About Two-Sided Cards

This page gives an overview of how to create and print two-sided cards.

1. Enable the features needed for two-sided cards.
   Open the Deck tab, and select the "Cards may have two sides" option.

   Learn more about the Deck tab.

2. Create your content.
   Add columns to your content for the items that will appear on the backs of your cards, as well as for the items on the front. Each row of content still represents one card (or one series of cards.) You do not have to mark the columns as belonging to the front or the back. Any column can be used on either or both sides. You'll arrange all that in the Layout tab.

   Learn more about creating and editing content.

3. Create a layout for your card backs.
   In the Layout tab, use the Edit: Front / Back control to select 'Back'. Then create and edit the layout for the backs of your cards, the same as for your fronts.
   
   The Edit: Front / Back control in the Layout tab.

   Learn more about the Layout tab.

4. Use the Safe Border and Bleed in your layouts.
   Your printer (or your print service) may not be able to perfectly align the printing on the fronts and backs of your cards. You should keep important card content items inside the Safe Border to ensure that they are not accidentally cut off by misaligned printing.

   If your cards have a background color or artwork that should extend to the edge of the card, make the background item larger by 1/8" (3.75 mm) than the cut size of the card. The easy way to do this is to select the background item in the Layout tab, then select the menu command Arrange > Full Bleed.

   Learn more about sizing and placing card items.

5. Select appropriate Print Options.
   Open the Print Options dialog by selecting the menu command File > Print Options or by clicking the Print Options toolbar item. Select the Enable Card Spacing option, and set appropriate spacing between your cards. We recommend 0.25" (or 6.35 mm if you use metric). This allows space for the full-bleed background items, and for the possible misalignment of fronts and backs due to printer registration issues.
   
   The Print Options dialog

   Learn more about Print Options.

6. Test Print.
   Before you print your first full run of cards, we recommend printing a single double-sided page first. You can use cheap paper and low-ink settings for this print. This lets you ensure that your design and print settings are to your satisfaction before spending the paper and ink needed for a full run.

7. Print.
   The Print Panel will display a special section for Multideck.
   
   The Print panel, showing the Multideck options.

   You can choose to print Fronts Only, Backs only, or Both Sides.

   The Print Both Sides option is for use with printers that have the ability to print on both sides of a page in a single print run. With this option selected, Multideck will alternate printing pages of card fronts and matching card backs.

   If your printer can't do that (or if you don't want to do that), you can select to print only the fronts, or only the backs. To make double-sided cards this way, you will have to print the fronts, then arrange those printed pages appropriately and place them in the paper tray again so that they can be printed on the blank side, and then print the backs.

   This is tricky to get right. Please carefully read Printing Two-Sided Cards before attempting to print in this fashion.

   Learn more about Printing Two-Sided Cards.

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