Warning; Selfpublishers Only! Following
text may be to much to handle if you aren't one!:)
scroll down to see pictures of printed
decks & boxes! Keep reading if you are in to *Print & Selfpublish your own deck & wish to know more about BEST EU POD
I've find so far!:))
Update 19 jan 2024 Disclaimer
last time I used this printer was 2021 & according to my personal
expirience they were & still are Best Card Printer in Europe in
spite of complicated file upload requirements & potential issues
some people expirienced Please Keep in mind We Don't Have Much Options
in Europe & Link me if you find better also check https://www.trustpilot.com/ for more recent reviews!;)
As promised here is my full review of
EU (Italy) based Print on Demand company last used in 2022,
Disclaimer; My English is Not Perfect &
I will only review *services I used & all info presented here are
just my opinion according to experience I have by July 2021 feel free
to agree or NOT & feel free to correct me if I'm wrong & if
you have any doubt or questions about info presented here note me or best visit official web page & ask directly, with
that said here is my review on ludocards POD
if you have any experience with POD especially as publisher (my fav are US based; thegamecrafter &
drivethrucards & China; makeplayingcards & printerstudio)
you can tell this web don't look similar & there is BIG
DIFFERENCE how it works so I'll try sum most of its *perks in hope
you'll find it useful deciding is this POD for you as there is plenty
of HOW TO differences here that may require some time to get used to I'm testing upgraded ludocards interface & will update this review if needed!:)
first you'll notice minimalistic web & you create your acc by click on person icon in top right corner & fill your email & pass to create acc or log in if you already have one!^^
after log in there is more options available including Instant Quote you access by click on 1st icon:
here you pick specifications & quantity for each component you wish to personalize, review cost, & download templates:
then add to your cart & proceed to add next component accordingly if you plan to use booklet box etc: Side menu displays Total value & detail specifications of each component you add to your cart, I
find it useful & wish there is weight/dimension data as well that would allow shipping cost calculation as it would be useful at this stage esp for kickstarter!:)
Note you can see significant price difference between prototype aka
single design item & how production cost drop for every 5, 10, 20
etc units!:)
when you have all required components in your cart you can review & name your project!:)
for example here you can see my Ancient Lenormand Bridge size deck components quantity & cost
& Next Extras is where you opt for File check (Recommended!:) & Test prints!:)
You can also add your remark for each component in Notes (: for example I included note I do not wish to ship to my home address & prefer to use drop shipping option for Ludocards to ship my decks directly to costumers worldwide but drop shipping option is not yet fully integrated!://
After proceeding to fill Billing & Shipping address you finally get to Checkout where you pick payment & dispatch option!:) Note EU VAT tax is calculated only if you are in EU!:D but be sure to check your country import regulations as you are likely to be charged import tax & fees if you are receiving big international parcel!:)
Your Order will be confirmed after payment & you can proceed to upload your required printer files for each component by click on person icon & My Orders Option:
Red Circle indicate action needed & green uploaded files you can access & review all details by click!:)
Scheduled dispatch is when your order is expected to ship but it will usually take bit longer depending on how well you are with tech part & preparing printer files so I advise placing your order when you have all files print ready also keep in mind pro printer will usually take around 2 to 3 months to print & ship big number of decks so anything less is better than average esp considering our crazy times!;)
back on topic;
"ludocards print service review &
how it differs from standard POD we know (tgc/dtc/mpc/ps) & what
you'll need to know to make it work for you;
1. Printing; ludocards will
print *ANY number of cards & any size & there is no minimum number of
decks you can print with ludocards!:) but more you print better your price per deck/box/book will be!:D & there is discount for larger quantities so that's good
news for Selfpublishers!:) & whatever number of decks you decide
to print you can ship it 2 ways;
2. Shipping, options;
A)
by default ludocards will SHIP ALL your PRINTED DECKS AT ONCE TO YOUR HOME
ADDRESS with FREE SHIPPING worldwide, or if you prefer;
B) DROP SHIPPING OPTION is supposed to allow you to ship your decks orders directly from printer to costumers worldwide all with tracking number & best
available shipping provider at the moment I was told it was supposed to ship bi weekly, but it's not fully functional yet so in future hopefully!:)
back on topic ludocards ,,,
Most important & Main Reason i'm
using this printer service because; ALL DECKS ARE PRINTED &
SHIP FROM ITALY/EU SAVING YOUR EU COSTUMERS ANY EXTRA IMPORT CHARGES
& POST COLLECTING FEES Great for ks esp as EU started taxing even small value parcels July 2021!:)
3. Creating your (publisher) account
on ludocards is now simple!:D after that you can log in to your ludocards
acc where you can check quotes & review your info & order
details & upload print files interface here is greatly improved but may need some time to get used to!:)
4.
Print file
preparation aka; "How to set up your card images
properly" instructions here:
https://www.ludocards.com/instructions.pdf is tricky as you are expected to
upload several separate pdf files (after you log in to your ludocards
acc & click *Orders & *Open file list button) ;
1 pdf with all images of your cards
front & backs saved as pages,
1 (or 2 pdf depending on your
option) for box design (unless you opt for no box or blank/white box)
2 pdf for booklet cover & interior pages
all with set with specific color profile at the moment Jul 2021 Fogra 39
You start preparing your print files by
inserting your deck specifications (mm or inch, card size &
number of cards in deck & your box option!:) & downloading
your auto generated templates here;
https://www.ludocards.com/quote/custom-cards
Note; even it say: "will print any
size" best to pick 1 offered preset or keep it within *normal
EU sizes (aka your card size numbers should be whole cm & mm as
it's easier to print precisely!:)
if it seem complicated
in my experience ludocards have good print control & you will be
contacted by costumer service if they notice any possible printing
mistake/disaster!:P ;)
but just in case be aware of mistake I
noticed on their template generator page;
*Card design instruction button will
tell you so called *bleed area (aka part of your card img that is cut
out in printing process!) is 2mm on each card side but imo it's more
likely standard 3mm as mentioned in their instruction pdf (I've asked
costumer service to check with their printer service before uploading
my cards pdfs for print & got confirmed it's 3mm but card
generator template is still working with 2mm, will update this review moment it's fixed!x,x)
so here is how you determine your
digital image card size in pixel & template you need to work;
*your printed card size in mm (i.e standard Tarot is 70x120mm) +3mm
of bleed area to each side adds total of 6mm to each of this numbers
= 76x126mm converted to pixel = 898x1488px by 300dpi within this size
you can see template red line mark 3mm from each edge representing
line where your cards are expected to be cut in printing process (aka
bleed) & another blue line 3mm from that one representing so
called *safe area you should place all important card text &
elements you wish to be visible after printing in case print end up
off center (3mm drift is considered acceptable by most standard
printers!:) you can download Tarot card 7x12cm & fitting 80 card special 2 piece sturdy box templates I've used here; http://fav.me/dd30ioa
Tip; be sure to remove that guideline
template before saving/exporting your img or pdf!:)
you can also use Scribus to prepare
your pdf for print!:)
also if you already printed your cards
with gamecrafter /other standard printer that use 900x1500px Tarot
size template you can drop these img over ludocards 898x1488px &
300dpi template (i.e in gimp:) & export as; png img or single pdf
I find guidelines are compatible!:)
& if your pdf files are to many MB or
you wish to fix cmyk specifications you can open your pdf in Scribus
& export as pdf with these settings; (see attach img!) Untested Not Advised!:D
Note ignore numbers from last capture here idk how to delete lol!:)
& that's it for cards!:)
same goes for box design (download
template, export your box design as pdf & upload to your acc!)
& booklet & other components as well!:) Note: ludocards recommended box size is card size +2mm at sides I would say it's a tight fit for Tarot size deck rigid box & would recommend minimum 3 to 4mm for better fit!:)
5)
Print quality; plenty of card boxes & book options make this Best EU Based POD at the moment!
default card specifications options all
have rounded corners & print on *special 330 gr/sqm casino
quality triplex paper (i'm told this is 330 gsm black core silk
smooth paper) assuring zero transparency. Easy to shuffle and
resistant to worn-out. You can also chose 350gsm whiteboard that seems to be popular Kickstarter option or 300gsm if you prefer thinner game cardstock,
ludocards got 320gsm Black Core linen cardstock (aka canvas like texture I prefer!:) & matt Gold Gilded Edges I printed my cards July 2021 & must say it turned Perfect ! !! I luv Everything ! ! ! Quality of ludocards sturdy box with Matt finish linen cards & booklet is Top my fav & recommended!^^ =D Note: Gilded edges option is still under development & may show some imperfections such as missing white & darker chips & bits around card edges!:)
ludocards offers plenty of card sizes &
shape options including round cards as well as special materials
including PVC & special Metalic effects gold/silver foil prints are available, contact costumer service for any *special
request quote
HERE.
best part; Ludocards.com is an
eco-friendly company
Ludocards entire operations are powered
by solar energy & printing procedure follows the strict standards
of environmental friendly codes: the papers are not only premium
quality but also CE certified and rigorously selected and supplied by
European paper mills; the inks for printing are of food level; nearly
half of our production is artisan process that is made with hands. We
try our very best to look after our planet earth.
6) Production Time; How
quickly will ludocards print your deck & when you'll receive your
order?
depends on
timing of your order (i.e it will take longer if you start this
*printing adventure before holiday!:) as well as how
good your *print ready pdfs are!:)
In my experience depending on quantity & specification of your order ludocards production time is around 30 to 60 days from payment to ship ready! Express
services is provided at extra cost. Processing time don't include
time required for delivery, which varies from 1 to 5 working days
subject to destinations. Ludocards is not responsible for any
delays caused by the couriers. Delivery date for your
products will be delayed accordingly at your own responsibility for
any delays in production caused by the errors in file formats,
incomplete file submission and any other issues resulting in “not
ready to print” files.
so if you are planing kickstarter or other project with fixed
timeline best to confirm with costumer service all your files are
*print ready BEFORE placing your Order as that may save you
unexpected delays.
I'm Happy with my ludocards Bridge & Tarot size decks print
quality & fast Shipping service
my only remark/wishlist is;
1. fix card size template generator! (bleed area is 3mm not 2mm!)
2. parcel weight & drop shipping cost calculation integration
2. ludocardsStore that will allow people to order my decks directly from printer
4. better Status Update & communication solution as I did not received any status update after placing my order & was mailing costumer service with standard questions: "when will you print?" , "are Gilded edges completed?" , " when will my Order ship?" etc it would help if there are automated messages that will let you know when your cards, booklet, box print assemble ship etc!:) so I don't need to bother asking!:)
& table review of Print on Demand Companies I've used with my
opinion on quality of their service;
Tarot deck 80c
& firm box!:)
|
ludocards
|
gamecrafter
|
drivethrucards
|
printerstudio
|
makeplayingcards
|
print cost &
quality
& extra options
|
Best production price & Quality +extra options!:) Gilded Edges
Metalic Print Option Full Color Book Sturdy Box!:D
|
standard card quality linen
& UV & Holo & Transparent card stock option +extra box & other option
|
standard card quality linen stock option
& tuckbox
% go up by quantity!:)
|
same as mpc
- effects & box options!x.x
|
standard + best selection
of card stock options & effect including holo & gold edges
etc+ box options including Tarot size tins!:) ok for
printing +100 decks!:)
too
expensive otherwise!x,x
|
discount @
|
+1 decks!:)
|
100 decks!
|
best for printing 60 Tarot decks & up!;)
|
shipping cost & quality
|
fastest shipping!:)
& FREE SHIPPING to your home address
but only if you ship all your printed decks at once!:) not working drop shipping!x.x
see
here;
https://www.ludocards.com/quote.php
|
Ok for US & International
extra options
UPS
not perfect!x,x
|
fast & ok for US & your home address, Not for
International!x,x
check it here
https://support.drivethrucards.com/hc/en-us/articles/207347643-Estimated-Shipping-Costs-For-Printed-Products
|
ok
same
as mpc
|
ok pricing & service, charge extra for *insurance BUT tracking
is lacking & your only protection is paypal
https://www.makeplayingcards.com/shipping.aspx
|
production time
|
15/60 days
|
3/15 days
|
5/7 days
|
5/12 days
|
shipping time
|
Best!;)
|
ok
|
ok
|
ok
|
ok
|
traffic/exposure
|
no shop option yet!
|
Best
|
ok
|
not much
|
costumer service
|
ok & helpful!:)
|
annoying & not always helpful?;)
|
Best & my fav!:)
Brian is King!:)
|
ok & helpful!:)
|
ok when you are asking about ordering info, not ok if lost parcel
/other issue
|
