8 Silk Laminated Print Products That Win More Local Customers
One finish, eight products, one 16pt stock under nearly all of them. Print them together and every piece a customer touches feels like it came from the same shop.
The silk laminated set is eight products that share one soft-touch film over 16pt stock: business cards, silk cards, postcards, flyers, hangtags, spot UV hangtags, bookmarks and an ultra thick card. Entry prices run from $74.53 for 250 cards to $251.36 for 250 ultra thick cards. The finish resists water, scuffs and tearing, and the one thing it cannot do is take a pen.
The picks
The 8 picks, numbered and priced
Order in this sequence and each piece pays for the next one. The cards go out first because they set the stock and the color the rest of the set matches. Prices below are the published starting tiers, and the configurator updates them live as you change size, quantity and options.
| Pick | Starts at | Why this one |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Silk Laminated Business Cards | $74.53 per 250 | The anchor of the set. 16pt stock sealed both sides, four sizes, and spot UV or rounded corners if you want them. |
| 2. Silk Cards | $74.53 per 250 | Same finish, 24 sizes up to 6 in x 11 in, including a credit card size. This is the loyalty card, the room card and the rack card. |
| 3. Silk Postcards | $74.53 per 250 | A mailer that survives the sorting machine and the rain. 22 sizes from a 2 in x 3 in mini upward. |
| 4. Silk Flyers | $74.53 per 250 | The counter menu and the open-house sheet. 22 sizes up to 9 in x 12 in, and it does not go limp on a damp sidewalk table. |
| 5. Silk Hangtags | $87.15 per 100 | Eight sizes up to 4 in x 6 in, drilled with a 1/8 in hole. The tag a shopper is already holding when they read your price. |
| 6. Silk Laminated Spot UV Hangtags | $123.66 per 500 | The same tag with clear high-gloss spot UV on the logo. Matte everywhere, gloss where the light catches it. |
| 7. Silk Bookmarks | $200.84 per 100 | A 2 in x 6 in or 2 in x 8 in card that lives in a book instead of a bin. Cheap per piece only on a long run. |
| 8. Ultra Thick Silk Laminated Business Cards | $251.36 per 250 | The heavy version, 32pt or 48pt with optional edge painting. Order it three weeks out, not three days. |
Pick the right film
Silk against the finishes people confuse it with
Four surfaces get called matte in the same conversation, and they behave nothing alike in a pocket. Read the pen column first, because it is the one that sends an order back.
| Finish | Feel | Protection | Takes a pen | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silk lamination | Smooth, low sheen, slight drag under a fingertip | Water, scuff and tear resistant on both faces | No. Ballpoint and gel ink smear | Cards, tags and mailers that get handled and kept |
| Gloss lamination | Slick and reflective, shows fingerprints | Same film protection as silk | No | Photo-heavy pieces where you want maximum punch |
| Soft touch or velvet lamination | Suede-like, noticeably grippier than silk | Same film protection, marks more easily | No | Luxury cards where the feel is the whole message |
| Matte aqueous coating | Flat and dry, thinner in the hand | Scuffs and dog-ears at the corners | Yes | Appointment cards, forms, anything written on |
If the piece has to be written on, that decision comes before every other one. Everything else in this set assumes the customer reads it and keeps it rather than filling it in. Our guide to glossy against matte cardstock goes deeper on how each surface handles photography.
1. Silk laminated business cards: the piece the whole set matches
Start here, because this card sets the stock and the color everything else in the set has to match. Silk laminated business cards are 16pt stock with the soft film sealed on both sides, printed full color on one side or both, in four sizes starting at the standard 2 in x 3.5 in. A set of 250 starts at $74.53 and the per-card cost falls to roughly 5.5 cents by 25,000.
Two upgrades earn their keep on this product. Spot UV puts a clear high-gloss shape on the front, the back or both, and against the low sheen of the silk it reads as a raised, wet-looking mark rather than a shiny card. Rounded corners come at a 1/8 in or 1/4 in radius, and on a laminated card they do real work, because a square corner is the first place a card in a pocket starts to look tired. If you want the mechanics of the gloss layer, our guide to how spot UV printing works covers where it lands and where it does not.
Standard production is 4 business days, and this product also carries 3-Day, 2-Day, Next-Day and Same-Day rush, which is rare for a laminated piece. That matters when a show gets moved up. For the wider comparison of what silk does against a plain matte, read what silk laminated business cards are and matte against gloss on a business card.
2. Silk cards: the same finish in 24 sizes
A silk card is the same 16pt laminated stock cut to whatever the job needs. There are 24 sizes, from a slim 1.5 in x 3.5 in up to 6 in x 11 in, including the 2.125 in x 3.375 in credit card size, with custom sizing to 6 in x 11 in. Pricing tracks the business card, $74.53 for 250 and sliding down to 25,000.
This is the product for the pieces that are not quite business cards: a loyalty punch card, a hotel room card, a rack card by the register, a price card in a display case. Because the laminate seals both faces, a card that lives in a wallet or a display case for six months still looks like the day it shipped, which is not true of a bare 14pt stock. If you are weighing thickness, our guide on 14pt against 16pt explains what the extra two points actually feel like.
One caution on the loyalty card. A punch card is fine, because a hole punch goes through laminate cleanly. A stamp card is not, because most rubber stamp inks will not dry on the film. Choose the punch, not the stamp.
3. Silk postcards: a mailer that arrives looking new
Direct mail takes a beating between our press and a kitchen table. Silk postcards print on the same 16 point silk laminated stock in 22 sizes, from a 2 in x 3 in mini through oversized formats, full color on the front with a blank back or full color on both sides. Sets of 250 start at $74.53, and the piece rates 4.9 out of 5 across 67 reviews.
The film is what gets the card through the mail stream without picking up the gray scuff that dulls an uncoated mailer. It also means the piece keeps working after it lands, because a silk postcard that feels like a card instead of a leaflet is one people leave on the counter. Plan the address side early: ink from a mailhouse inkjet will not take on the laminate, so the address block belongs in the artwork as variable data before the sheet is laminated, or on a label. Our postcards printing category has the uncoated and matte options if hand addressing is part of your plan.
4. Silk flyers: the handout that does not go limp
Most flyers are 100 lb text and they curl by lunchtime. A silk flyer is 16 point cardstock sealed on both sides, in 22 sizes from a pocket 2 in x 3 in up to a full 9 in x 12 in, with custom sizing to 9 in x 12 in. It starts at $74.53 for 250 and the per-flyer price drops toward 5 cents by 25,000.
Use it where the sheet has to survive the day: a menu on a cafe counter, a listing sheet at an open house, a table drop at a market. The laminate resists tears, moisture and fingerprints, which is the difference between a piece that gets set down and kept and one that gets folded into a pocket and thrown out. Standard turnaround is 7 business days with a 4 business day rush, so a weekend market needs the order in the week before. The rest of the range, including the cheaper uncoated stocks, sits on flyers printing.
5. Silk hangtags: the price tag a shopper is already holding
A shopper touches your tag before they touch anything else you printed. Silk hangtags come in eight sizes from 1.5 in x 3.5 in up to 4 in x 6 in, on the same 16pt silk laminated stock, full color on the front with a blank or black back or on both sides, and every tag ships drilled with a single 1/8 in hole. A set of 100 starts at $87.15, with tiers running to 25,000.
The film matters more on a tag than almost anywhere else in this set, because a tag gets handled by strangers all day. The laminate takes the scuffs and fingerprints that would otherwise leave a rack of shirts looking picked over by Saturday afternoon. Order the string separately and match the tag to the card, because a boutique that hands over a bag with a matching tag and silk card inside reads as one brand rather than three suppliers.
6. Silk laminated spot UV hangtags: matte everywhere, gloss on the logo
This is the same tag with one deliberate contrast added. Silk laminated spot UV hangtags carry the soft matte film across the whole 16 point stock, then a clear high-gloss coating picks out the logo or wordmark on the front, the back or both sides. Eight sizes, 1.5 in x 3.5 in through 4 in x 6 in, drilled for string, from $123.66 for 500 and down toward 8 cents a tag on a long run.
The effect only works because the rest of the tag is matte. Gloss on gloss is invisible. Gloss on silk catches a store light at an angle and disappears head on, which is exactly the trick that makes a small tag read like it came from a much bigger brand. Keep the spot UV shape simple and reasonably chunky, because fine hairlines and small serifs get lost under the coating. The difference between this and a spot gloss varnish is worth knowing before you set the file, and spot gloss against spot UV spells it out.
Note the minimum. This product starts at 500 tags where the plain silk tag starts at 100, so it suits a product line, not a first sample run. For a look at how designers use the contrast, see these spot UV designs.
7. Silk bookmarks: the giveaway people keep for years
A silk bookmark is a rigid 16pt card in soft lamination, in a 2 in x 6 in or a longer 2 in x 8 in, full color on the front with a blank back or on both sides. It is the one item in this set with a genuinely long life, because a bookmark that feels good gets kept and a paper strip gets lost.
Read the price ladder before you order. A set of 100 runs $200.84, which is about $2.01 each, and the per-piece cost falls to roughly 14 cents by 5,000. That gap is the widest in the whole set, so a bookstore, a library or an author with a launch schedule should buy the long run and store the box. Standard turnaround is 4 business days with 2-Day, Next-Day and Same-Day rush. The full range, including cheaper standard stocks, is on bookmarks printing.
8. Ultra thick silk laminated business cards: the heavy closer
Ultra thick silk laminated business cards are the same film over 32pt or 48pt stock, roughly two to three times the caliper of a standard 14pt card. Three sizes: the classic 2 in x 3.5 in, a slim 1.5 in x 3.5 in and a square 2.5 in x 2.5 in, with custom made to order up to 3 in x 4 in. Foil, spot UV and edge painting are optional upgrades.
Two numbers decide whether this card belongs in your order. It starts at $251.36 for 250, about $1.01 a card, and the floor is roughly 37 cents at 2,000, which is still higher than the standard silk card at its most expensive tier. Standard turnaround is 15 business days. This is a card you commit to a quarter ahead, not one you add to a rush job, so if the event is next week, order the standard silk card and keep the thick one for the meetings that matter.
Edge painting is the upgrade worth understanding here. The laminate covers the faces of the sheet, never the trimmed edge, so a full-bleed dark card shows a fine pale line where the core was cut. On a 32pt or 48pt card that edge is thick enough to see across a table, and painting it turns the flaw into the feature. More on the finishing options across the catalog in our guide to print finishing techniques and what makes a business card premium.
Configure ultra thick silk laminated business cards from $251.36
The catch
When silk lamination is the wrong choice
A printer who only lists the upside is selling, not advising. Four cases where this finish costs you more than it returns.
- Anything a person writes on. Appointment cards, punch cards stamped in ink, forms, name badges filled in at a door. The film rejects ballpoint and gel ink, so order those on an uncoated or matte aqueous stock and keep the set for the pieces that are read, not filled in.
- Mail you address by hand or by inkjet. A mailhouse inkjet head will not take on laminate. Put the address in the artwork as variable data or use a label, or move the job to an uncoated postcard.
- A full-bleed dark design where the edge shows. The film seals the two faces and stops at the trim, so a cut edge shows the pale paper core as a fine line. On a 16pt card that line is subtle. On the 32pt or 48pt ultra thick card it is visible across a table, which is why edge painting exists as an upgrade.
- A job that has to be recyclable or ships tomorrow at 48pt. Laminated stock is mixed material, not paper, and the ultra thick card runs 15 business days. If either of those is a hard requirement, choose a different stock rather than hoping.
Everything else about this finish is upside. For the sequence a first order should follow, our guide on how to order business cards walks the file setup, the proof and the quantity call.
Keep the set on brand
One look across all eight pieces
A matched set only reads as a brand if the color, the type and the logo repeat exactly. Lay every piece out in the online designer with the same brand colors locked in, or start from a design template and change only the message. When a deadline moves, same-day printing covers the business cards and bookmarks, though not the 7 and 15 day items in this set. The full range of business card finishes, silk included, sits on business cards printing, and the matched folder for a sales meeting is the silk laminated presentation folder.
Specs and pricing
The two pieces most shops reorder
The business card and the postcard carry the set, one at the counter and one in the mail. Both start at $74.53 for 250 on 16 point silk laminated stock, the card in 4 business days and the postcard in seven.
| Quantity | Price Per Unit | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | 29.8¢ | $74.53 |
| 500 | 17.4¢ | $87.15 |
| 1,000 | 11.2¢ | $112.41 |
| 2,500 | 9.04¢ | $226.11 |
| 5,000 | 5.53¢ | $276.63 |
| 10,000 | 5.53¢ | $553.25 |
| 15,000 | 5.47¢ | $819.78 |
| 20,000 | 5.49¢ | $1,097.66 |
| Quantity | Price Per Unit | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | 29.8¢ | $74.53 |
| 500 | 17.4¢ | $87.15 |
| 1,000 | 11.2¢ | $112.41 |
| 2,500 | 9.04¢ | $226.11 |
| 5,000 | 5.53¢ | $276.63 |
| 10,000 | 5.53¢ | $553.25 |
| 15,000 | 5.47¢ | $819.78 |
| 20,000 | 5.49¢ | $1,097.66 |
Wally explains the film
Why a silk card feels different before you read it
Wally holds two cards up to the light. One is coated on press, one is laminated after it. The laminated card is sealed on both faces, so it shrugs off water, fingerprints and a bent corner, and it feels smooth with a hint of drag instead of slick. The trade is honest: nothing writes on it. Print the pieces people keep in silk, print the pieces people fill in on uncoated stock, and the whole set works.
Shop silk laminated printing →See it in use
Silk laminated cards off the laminator
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Where to go next
By the numbers
Sixteen point stock under all eight silk products
Common Questions
Common questions about silk laminated printing
What is silk lamination in printing?
Silk lamination is a thin soft-touch plastic film heat-sealed onto both faces of a printed sheet, usually 16pt cardstock. It is not a coating that soaks into the paper. That is why a silk laminated card resists water, tearing and fingerprints, feels smooth with a slight drag under a fingertip, and reads deeper in color than a glossy card that bounces light back at you.
Can you write on silk laminated cards with a pen?
Not with a normal pen. Ballpoint and gel ink sit on the surface of the film and smear when you touch them. A permanent oil-based marker will hold, but it looks like what it is. If a staff member has to write an appointment time or a price on the piece, order an uncoated or matte aqueous stock instead and keep the silk lamination for the cards nobody writes on.
What is the difference between silk lamination and a matte coating?
A matte aqueous coating is a liquid applied on press and dried into the sheet, so it adds almost no thickness and no real protection. Silk lamination is a separate film applied after printing, and it adds body, stiffness and a sealed surface. The quickest way to tell them apart in a stack is the corner: a coated card creases and dog-ears, a laminated card springs back.
Does silk lamination change how the colors print?
It mutes the sheen and slightly deepens the ink, so photographs read richer and less glaring than they do on gloss, while very light pastels lose a little pop. Build solid blacks as a rich black rather than 100 percent K, or a large black panel can drift toward charcoal under the film. Order a sample of the stock before a big run if the design leans on one flat color.
How much does the silk laminated set cost to start?
At 4OVER4.COM the entry price is $74.53 for 250 silk laminated business cards, silk cards, silk postcards or silk flyers, $87.15 for 100 silk hangtags, $123.66 for 500 silk laminated spot UV hangtags, $200.84 for 100 silk bookmarks, and $251.36 for 250 ultra thick silk laminated business cards. Every price updates live in the configurator as you set size, quantity and options.
How long does silk laminated printing take?
It depends on the piece, because lamination is a separate pass after the press. Silk laminated business cards and silk bookmarks run 4 business days standard with Same-Day rush available. Silk cards, postcards, flyers and hangtags run 7 business days standard with a 4 business day rush. Ultra thick silk laminated business cards run 15 business days, and there is no rushing 48pt stock.
Can I add spot UV on top of silk lamination?
Yes, and it is the pairing the finish is built for. The clear high-gloss coating goes over the matte film so the marked shape catches the light and the rest of the card does not. Silk laminated business cards take spot UV on the front, the back or both, and the hangtags come as a dedicated silk plus spot UV product. Keep the shape bold, because thin hairlines disappear under the gloss.
Are silk laminated cards recyclable?
Not in a normal paper stream. The film is bonded to the sheet, so most curbside programs treat a laminated card as mixed material rather than paper. If recyclability is a requirement for your brand, an uncoated or kraft stock is the honest choice, and the trade you accept is a card that scuffs and softens much faster in a pocket.
Get Started
Print the set once and match it forever
Eight silk laminated products, one 16pt stock, one finish across every piece a customer touches. Set your sizes and quantities at 4OVER4.COM and watch the per-piece price fall as the run climbs.
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