Charity and fundraising scratch cards: what to brief your printer

Charity and fundraising scratch cards: what to brief your printer

Charity and school fundraising committees often land on scratch cards because they are familiar, portable and easy to sell at events, in shops or through door drops. The brief you send your printer decides whether the cards look professional, protect prize information and arrive ready to hand out. This guide walks through what to include – using the same building blocks AB Print Group already covers on our scratch card printing service – without turning the conversation into a legal lecture.

Start with the campaign, not the card size

Be clear why the card exists. Live use cases for custom scratch cards include charity fundraising, special offers, in-store promotions, gaming, direct mail, exhibitions and door drops. Fundraising teams often mix those channels: a local raffle-style card at a school fair one week, a door-drop teaser the next.

Write down:

• Who will buy or receive the card (supporters, parents, shoppers, postcode area)
• What they scratch to reveal (prize tier, discount, message, entry code)
• Where the card will be handled (wet outdoor stall, till point, letterbox)

That context helps the printer choose stock, latex finish and packing that match how the card will actually be used.

Artwork and the latex panel

Scratch cards are printed and finished in sequence. On our Batley plant the path runs litho print, then latex on screen machines, then trim, pack and secure despatch – all under one roof. Capacity can run to a million-plus cards when a campaign needs volume.

For the scratch panel itself, ask about:

• Latex colour – silver lottery-style finish, gold or other colours
• Overprint onto latex – useful when the charity logo or a short line of copy should sit on the scratch area, not only around it
• Background tint under the latex – artwork can include a tint beneath the panel to reduce show-through of prize text before the card is scratched

If any of the job is digital on the latexed side, our live process uses a matt laminate on that side. Flag digital versus litho early so finishing stays consistent with the rest of the pack.

Prize security without over-claiming

Fundraising cards sometimes carry higher-value prizes or limited winning panels. AB Print Group follows procedures for high-value prizes as part of the production flow. You do not need to invent certifications for the brief – simply tell the printer:

• How many winning variants exist
• Whether winners must be packed separately or randomised into mixed packs
• Who is allowed to see unmasked artwork and proofs

Ask for secure despatch as standard language on the job bag. Keep prize rules, terms and age restrictions on the card or companion leaflet as your committee’s responsibility; the printer’s job is to produce and pack what you approve.

Quantities, packing and hand-out logistics

Committees often underestimate packing. Decide before you quote:

• Flat packs versus small retail-ready bundles
• Whether each seller’s kit needs a fixed mix of winners and non-winners
• Labels or slips that identify batch or seller without spoiling the surprise on the card face

You do not need a published minimum order quantity for every scratch job on our site – quantities are job-led. Share a realistic first print run and any likely reprint so the plant can advise on practical batch sizes. Runs can scale to a million-plus cards when national or multi-site fundraising needs that volume.

Checklist: what to send with your enquiry

Use this as a one-page brief to AB Print Group:

1. Campaign purpose – charity fundraising, in-store, door drop, event, loyalty or mixed
2. Rough quantity – first run and likely reprint
3. Card size and print sides – plus any fold or tear-off if relevant
4. Latex – silver / gold / other; overprint yes or no
5. Artwork notes – background tint under latex; brand colours; QR or URL if used
6. Prize structure – number of variants; high-value prize flag
7. Packing – bundle size; seller kits; secure despatch needs
8. Delivery destination – single drop or multi-site

Attach print-ready PDF or layered files if you have them; otherwise say you need layout support and share logo and copy separately.

Soft next step

When the checklist is filled in, send it through our contact form, email hello@abprintgroup.com or call 01924 473481. Our team can talk through latex, security packing and how the full in-house process fits your fundraising timeline.

For the full service overview – including commercial and promotional uses beyond charity – see custom scratch card printing at AB Print Group.