Help Center › Custom Card Design Submission

NFC Tagify offers the option to have a fully custom card design printed on your NFC card. Instead of choosing from a standard card style, you (or your brand team) provide the artwork, and the NFC Tagify team prints it exactly to your specification. This article explains when design submission is appropriate, what files to prepare, and how the review process works.

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When is design submission needed?

Design submission is for users who want bespoke printed artwork on their physical NFC card — for example, a card that exactly matches your company's brand guidelines, includes a custom illustration, or uses a non-standard layout.

If you are happy with one of NFC Tagify's standard card styles, you do not need to submit a custom design. Standard styles are selected during the card ordering process.

Custom design submission is typically used by:

  • Companies ordering cards for a team, where consistent branded artwork is required.
  • Individuals who have had a designer create a specific card layout.
  • Organisations that want their NFC card to look identical to their existing paper business cards.

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How to submit your design

  • Log in to the portal and go to Order Cards (or your open card order if you have already placed one).
  • During the order process, select Custom design when prompted to choose a card style.
  • Upload your artwork file (see file requirements below).
  • Add any notes in the Design instructions field — for example, if there are specific colour values to match, or if you have a front-only or front-and-back design.
  • Complete the order and proceed to payment.

    • If you have already placed an order and want to add a custom design, contact NFC Tagify support with your order number.

    [NEEDS VERIFICATION: exact steps in the current portal UI for design submission]

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    File requirements

    Submitting files in the correct format avoids delays and quality issues. Please follow these guidelines:

    Preferred formats

    • PDF (recommended) — with all fonts embedded and layers flattened where possible.
    • AI (Adobe Illustrator) — acceptable if PDF export is not possible. Include all linked files and fonts.

    Accepted formats

    • PNG or TIFF — acceptable for raster artwork, but vector formats are strongly preferred for sharp print results.

    Resolution

    • Minimum 300 DPI at print size. Lower resolution artwork will appear pixelated when printed.

    Dimensions

    • Standard business card size: 85 mm × 55 mm (or 3.5 in × 2 in).
    • Include a 3 mm bleed on all sides (i.e. your artwork file should be 91 mm × 61 mm including bleed).
    • Keep important content (text, logos) at least 3 mm inside the trim line (the safe zone).

    Colour mode

    • CMYK is preferred for print. RGB files will be converted to CMYK during pre-press, which can cause colour shifts — particularly with very vivid colours.
    • If colour accuracy is critical, specify Pantone (PMS) values in the design instructions field.

    Bleed and crop marks

    • Include bleed as part of the file (do not add crop marks as a design element — use a separate layer or follow your file format's standard for marks).

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    The review process

    After you submit your design file, the NFC Tagify production team reviews it before printing:

  • File check — The team checks that the file meets the technical requirements (resolution, dimensions, bleed).
  • Feedback (if needed) — If the file has an issue (e.g. too low resolution or missing bleed), you will be contacted by email with specific feedback. You can then re-upload a corrected file.
  • Approval — Once the file passes review, it moves to production. You will receive a confirmation.
  • Production — The card is printed and chips are embedded. The order status in your portal updates as production progresses.

    • Standard turnaround from design approval to despatch is [NEEDS VERIFICATION: typical turnaround time for custom design orders]. Complex orders or those requiring file corrections may take longer.

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    Frequently asked questions

    Can I include the NFC chip area in my design?

    The NFC chip creates a small bump on the card surface. Most designs are not affected by this, but avoid placing critical text or fine detail directly over the chip area if you are concerned about aesthetics. The production team will advise on the chip placement if needed.

    Can I submit designs for both sides of the card?

    Yes — both front and back artwork can be submitted. Upload each side as a separate file and label them clearly in the design instructions field (e.g. "FRONT" and "BACK").

    My design includes a QR code — will that still work after printing?

    Printed QR codes work fine as long as they are printed at a sufficient size and with adequate contrast. However, NFC Tagify also provides a dynamic QR code linked to your digital profile. Using the printed QR code as a visual design element is fine, but ensure the URL it encodes matches your profile URL.

    Can the NFC Tagify design team create artwork for me?

    [NEEDS VERIFICATION: whether NFC Tagify offers a design service] Contact NFC Tagify support to ask about design assistance options.

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    Related: [Card status and order history](07-cards-ordering.md) · [Create and edit a profile](02-profile-details.md) · [Account settings, billing, and security](08-account-settings.md)