RRD set an industry benchmark for trading card production complexity with its award-winning work on Based Trading Cards (BTC) “Orange Pill in a Pack Series 4: The Simulation.” While most trading card sets use up to five treatments during production, RRD pushed beyond industry norms with up to 15 techniques on chase and parallel cards.

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RRD used up to 15 advanced printing techniques on Based Trading Cards’ Orange Pill in a Pack Series 4: The Simulation, shattering the typical five-treatment industry standard. The 147-card collection features innovations like temperature-reactive inks, glow-in-the-dark and 3D effects, and Cast & Cure holographic textures. This complex, tactile production later earned the companies a prestigious Foil & Specialty Effects Association Gold Leaf Award for the Best Use of Film Casting (Cast and Cure®) and for "The Octopus" and "Common Sense" cards.

RRD used up to 15 advanced printing techniques on Based Trading Cards’ Orange Pill in a Pack Series 4: The Simulation, shattering the typical five-treatment industry standard. The 147-card collection features innovations like temperature-reactive inks, glow-in-the-dark and 3D effects, and Cast & Cure holographic textures. This complex, tactile production later earned the companies a prestigious Foil & Specialty Effects Association Gold Leaf Award for the Best Use of Film Casting (Cast and Cure®) and for “The Octopus” and “Common Sense” cards.

Several RRD innovations are featured in BTC’s 147-card Series 4 collection including frameless chase cards, temperature and light reactive inks, glow-in-the-dark imagery, 3D effects, custom neon spot colors and cast and cure holographic textures that provide a tactile experience. Only 21,000 packs and 875 serialized and number-stamped hobby boxes have been produced, illustrating the rarity and transparency of the series.

“Series 4 is our invitation to unplug and reclaim the tactile beauty of the physical world,” said Alladan Flinn, Founder and CEO of Based Trading Cards. “RRD has brought our most ambitious concepts to life with precision and quality, upholding our commitment to transparency and the lasting value of the physical hobby.”

Redefining the limits of print technology

RRD executed the convergence of techniques, technologies and materials to produce one of the industry’s most complex trading card games featuring:

  • Custom and Advanced Inks: Integration of Thermo-Chromatic (heat-sensitive) and UV Photochromic (light-sensitive) inks react to the collector’s environment and simulate melting icicles or make lava appear like rock. Several cards have glow-in-the-dark features and some have inks that only appear in sunlight. Specially created neon spot colors go beyond the standard CMYK color model.

  • Complex Layering: Each card showcases an intricate mix of premium finishes. Cards feature multi-layered finishes including raised UV, holographic foil board and hot foil stamping. This technique pairs a rich, tactile grip with vivid foils that capture light and elevate the finest details of the artwork.

  • Cast and Cure Effects: Utilizing techniques typically reserved for high-end luxury packaging, RRD’s application of holographic film to wet UV layers creates unique textures and lens effects that double as an enhanced security feature.

“RRD’s work with Based Trading Cards highlights our art-to-production capabilities that no other company can match,” said Stella Ye, President, RRD Asia. “By combining sophisticated techniques with meticulous execution, we bring art to life in new ways that redefines the premium standard for the global trading card market.”

A first-of-its-kind unboxing experience

RRD and BTC also collaborated to debut the “S4 Experience Box,” a custom luxury package designed and produced to enable a memorable unboxing experience and serve as a valuable keepsake. Limited to 420 units globally, the S4 Experience box features:

  • Unprecedented Transparency: a physical card production ledger provides 100% print run transparency.

  • Gamified Packaging: sequenced golden key chase packs using red light/green light status cards transforms the act of opening a pack into an interactive game. One pack is hidden inside a 3-D printed miniature muscle car.

  • Premium Components: high-end custom components including gold-colored scissors, professional grade white gloves, a leather binder for long-term card preservation, four serialized and embossed deck boxes, full-color card lithographs and a one-of-one print plate used during card production.

  • Chance to Win a Muscle Car: courtesy of Based Trading Cards, one oversized gold-plated key gives collectors an opportunity to win a custom 2021 Based Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody valued at $69,000.

For their work, RRD and BTC were recently honored with a Gold Leaf Award from the Foil & Specialty Effects Association. The award recognized excellence in the Best Use of Film Casting (Cast and Cure®) category and for the production of The Simulation Series 4 trading cards, including “The Octopus” (#93) and “Common Sense” (#27).

To learn more about RRD collectibles, visit https://www.rrd.com/industries/consumer-and-retail/collectibles and case study. To learn more about Based Trading Cards, visit https://basedtradingcards.com.

About RRD

RRD provides a complete portfolio of marketing, packaging, print and business services to the world’s most respected brands, including 92% of the Fortune 100. The company’s proprietary technology, advanced data analytics and established expertise fuel organizational decision-making, from strategy through execution. With operations in 30 countries, global organizations and regulated industries trust RRD to reduce complexity and drive audience connections across the entire customer journey.

About Based Trading Cards (BTC)

Based Trading Cards (BTC) is a premier collectibles company dedicated to restoring trust and transparency to the trading card industry. By merging high-end manufacturing with a commitment to verifiable scarcity, BTC creates physical artifacts that serve as more than just collectibles—they are tools for education and independent thought. Inspired by the “Based” philosophy of standing firm in one’s convictions, the company focuses on delivering world-class art and tangible quality that empowers collectors to think for themselves and stay true to their own perspective.

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