Eco hotel card sleeves

EKO hotel card holders - natural paper instead of laminate

An EKO hotel card holder is a practical die-cut sleeve for a room key card, a parking card, a voucher, a receipt or a small document handed to a guest at reception.

Because it is printed to your own design, it is easy to match it to the visual identity of a hotel, apartment, guesthouse, resort or spa.

The main difference between the EKO version and a classic holder is the material and the finish. Here we use papers with a natural character and deliberately leave out the lamination.

Instead of a smooth, film-covered surface you get paper with a colour of its own and a texture you can feel. It suits properties that want to keep a consistent character across everything they hand to guests.

If you prefer a smoother, laminated finish, take a look at the classic hotel card holders.

What EKO holders suit

Holders like these work well at reception, in welcome packs and whenever documents connected with the stay are handed over.

They are used by hotels, guesthouses, apartments, glamping sites, agritourism farms, resorts, boutique hotels, spas, health resorts and short-term rental companies, among others.

Most often the holder is used as:

• a holder for a hotel key card or room access card,
• a holder for a parking card or an apartment card,
• packaging for a loyalty, service or VIP card,
• a holder for a voucher, receipt or confirmation,
• a small information card for the guest with the Wi-Fi details, breakfast hours or the reception number,
• a welcome card with a QR code or a website address.

One holder can serve several purposes at once. It protects the card, keeps the check-in materials together and gives you room for the key information about the stay.

Available formats

In the calculator you pick the format to match the type of card and how much information has to fit on the design.

Every holder is cut with a cutting die, so the pocket, the slits and the fold lines have a specific shape that follows the chosen pattern.

Available versions:

• Hotel key card holder, standard - 75×105 mm - the most versatile version for hotels, guesthouses and apartments. It gives you a comfortable area for a logo, contact details, the room number and the basic information.
• Hotel key card holder for 2 cards - 75×105 mm - made for two cards. Useful in twin rooms, family apartments and anywhere the guest also gets a parking or service card.
• Card / receipt holder, folded - 60×95 mm - a compact form that lets you hand over a voucher, a confirmation or a short practical note along with the card.
• Card / receipt holder, glued - 70×105 mm - a more enclosed construction that keeps a card, a receipt or a small document tidy.
• Hotel key card holder, slide-in 1 and slide-in 2 - 60×90 mm - a small, handy version for issuing cards quickly at reception. In the calculator these are two separate cutting dies of the same size, differing in the cut of the pocket and the slits.

EKO papers

We print the holders on papers with a natural look. Each has a different shade and texture, and each affects the printed colours differently.

Your choices are:

• Kraftliner 300 gsm - natural kraft paper with a strong character. It suits eco, rustic and craft designs, especially with simple artwork and strong contrast.
• Kazan ecru 250 gsm with grass fibre - a warm paper with natural specks. It goes well with agritourism, glamping, holiday properties and spas.
• Kazan ecru 300 gsm with grass fibre - the same character as the 250 gsm version, but stiffer and more solid.
• Flora Avorio 240 gsm - a light, calm paper in an elegant shade. It suits hotels, apartments and designs in a delicate style.
• Flora Giglio 240 gsm - light, neutral and versatile. It combines a natural character with a more classic look.
• Flora Giglio 350 gsm - the same shade in a thicker, noticeably stiffer version.
• Flora Tabacco 240 gsm - a darker, stronger colour for kraft, boutique and more distinctive designs. It looks best with clear typography and good contrast.
• Flora Tabacco 350 gsm - the darker version in a heavier weight, stiffer and more solid.

On EKO papers the colour of the stock affects how the artwork looks. The print can come out warmer, more muted and less contrasty than on white paper.

That is why designs with legible typography, clear elements and strong enough contrast work best.

No lamination - and that is the point

EKO holders are deliberately left unlaminated.

Natural papers show their character best when the surface stays uncovered. Film would hide the texture, change how the material feels and take away part of what sets it apart from classic coated paper.

Leaving off the lamination keeps the natural colour and structure of the paper. The holder then looks calmer and less plastic, which suits brands built on simplicity, nature or a more craft-like character.

Printing

The holder can be printed on one side or on both.

• Single-sided printing - good for simple designs. On the one side you can put the logo, the name of the property, the room number, a short welcome, a graphic element or a QR code.
• Double-sided printing - gives you more room for information. You can use the inside or the second side for the Wi-Fi details, breakfast hours, the reception number, and information about parking, the restaurant, the spa or the basic house rules.

With natural papers, legibility matters especially.

Very light colours, delicate tonal transitions, small text or small QR codes can be less visible. It is better to keep the number of elements down and use clear contrast.

What you can put on the holder

On an EKO hotel card holder you can print:

• the logo and name of the property,
• the room number,
• the Wi-Fi details,
• breakfast hours,
• the reception number,
• the website address,
• a QR code leading to a guest panel or a review form,
• information about parking,
• information about the restaurant or spa,
• social media details,
• a short welcome message.

With EKO papers a simple layout usually looks good. A logo, a few key pieces of information and some open space often work better than very elaborate artwork.

File preparation

When you place the order you can choose one of three ways of handling the artwork.

• No file check - for agencies, designers and anyone confident the file is prepared correctly. The design goes into production without further control.
• File check by a designer - we check the technical preparation of the design: format, bleed, safe distances, image quality, CMYK colours and everything to do with the construction of the holder. Among other things we look at the folding, creasing and glue lines, the card opening, and how the artwork sits in relation to the cutting die.
• Simple graphic design - if you have no file ready, send us your logo, the text, the details and your guidelines on how it should look. We will prepare a simple design matched to the format and EKO paper you chose.

The designer's check does not cover the content.

We do not check typos, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, Wi-Fi passwords, QR codes, dates or other factual information. The customer is responsible for their accuracy.

How to prepare the file for print

The design is best prepared as a PDF that follows our specification, in CMYK.

Photographs and artwork should be at 300 dpi at 1:1 scale.

With holders it is very important to use the correct template or cutting die. The design has to allow for:

• the cutting lines,
• the creases and folds,
• the glue areas,
• the flaps,
• the bleed,
• the pockets and the card openings,
• the areas that can become invisible once the product is folded.

Keep the logo, text, QR code and other important elements away from the cutting lines, the folds and the point where the card slides in.

Allow for the colour of the paper too. On Kraftliner, Kazan or the darker Flora versions the print can look different than on a white stock. Avoid very thin lines, small text and weak contrast.

Once you have chosen the format, paper and printing option, the calculator shows the price of the order automatically.