Rack Up Success: Our Top 5 Ways to Use Rack Card Printing
| Updated on 5/23/24

Rack Up Success: Our Top 5 Ways to Use Rack Card Printing

Effective print marketing doesn’t always mean reinventing the wheel. Great campaigns often mean putting a twist on the traditional or a spin on the staple. To go beyond retail counters and reception areas, check out our top five ways to refresh your rack card printing, get creative with collateral and see substantial results.

A stack of wine brochures with Wine Night Every Monday and a blue, red and gold design.

RACK CARD: 100# COATED MATTE WHITE COVER, 3.5 X 8.5″

An Approachable Asset

For the uninitiated wondering what is a rack card anyway, it’s a marketing tool that’s more versatile than you think. Most commonly stacked on cash wraps and in lobbies, business rack cards make it easy to send a marketing message and catch customers on the go.

 

Whether you’re laying out product details or service specs (or doing something entirely different, like our top five ideas below), our rack card printing options ensure you stand out on crowded counters and high-traffic areas anywhere.

 

Hint: The standard rack card size is 4”W x 9”H. Want more fun facts? Get ‘em right here: Rack Card Printing FAQ.

Two hands holding fanned-out senior living brochures.

RACK CARDS: C2S 12 PT WITH SOFT TOUCH COATING ON FRONT, 4 X 9″

Optimizing Options

What are those rack card printing options, you ask? Convenient and customizable, that’s what. Because no two brands market themselves the same way, our business printing services include features like rounded corners for a softer, high-end look and drill holes to insert custom rack cards into binders or onto a ring.

 

But the custom printing certainly doesn’t stop there. You can add perforation for instant tear-off business cards, coupons or loyalty punch cards, shrink wrapping for simple storage and a finish that makes the right statement, like protective UV coatings and our velvety Soft Touch laminate.

All those custom options are well and good (and help you send a totally tailored message), but perhaps the most crucial one is which fold you’re going to choose. Let’s break it down:

  • Flat (no fold at all): Ideal for when you want a classic look that’s straight to the point.
  • Single fold: Ideal for simple presentations or to feature just a few products or services.
  • Tri-fold: Ideal for communicating a lot of information.
  • Z-fold: Ideal for a lot of content with an engaging zigzag format.

 

Hint: One other feature we love? Digital laser cutting. Make this selection when you want to design and print rack cards in different shapes or with cutouts.

 

 

Top 5 Ideas for Rack Card Printing

While there’s nothing wrong with using rack cards as they were originally intended, there’s a whole host of ways to incorporate them creatively into your marketing campaigns. Here are our top five ideas for rack card printing you’ll want to try immediately.

 

 

“Having something that can be easily handed out and communicates who we are in a succinct, captivating way can be very effective.”

Two custom rack cards printed with information about an assisted living facility.

Two rack cards printed with a perfume bottle on the front and details on the back.

RACK CARD: 80# COATED MATTE WHITE COVER, 3.5 X 8″ 

 


1. Product & Service Promotion

This one’s a no-brainer. Promoting products and services is always a good idea when it comes to the rack card format. Jonathan Riddle, director of design and advertising at Ridge Care Senior Living, needed a quick takeaway for potential residents or resident family members and designed his in our online print shop.

 

“Having something that can be printed in a cost-effective manner, easily handed out and communicates who we are in a succinct, captivating way can be very effective for that initial impression.”

 

Not just an essential for assisted living facilities, rack cards can be a not-so secret ingredient for restaurant advertising, too. Whether you’re promoting seasonal selections or need a handy piece of collateral detailing your loyalty program, our rack card templates ensure your message is the star of the show and keeps customers coming back.

2. Package Inserts

Package inserts have become a crucial part of the unboxing experience, and rack cards easily slip into that role. Consider rack cards that list “You Might Like” suggestions based on the customer’s order. You could also include imagery that shows products together.

 

Does your product have specific care or install instructions? Print them on a rack card and pop it in the box (and be sure to leverage double-sided printing).

 

Hint: Get more package insert ideas: Packaging Inserts: 7 Ideas (& Tips) to Increase Engagement.

 

 

“We stay away from plastic gift cards and prefer a printed paper rack card instead.”

 

Two rack cards printed as gift certificates to a spa with a pale peach design.

RACK CARD: 130# UNCOATED 100% RECYCLED WHITE COVER, 3.5 X 8.5″

Two custom rack cards printed with church worship information and an abstract design.

RACK CARD: 120# COATED GLOSS WHITE COVER, 2 X 4″

 


3. Gift Certificates

Didn’t see this one coming, did you? Tula Spa owner, Amy Dray, saw an opportunity to create custom gift cards with an eco-friendly focus, and rack card printing was the way to do it. “We’re all about client experience, quality and environmental impact,” said Dray. “We stay away from plastic gift cards and prefer a printed paper rack card instead.”

 

Designed to evoke the energy of the spa itself, Dray’s strategy included not only a recycled stock, but also special attention to color. “Our spa colors are very soft and desert-like. We want our clients to feel safe, warm and healing energy when they enter our space, and we feel this gift certificate [promotes] this feeling.”

 

Hint: As you’re designing your gift certificates, be sure to add sequential numbering for easy tracking.

4. Event Promotion

No matter what event you’re promoting, from fundraisers and wine nights to yoga retreats and brunch bingo, rack cards help spread the word. Coordinate yours with posters, flyers and social posts, and then place them on tables around your cafe, keep a stack handy for bartenders to hand out, staple them to receipts or slip them into church bulletins.

 

Whatever your industry, custom rack cards are a marketing opportunity waiting to be seized.

 

Hint: Design and print multiple rack cards personalized for specific clients or topics with variable data printing – it’s one of our most popular online printing services.

Four hands holding a custom rack card printed with a green design for a trade show.

RACK CARD: 18 PT UNCOATED 40% RECYCLED HEMP, 3.5 X 8.5″

 

5. Trade Show Branding

The trade show floor is a buzzy place, and to break through that noise, you have to have grab-and-go options for attendees. Time is always of the essence, and while guests may not be able to give it to you, they can still engage with your brand as long as you give them the opportunity (aka something they can quickly snag as they move about the booths).

 

Rack cards give potential clients a quick reference that can present a lot of info, so keep your booth stocked with them. Provide a business overview, list product details, put a spotlight on your services or offer a contact form with a perforated business card at the bottom.

Hint: Use our Versions feature to create multiple rack cards with varying content and print them in one order. Just be sure to keep the stock and specs the same.

 

 

 

Capitalize on Creativity

Sometimes all it takes to give your business a boost is looking at your print marketing strategy from another angle. Whether it’s with rack card printing or any other collateral, it’s taking one step outside the norm and taking full advantage of what a print piece can do and be. And remember, that step doesn’t have to be huge – even a small one can have an impact that reverberates through your metrics.

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