How to Make Scratch Off Cards: DIY and Professional Methods

To make scratch off cards at home, print your message on cardstock, cover the hidden area with clear tape or a laminate, then paint over it with acrylic paint mixed with a little dish soap, or use a ready-made scratch-off sticker. That works for a handful of cards. When you need a few hundred identical cards for a promotion, event or fundraiser, a professional printer applies the scratch-off coating on press so every card looks and scratches the same.

What you need to make DIY scratch off cards

A DIY scratch off card needs only a printed card, a clear barrier layer and something opaque you can scratch away. Most people already have the supplies:

• Cardstock or heavy paper, plus a home printer
• Clear packing tape, clear contact paper or self-laminating sheets
• Acrylic paint (metallic silver or gold looks the most like a real scratch card) and dish soap
• A small foam brush or sponge
• Or, instead of paint, precut scratch-off stickers

A scratch-off area is the part of the card covered by the removable coating; everything underneath it stays hidden until someone scratches it.

How to make scratch off cards at home, step by step

The homemade method takes five steps and an overnight dry if you use paint.

Step 1: Design the card and the hidden message

Lay out the card in Canva, Word or any design tool, and mark exactly where the scratch-off area will sit. Keep the hidden message short (a prize, a code, a name or a date) and in bold, high-contrast type so it reads clearly once revealed.

Step 2: Print on cardstock

Print on the heaviest stock your printer accepts. Thin paper curls under wet paint and tears when scratched.

Step 3: Seal the hidden area

Cover the message with clear tape or laminate. This barrier keeps paint from soaking into the ink, so the coating lifts off instead of taking the message with it.

Step 4: Apply the scratch-off layer

Mix acrylic paint with a small amount of dish soap; the soap is what lets the dried paint flake off under a coin. Brush it over the taped area, let it dry, and add a second coat if you can still see the text through it. If you would rather skip paint, press a scratch-off sticker over the message instead.

Step 5: Dry and test one card

Let the paint dry fully, then scratch a test card. If the coating will not come off, use more soap next batch; if the message shows through, add another coat.

Why DIY scratch cards fall short for business and fundraising

Homemade cards are fine for a party, but they are hard to make consistent. Coverage varies card to card, light can show the message through thin paint, and painting a few hundred cards by hand takes hours. For a promotion, a mailer or a scratch and donate campaign, the cards also carry your brand, so uneven coating reflects on you.

Professional printing solves those problems because the scratch layer is applied on press over printed artwork, with the same opacity and feel on every card.

How professional scratch off cards are made

At Mr. Scratch Off, cards are printed in full color on 12pt C2S cardstock, then a silver or gold scratch layer is applied over the hidden area. Thicker 14pt and 16pt stock and 280gsm blue-core security stock are options, along with custom color scratch ink and foil accents (see scratch-off inks and materials).

You choose between two reveal styles:

• Classic reveal: a silver or gold scratch layer over your printed message. See classic scratch off cards.
• Full-color reveal: a full-color image printed under the scratch-off area, for photos, logos or detailed prize art.

Standard sizes are Mini 2 x 3.5 in, Small 2.75 x 4 in, Medium 4 x 6 in and Large 6 x 9 in, plus custom sizes and die-cut shapes.

Artwork setup for printed cards

Printed cards need print-ready artwork: PDF, AI or PSD at 300 DPI in CMYK, with 0.125 in of bleed on all sides and important content kept 0.125 to 0.25 in inside the trim (the safe zone). If you do not have a designer, Mr. Scratch Off lays out the card at no charge when you send your copy, logo and direction, or you can build it yourself in the online designer. Our scratch-off card design guide covers every spec in detail.

Proofs, turnaround and shipping

Every order gets a free digital proof, usually the same day, and nothing prints until you approve it. Standard production is 7-10 business days from approved proof, with rush production in 3-5 business days on most jobs for an added fee. Ground shipping from Orlando reaches most of the US in 2-4 business days.

DIY vs professional: which should you choose?

Choose DIY for fewer than a few dozen personal cards and professional printing for anything branded or numbering in the hundreds.

How much do professionally printed scratch off cards cost?

Price depends on size, quantity, reveal style and whether the back is printed. As one example from the Mr. Scratch Off quote tool, Mini 2 x 3.5 in classic cards with a blank or black-and-white back (4/1) run $1.55 per card at 250 cards and $0.69 per card at 1,000 cards. Full-color reveal costs more than classic at every size and quantity. Shipping and sales tax are quoted separately. See current tables on the pricing page or the full breakdown in how much custom scratch off cards cost.

Next steps

If you need more than a handful of cards, get a quote with your size, quantity and reveal style. Quotes come back within one business day, and you approve a free digital proof before anything prints.