Back, they print past the die line so that at the cut, there's a pattern that continues right up to the point where it was cut, even if the cut is just a fraction of a millimeter off.

USPC has minimum standards for the size of a border, when making bordered playing cards (more like the Bicycle Rider Back that you mentioned, which is their standard/most common design).  Standard Bicycles have a fairly thick border compared to some custom decks - they simply keep the art far enough inside the die line and as well-centered as possible.

As far as formats and highest image quality, have you contacted the USPC Custom Department to ask them what they require as a minimum and maximum standard?  I suspect that sending them files with a 4000 dpi might be just a little too high - the file sizes would be pretty big, no?  Inquire as to what the highest resolution is that they can work with and what file types are best.  I'm pretty sure they take Photoshop, and I'm no graphic artist, but you have to ask them about things like the separate layers and the fact that they print CMYK whereas most people doing graphic work on a computer are working in RGB - the conversion can create difference in the desired colors.  Ask and they'll likely give you the info you need.

[Marvin347]

I'm good with the die cut line. I'm still fuzzy on Copy limit line vs PRL(Punch Registration Limit) line. I've attached a photo of what I mean. The two dashed lines within the die cut line. 

[Don Boyer]

I'm good with the die cut line. I'm still fuzzy on Copy limit line vs PRL(Punch Registration Limit) line. I've attached a photo of what I mean. The two dashed lines within the die cut line.

I could be mistaken on this, but I think that's the limit in terms of bordered designs - they won't permit you to have a border thinner than the difference between the PRL and the die line.  Not quite the same as the copy limit, which I think applies more to the faces and how close to the edge you're allow to print things like the indices.  They're never perfectly aligned when they print the faces and the backs, and they align the cuts to the backs more than to the faces - while faces are important, backs are more so in terms of making all the cards look the same and (in the case of two-way designs) to be identical regardless of what direction a card is facing.

But again, ask at USPC and they'll be glad to tell you, I'm sure.

[Marvin347]

Thanks for your input. I'll send an e-mail to USPC and post their response as well for future reference on this site.