Trading card manufacturer
Grifoll prints custom cards for all types of collections and board games. With the capacity to deliver up to 10 million cards per week, our team manages the entire manufacturing process in-house, controlling every stage of production.
Collectible cards are highly valued as promotional gifts. They create a bond with customers and encourage repeat purchases, which is why they are widely used in loyalty programs within large-scale retail.
Finishes for card collections
In addition to printing on various materials and custom die-cutting, Grifoll can apply a range of special effects to cards to highlight certain elements of the collection. These effects include: lenticular, metallic, gold, silver, holographic, transparent, luminescent, glitter, embossed varnish, high gloss, heat-reveal, and ultraviolet.
Our machinery allows for customized mixing, enabling us to adapt to the randomness requirements of each collection.
During the packaging process, we can automatically insert additional items together with the cards, such as decals, stickers, etc., adding value to the final product.
Finally, Grifoll can manufacture the display box for the collection, delivering the product ready for distribution.
What are trading card boosters?
Trading card boosters are sealed packs containing a set number of cards with different finishes (common, uncommon, rare, and ultra-rare). The element of surprise and controlled randomness are the drivers of collecting: the buyer knows how many cards they will receive, but not exactly which ones.
Beyond traditional trading card games, boosters have become a marketing tool for retail, sports brands, and cultural events, generating recurring traffic and engagement with the end consumer.
Producing boosters requires specific technical capabilities: printing on specialized board, differentiated finishes for rare cards (holographic, metallic, UV varnish), automated packaging with rarity control, and hermetic sealing.
Grifoll Print Solutions offers a complete booster production service — from card printing to packaging and final packing — with over 50 years of experience in specialized printing and the capacity to handle runs from 10,000 to millions of units.
What are trading cards used for in loyalty programs?
Trading cards are used in loyalty programs to generate emotional engagement with the brand, increase purchase frequency, and build community among consumers. Unlike points-based systems, they offer a tangible reward with its own identity that customers can collect, trade, and display.
Their effectiveness is based on solid psychological principles: the drive to complete collections, anticipation of variable rewards, and the social component of trading between collectors.
The sectors that use them most are retail and FMCG, food brands, sports clubs, and cultural events. Well-executed campaigns can increase purchase frequency by 15–25% during their duration.
Grifoll Print Solutions offers complete production of trading cards for loyalty programs: high-quality board printing, special finishes (holographic, metallic, UV varnish), and automated packaging with rarity control, with capacity for any print run volume.
Why choose Grifoll to manufacture custom trading cards?
Manufacturing high-quality trading cards requires specific technical capabilities beyond conventional printing: specialized paper or board (300–350 gsm), differentiated finishes for rare cards (holographic, metallic, UV varnish), automated packaging with controlled distribution of special cards, and batch traceability.
In Spain, few manufacturers offer this complete cycle under one roof. Outsourcing critical stages across different suppliers increases project complexity and the risk of quality inconsistencies.
Grifoll Print Solutions integrates the entire production process — from printing to packaging and final packing — with over 50 years of experience in specialized printing. This vertical integration simplifies project management, ensures quality consistency across stages, and enables everything from test runs to large-scale national campaigns, with specialized technical support at every stage.
What is the manufacturing process for custom card boosters?
The manufacturing process of custom card boosters consists of six main stages: design and prepress, offset printing on specialized paper or board (300–350 gsm), application of finishes (lamination, holographic, metallic, selective UV varnish), precision die-cutting with rounded or sharp corners, automated packaging with controlled distribution of special cards, and packing into master cartons for distribution.
Each stage has its own technical requirements and quality control checkpoints. Packaging is the most specific stage: it requires specialized machinery that groups cards according to the defined rarity distribution, inserts them into packs, seals them hermetically, and verifies the contents of each unit before continuing along the line.
Grifoll Print Solutions executes this entire process under one roof — from artwork preparation to final packing — with over 50 years of experience in specialized printing, ensuring full traceability, consistent quality across stages, and the capacity for runs of any volume.
What special finishes are available for trading cards?
Special finishes are the key differentiating element that communicates rarity and value in trading cards. The main ones are holographic (a film with microstructures that create color-shifting effects depending on the viewing angle), metallic (a surface with a uniform reflective gold, silver, or metallic color, applicable as full coverage or in specific areas via stamping), lenticular (cylindrical microlenses that create motion, flip, or 3D effects when the viewing angle changes), and selective UV varnish (intense gloss with slight relief applied only to specific areas of the design).
Each finish has different technical characteristics, costs, and visual effects. The most premium cards combine several of them: for example, a holographic background with metallic details and selective UV varnish on the character name.
Grifoll Print Solutions has the technical capability to apply all these finishes in trading card projects, providing specialized guidance in selecting the optimal combination for each rarity level and offering fully integrated production under one roof.
