How to Make Your Own Hockey Card in 3 Simple Steps

Action shots from games produce the most dramatic cards — a player mid-stride, a goalie making a save, or a wrist shot in progress. That said, posed photos in full gear work just as well, especially for youth players. The most important factor is image resolution. A blurry or low-resolution photo will print soft, so use the highest quality image you have. Photos taken with a modern smartphone camera in good lighting are usually more than sufficient. Avoid screenshots or images that have been resized down significantly, as those tend to lose detail in print.

From the moment you place your order, Snapshot prints and ships your card within 2-3 business days. We print in Des Moines, Iowa, and ship via standard US carriers. Most customers across the country receive their cards within 3-5 days total from order date. If you're ordering for a specific event — a tournament, a birthday, an end-of-season party — it's worth placing your order at least a week in advance to give yourself a comfortable buffer. Expedited shipping options may be available at checkout depending on your location.

Absolutely. Snapshot is set up for individual orders rather than bulk batch processing, so you'd create each player's card separately using their individual photo and stats. Many team parents and coaches handle this as a group project — collecting photos from families and placing orders for each player. The packs (up to $49.99) let you order multiples of the same card, which is useful if you want extras of a specific player's card. For team-wide orders, we recommend starting the process at least two weeks before you need the cards in hand.

The customization options depend on the template you choose, but most Snapshot hockey templates include fields for the player's name, jersey number, position, team name, and a stats section. For youth players, you might fill in goals, assists, and season year. For adult league players, feel free to get creative with stats — plus/minus, penalty minutes, and years played all work well. The templates are designed so that every field is optional. You don't have to fill in every slot if you'd rather keep it clean and focused on the photo and name.

Yes — every single-card order from Snapshot includes a free magnetic display case. These are the same rigid magnetic cases that collectors use to protect valuable cards. They're not flimsy plastic sleeves; they click shut securely and protect the card from bending, moisture, and surface scratches. If you're ordering a pack or the MEGA poster card, the packaging is handled differently to protect the larger format or multiple cards. The magnetic case is specifically paired with single-card orders, making them ready to display the moment they arrive.

Yes. Every card is printed in Des Moines, Iowa. We don't outsource printing overseas. Printing domestically lets us maintain tighter quality control and ship faster than services that use international print facilities. When you order, your card is produced by our team in Iowa and sent directly to your address. That domestic production is part of why we can consistently hit 2-3 day shipping timelines without charging a premium for it. It's something we're proud of and something that matters to a lot of our customers.