Lilywhites captain Tom Clarke's header just before the hour, which shaved the bar, was the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock at Deepdale.
Thanks to Bristol City's win over Nottingham Forest on Friday night, Preston kicked off sitting bottom of the Championship against a Cardiff side just outside the play-offs.
The Bluebirds sparked into life when Joe Ralls caught the Preston defence napping and slipped in Cardiff top scorer Joe Mason, who was let down by a heavy touch and Jordan Pickford smothered the loose 25th-minute effort.
At the other end, Adam Reach showed his quality on the right wing and delivered a dangerous 31st-minute cross for Stevie May, who failed to get proper contact and the effort trickled tamely wide.
As Preston began to deliver more accurate crosses, Jordan Hugill's 33rd-minute looping header from Daniel Johnson on the right was calmly collected by Cardiff stopper David Marshall.
Lilywhites captain Clarke made a crucial 38th-minute challenge to deny the lively Mason, who was ready to pull the trigger after Ralls darted into the box and fired in a low cross.
Ex-Leicester man Paul Gallagher was inches away from giving Preston the lead moments later after his long-range thunderbolt took a key deflection which lifted it just over the bar.
After the break, referee Stuart Attwell waved away a 48th-minute Preston penalty appeal when May was muscled off the ball by Sean Morrison.
A well-worked 53rd-minute move from the Bluebirds involving Craig Noone, Anthony Pilkington and Sammy Ameobi ended with the latter shooting over from close range.
As Cardiff continued the second half brightly, Kagisho Dikgacoi slipped in Mason and Pickford got down well to parry the 54th-minute effort, while referee Attwell ignored a penalty claim when Noone went down.
Preston skipper Clarke rose magnificently from Gallagher's corner shortly before the hour mark and his header shaved the top of Marshall's crossbar.
Peter Whittingham's 64th-minute whipped free-kick found Morrison, who collided with Pickford while heading the goalbound effort inches wide.
Noone floated down the right for the Bluebirds and lofted a ball into the box on 78 minutes which fell to Ameobi, but he was twice denied by some desperate Preston defending.
Pickford demonstrated his quick reflexes 10 minutes from the end when Whittingham's free-kick just outside the area went through the wall and the Preston stopper parried to safety.
Preston top scorer Johnson was caught off guard when an attempted 85th-minute headed clearance fell to him in the box, but the midfielder dragged his shot wide.
Sporting Life