Blister cards look like the simplest item in retail packaging and cause more line stoppages than almost anything else, because the card has to do three unrelated jobs at once: print well, bond to plastic under heat, and hang on a peg without tearing. Get all three on the spec sheet. To order, see blister cards.
Two constructions, two different cards
| Construction | How it works | What the card needs |
|---|---|---|
| Face seal | The blister flange is heat sealed to the printed face of the card | Heat seal coating on the printed side, in the seal area |
| Trapped blister | The blister is captured between two card layers, folded and glued | No heat seal coating needed, but accurate die cut windows |
| Clamshell with insert card | The plastic seals to itself, the card is an insert | Print quality and a die cut that clears the clamshell ribs |
The heat seal coating
For a face seal, the printed face needs a heat seal coating in the area the blister flange touches. Get this wrong and the blisters either peel off in the case or fail intermittently on the line, which is worse. Tell your card supplier the blister material, since the coating is chosen to bond with it, and tell them where the seal area sits so it is not printed over with a varnish that blocks the bond.
Hang features
- Round hole: simplest, but the card tears from the hole under load unless it is far enough from the edge.
- Euro slot: the familiar keyhole shape, designed so the card sits flat on a standard peg.
- Sombrero slot: a wider variant with more bearing surface, better for heavier products.
- No hang feature: fine for shelf or tray merchandising, and it frees up the top of the card for artwork.
Whichever you choose, keep the artwork and the blister clear of it, and check the peg spec on the retailer's fixture drawing or planogram. Our page on what a planogram is explains where those numbers come from.
Card stock and caliper
The card carries the whole weight of the product hanging off a hook, so caliper is a structural decision. Too light and the hang feature tears or the card curls at the corners; too heavy and it stops folding cleanly on a trapped blister. Coated one side board is common, printed on the front with a plain reverse, and a coated two side board is used when the back is printed too.
Sizing the card to the blister
The card is always larger than the blister flange, by enough to seal reliably and to carry the artwork. Work from the blister drawing: flange outline first, then a seal margin around it, then the print area, then the hang feature, then the outer trim. If the blister is not yet tooled, fix the card and the blister together rather than in sequence, since changing either one late is expensive.
Ordering and turnaround
Minimum order is 100 cards, from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes, confirmed on your written quote. The die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints are included. We produce in West Chicago in the US and in Guangzhou in China. Three lanes are quoted per product: rush (expedited production plus air freight), standard (air) and cost saver (sea), from about 7 business days in production plus 2 to 5 days for delivery. For peg merchandising formats, see hanging boxes.
Send the blister drawing, the blister material, your artwork and your quantity. Request a quote and we will spec the card, the coating and the hang feature.
