Printing plates, or press plates as they are sometimes called, are the plates used in the printing process for the cards. Card companies sometime include these plates as inserts in packs, or offer them up as complete sets. This usually results in four distinct 1/1 cards available for each card. Each card is available in the four distinct colours used in the printing process - black, yellow, magenta and cyan. Depending on the printing process used for the set, the printing plates sometimes feature a reversed image, or the proper image.

Printing plates are each a One of One, and are often popular items in player collections. Printing plates are usually issued as parallels for an entire base set. This can result in some interesting realized prices for sale. Player collectors are often eager to add a high end or one of one card to their collection, and for some of the lesser known players who still have loyal collectors - the prices for these cards can be very impressive indeed. In the case of stars and superstars, they quite often have nicer autograph, or patch cards on the market, so the prices for their press plates are more predictable (in some cases). As with most 1/1 cards, pricing is difficult to predict.

Black Printing Plate

Magenta Printing Plate

Yellow Printing Plate

Cyan Printing Plate