diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 3660e00..57f4438 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@
         "ecpair": "^3.0.0",
         "embla-carousel-react": "^8.3.0",
         "hls.js": "^1.6.15",
+        "html2canvas": "^1.4.1",
         "html5-qrcode": "^2.3.8",
         "idb": "^8.0.3",
         "input-otp": "^1.2.4",
@@ -5875,6 +5876,15 @@
         "node": ">=18"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/html2canvas": {
+      "version": "1.4.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/html2canvas/-/html2canvas-1.4.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-fPU6BHNpsyIhr8yyMpTLLxAbkaK8ArIBcmZIRiBLiDhjeqvXolaEmDGmELFuX9I4xDcaKKcJl+TKZLqruBbmWA==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=8.0.0"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/html5-qrcode": {
       "version": "2.3.8",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/html5-qrcode/-/html5-qrcode-2.3.8.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4da5a1d..db63369 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
     "ecpair": "^3.0.0",
     "embla-carousel-react": "^8.3.0",
     "hls.js": "^1.6.15",
+    "html2canvas": "^1.4.1",
     "html5-qrcode": "^2.3.8",
     "idb": "^8.0.3",
     "input-otp": "^1.2.4",
diff --git a/src/index.css b/src/index.css
index c94b163..b74adc3 100644
--- a/src/index.css
+++ b/src/index.css
@@ -517,64 +517,17 @@ html, body {
 .card-theme-sunset .card-muted    { color: rgba(255,208,160,0.65) !important; }
 .card-theme-sunset .card-bg-chip  { background: rgba(255,80,0,0.2) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255,80,0,0.5) !important; }
 
-/* ── Print-only card: hidden on screen, shown only when printing ── */
-.print-only-card {
-  display: none !important;
-  position: fixed;
-  top: 0;
-  left: 0;
-  z-index: -1;
-}
-
-/* ── Print styles ── */
+/* ── Print: the card is rendered to PNG via html2canvas before printing.
+   The @media print block below is only a safety fallback for direct Ctrl+P.
+   It will never look as good as the canvas approach. ── */
 @media print {
-  /* Step 1: hide the entire page */
-  html, body {
-    background: white !important;
-  }
-
-  body > * {
-    display: none !important;
-  }
-
-  /* Step 2: show only the print-only-card container */
-  .print-only-card {
+  @page { size: 85.6mm 54mm; margin: 0; }
+  body > * { display: none !important; }
+  .rider-card-print-fallback {
     display: block !important;
     position: fixed !important;
-    top: 0 !important;
-    left: 0 !important;
+    top: 0; left: 0;
     width: 85.6mm !important;
     height: 54mm !important;
-    margin: 0 !important;
-    padding: 0 !important;
-    z-index: 99999 !important;
-    overflow: hidden !important;
-  }
-
-  /* Step 3: size the card to exact credit-card dimensions */
-  .print-only-card .rider-card {
-    width: 85.6mm !important;
-    height: 54mm !important;
-    border-radius: 4mm !important;
-    page-break-inside: avoid;
-    box-shadow: none !important;
-    overflow: hidden !important;
-  }
-
-  /* Reset page margins to zero */
-  @page {
-    size: 85.6mm 54mm;
-    margin: 0;
-  }
-
-  /* Kill holographic overlay on print */
-  .rider-card-holo::after {
-    display: none !important;
-  }
-
-  /* Kill animations */
-  *, *::before, *::after {
-    animation: none !important;
-    transition: none !important;
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/pages/RiderCardPage.tsx b/src/pages/RiderCardPage.tsx
index 37827fd..ca93777 100644
--- a/src/pages/RiderCardPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/RiderCardPage.tsx
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@
  * Print-ready: credit-card size (85.6×54mm), @media print isolates card
  */
 
-import { useState, useRef, useCallback, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useState, useRef, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { useSeoMeta } from '@unhead/react';
 import { nip19 } from 'nostr-tools';
+import html2canvas from 'html2canvas';
 
 import { Layout } from '@/components/Layout';
 import { LoginArea } from '@/components/auth/LoginArea';
@@ -42,9 +43,9 @@ import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
 import type { NostrEvent } from '@nostrify/nostrify';
 
 import {
-  Printer, Copy, Palette, Check, Building2,
-  User, Shield, Award, Plus, Search, Zap,
-  ChevronDown, ChevronUp, Info,
+  Printer, Download, Copy, Palette, Check, Building2,
+  User, Shield, Award, Zap,
+  ChevronDown, ChevronUp, Info, Loader2,
 } from 'lucide-react';
 
 // ─── Nostr kinds ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -494,9 +495,9 @@ function AwardBadgeDialog({ open, onClose, issuerPubkey }: AwardBadgeDialogProps
           </div>
 
           <div className="p-3 rounded-xl bg-yellow-500/5 border border-yellow-500/20 text-xs text-gray-400">
-            <span className="font-bold text-yellow-400">🔐 On-chain proof.</span>{' '}
-            This badge is cryptographically signed by your Nostr key. The rider can
-            display it with your name as witness — and anyone can verify it.
+            <span className="font-bold text-yellow-400">🔐 Signed proof.</span>{' '}
+            This badge is a signed message on the Nostr network — cryptographically tied to your key.
+            The rider can show it with your name as witness, and anyone can verify it's real.
           </div>
 
           <Button
@@ -643,6 +644,7 @@ export default function RiderCardPage() {
   const [validThru, setValidThru]     = useState('');
 
   const [copied, setCopied] = useState(false);
+  const [rendering, setRendering] = useState(false);
 
   // ── Parse recipientNpub → pubkey ─────────────────────────────────────────
   const recipientPubkey = (() => {
@@ -683,10 +685,96 @@ export default function RiderCardPage() {
     validThru,
   };
 
-  // ── Actions ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-  const handlePrint = useCallback(() => {
+  // ── Render card to canvas → returns a PNG data URL ───────────────────────
+  const renderCardToImage = useCallback(async (): Promise<string | null> => {
+    if (!printRef.current) return null;
+    setRendering(true);
+    try {
+      // Temporarily disable holographic animation for clean capture
+      const cardEl = printRef.current;
+      cardEl.classList.remove('rider-card-holo');
+
+      const canvas = await html2canvas(cardEl, {
+        scale: 4,           // 4× for crisp print quality
+        useCORS: true,      // allow cross-origin avatars
+        allowTaint: true,
+        backgroundColor: null,
+        logging: false,
+        onclone: (doc) => {
+          // In the cloned doc, force all backgrounds to render
+          const style = doc.createElement('style');
+          style.textContent = `
+            * { -webkit-print-color-adjust: exact !important; print-color-adjust: exact !important; }
+          `;
+          doc.head.appendChild(style);
+        },
+      });
+
+      // Restore holo class if it was on
+      if (cardData.holographic) cardEl.classList.add('rider-card-holo');
+
+      return canvas.toDataURL('image/png');
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error('Card render failed:', err);
+      return null;
+    } finally {
+      setRendering(false);
+    }
+  }, [printRef, cardData.holographic]);
+
+  // ── Print: render to image, open print window with the image ─────────────
+  const handlePrint = useCallback(async () => {
+    const dataUrl = await renderCardToImage();
+    if (!dataUrl) {
+      toast({ title: 'Could not render card', description: 'Try again in a moment.', variant: 'destructive' });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // 85.6mm × 54mm in points (1mm ≈ 2.835pt)
+    const w = Math.round(85.6 * 2.835);
+    const h = Math.round(54 * 2.835);
+
+    const win = window.open('', '_blank', `width=${w * 2},height=${h * 2}`);
+    if (!win) {
+      toast({ title: 'Popup blocked', description: 'Allow popups for this site then try again.', variant: 'destructive' });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    win.document.write(`<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+<head>
+<title>SkateSpots Rider Card</title>
+<style>
+  @page { size: 85.6mm 54mm; margin: 0; }
+  html, body { margin: 0; padding: 0; background: #000; }
+  img { display: block; width: 85.6mm; height: 54mm; }
+</style>
+</head>
+<body>
+<img src="${dataUrl}" />
+<script>
+  window.onload = function() {
+    window.focus();
     window.print();
-  }, []);
+  };
+</script>
+</body>
+</html>`);
+    win.document.close();
+  }, [renderCardToImage, toast]);
+
+  // ── Download card as PNG ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  const handleDownload = useCallback(async () => {
+    const dataUrl = await renderCardToImage();
+    if (!dataUrl) {
+      toast({ title: 'Could not render card', variant: 'destructive' });
+      return;
+    }
+    const a = document.createElement('a');
+    a.href = dataUrl;
+    a.download = `skatespot-card-${cardData.licenseId}.png`;
+    a.click();
+  }, [renderCardToImage, cardData.licenseId, toast]);
 
   const handleCopyNpub = useCallback(() => {
     navigator.clipboard.writeText(npub);
@@ -740,18 +828,7 @@ export default function RiderCardPage() {
 
   return (
     <Layout>
-      {/* 
-        PRINT ISOLATION: when window.print() fires, @media print CSS in index.css
-        hides everything except elements with `rider-card` class via direct targeting.
-        The printable card is rendered in a fixed-position portal outside the layout flow.
-      */}
-
-      {/* ── Print-only card (fixed, invisible on screen, visible on print) ── */}
-      <div className="print-only-card" aria-hidden="true">
-        <RiderCardFront d={cardData} />
-      </div>
-
-      <div className="no-print container max-w-5xl px-4 py-10">
+      <div className="container max-w-5xl px-4 py-10">
         {/* Page header */}
         <div className="mb-8">
           <h1 className="text-4xl font-black uppercase mb-2">
@@ -813,10 +890,20 @@ export default function RiderCardPage() {
               <div className="flex gap-3 flex-wrap justify-center">
                 <Button
                   onClick={handlePrint}
+                  disabled={rendering}
                   className="bg-[#ff0040] hover:bg-[#cc0030] gap-2 font-black uppercase"
                 >
-                  <Printer className="h-4 w-4" />
-                  Print Card
+                  {rendering ? <Loader2 className="h-4 w-4 animate-spin" /> : <Printer className="h-4 w-4" />}
+                  {rendering ? 'Rendering…' : 'Print Card'}
+                </Button>
+                <Button
+                  variant="outline"
+                  onClick={handleDownload}
+                  disabled={rendering}
+                  className="gap-2 border-gray-700 hover:border-gray-500"
+                >
+                  {rendering ? <Loader2 className="h-4 w-4 animate-spin" /> : <Download className="h-4 w-4" />}
+                  Save PNG
                 </Button>
                 <Button
                   variant="outline"
@@ -838,9 +925,14 @@ export default function RiderCardPage() {
                 )}
               </div>
 
-              <p className="text-gray-600 text-xs text-center max-w-xs">
-                📄 Print → Custom 85.6×54 mm (or Business Card), no margins. Laminate for extra street cred. 🛹
-              </p>
+              <div className="text-center space-y-1">
+                <p className="text-gray-500 text-xs max-w-xs">
+                  🖨️ <strong className="text-gray-400">Print Card</strong> opens a print window with the card as an image — backgrounds guaranteed to show.
+                </p>
+                <p className="text-gray-600 text-xs max-w-xs">
+                  💾 <strong className="text-gray-400">Save PNG</strong> to share digitally, use in iMessage, WhatsApp, or take to a print shop.
+                </p>
+              </div>
             </div>
 
             {/* Right: Controls */}