Plasticard, WizKids

I know there is a patent for a constructable game pertaining to this because there was a Wizards spat with WizKids... I think it was due to the Star Wars constructable game. I don't know the patent specifically, but I am sure someone still owns the rights to it somewhere. I'd try to read up on it if I were you before you go too deep and decide for yourself if you should continue.

Jon-
Plastic is tough to print on in any case and printing on something this thick is probably going to require a special press. It sounds like you have that covered, though.

Diecutting is also going to be hard. Diecutting ability is a measure of the tonnage of the machine and the "rule inches" of the die. The problem is that big tonnage die cutting machines (like a Bobst) are usually set up to do large sheets. Small credit card sized sheets are going to be a problem for big machines. Even if you die cut them and then cut them into the smaller sheets, it will still be an issue (cutters work on an inches basis, not a sheet basis, so it will take more time to cut the thick sheets of plastic down). Smaller diecutters (like a Thompson or a Windmill) may not have the tonnage to cut a thick sheet of plastic, even at that small size.

That said, you probably need to find a company that specializes in die cutting. Maybe even one that specializes in die cutting plastic. The good news is that such companies are more common than you might think. Most decent sized cities will have one. The trick will be finding them as many are small shops with a limited web presence.

I work for a local municipality and we've got our own printshop. One of my favorite machines is the cutting machine. It's huge and it's old and it's a monster. It only does straight cuts. We save money on the paper if we buy bigger sheets and then cut them down to size.

So...would it work for you to print all your cards on a single sheet and then laminate that sheet (with some thick laminate) and then cut them out? I don't know if this is helpful to your or not, but you've given me a good idea. Some of the laminate they use down there (in our print shop) make the products look and feel like credit cards. For example, they've printed out a payroll calendar and laminated it into a little card that you can put in your wallet. Looks and works great!