When The Salvation Army’s Next Gen team approached us, they were developing Tino Taonga - a kaupapa-led, nationwide initiative recognising tamariki and rangatahi as their greatest treasure. As part of that programme, they needed a physical engagement tool: a custom educational card game that felt professional, durable and meaningful enough to be used repeatedly across youth programmes throughout Aotearoa and the Pacific.

The brief evolved as the project progressed. Artwork and packaging files arrived in stages, quantities shifted late in the process and material decisions needed to balance budget with longevity. Our role was to guide the client and their design partner,Genre, through those decisions while keeping everything moving smoothly once approvals landed.

We printed 300 complete custom card deck sets, each consisting of 54 full-colour, double-sided playing cards plus an instruction card, housed in a custom tuck-in carton. The cards were digitally printed on our Konica Minolta AccurioPress C4070, chosen for its pinpoint colour accuracy and consistency across the entire run. Cards were produced on 300gsm Pro Digital Silk, finished with a durable, scuff-resistant matt laminate on both sides before precision die-cutting.

For the cartons, we used Tiger FBB 260gsm carton board with a matt laminate applied to the outer face, delivering a premium finish while maintaining structural strength. Each carton was die-cut, weeded, glued and hand-packed with the cards before couriering nationwide.

The final result was a high-quality, personalised playing card set that matched the depth and care behind the wider Tino Taonga initiative, and the confidence in the finished product led the client to increase quantities just before print.

Have a project that needs careful guidance from file setup through to final delivery? Reach out for a personalised quote and clear, practical advice.