Frequently asked questions
Everything people usually want to know before ordering.
What is the card made of?
A CR80 plastic card, 85.6mm × 54mm — exactly the size of a bank card, so it sits in any wallet. Your photo is printed in full colour by dye sublimation, which diffuses the colour into the surface of the card rather than laying ink on top of it, and then sealed under a clear protective overlay. That is why it is waterproof, and why it resists the scratching, creasing and fading that a paper photograph suffers in a wallet. The photo sits within a slim 1mm border of the card's own white, which is what keeps every edge clean and even.
How long does it take to arrive?
Cards are printed and posted from Britain, usually within two working days of ordering, and sent by Royal Mail. Delivery is free.
What photo works best?
A close, well-lit photo of one or two faces. Because the card is small, a picture taken from far away loses the thing that makes it worth carrying. Any photo straight from your phone is more than sharp enough — you do not need a professional shot.
Can I have it portrait or landscape?
Either. The card is the same CR80 blank both ways up — you tap portrait or landscape while positioning your photo, and the preview, the crop and the print file all follow. We start you on whichever way round your photo already is.
Can I put a message on the back?
Yes, up to 40 characters — something like “Love you Daddy x”. It is optional and you can skip it in one tap. You can also choose the colour of the back: white, pink, blue or sand. White is the default, and on this printer white means nothing is printed there at all — it is the card's own surface.
Will the printed card look exactly like the preview?
The framing will be identical. The crop you set is stored as coordinates and the print file is generated from your original photo using those same numbers, so we never print a screenshot of the preview — that is the usual reason a printed card does not match what someone approved on screen. Colour is the one thing that will not match exactly: see below.
Will the colours match my phone screen?
Not exactly, and no printed card from anyone can. Your phone shows a photo as coloured light on a backlit screen; a card shows it as dye set into plastic under a protective overlay, in whatever light you are standing in. Printed cards come out a little softer and warmer, and very bright or saturated colours print more muted. It is a physical limit rather than a shortcut, so a difference in colour is not something we can treat as a fault.
Will the card be perfect?
Very nearly, and honestly: not always flawless. Each card is fed through the printer one at a time and the image is set into the surface by heat, so a speck of dust on the blank or in the air can leave a faint mark or a fine line. The 1mm border is deliberate rather than a fault — printing right to the edge of a card that is fed individually means one side eventually comes out short, and a clean, even border is the better answer. We look at every card before it goes into its envelope and reprint anything we would not send to our own family. If yours arrives with something you are not happy with, reply to your confirmation email and we will reprint it.
What if my photo is a bit blurry or dark?
It will print that way. We print your photo as you framed it and do not retouch, sharpen or brighten it — the card is a faithful reproduction, which cuts both ways. We block images that are plainly too small to print, but that is a floor rather than a promise. If in doubt, pick the sharper, closer, better-lit photo.
What happens to my photo?
It is stored privately, used only to print your card, and deleted automatically after your order is complete. It is never publicly accessible, never shared, and never used for marketing. Most of these photos are of children, and we treat them accordingly.
Can I order more than one?
Yes. Many people order one for each grandparent, or one for each parent's wallet. Every card in an order uses the same photo.
Can I return it?
Because each card is personalised with your own photo, it is exempt from the usual 14-day cancellation right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations — the same rule that applies to anything made to order. If a card arrives damaged or is printed incorrectly, we will replace it. Just reply to your confirmation email.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no sign-up and no password. You upload a photo, position it, pay, and your confirmation arrives by email.
Still stuck?
Reply to your order confirmation and it comes straight to us, or write to orders@littlepocketcardco.co.uk.