How Big is a Magic: The Gathering (MTG) Card?
Let‘s kick things off with the key dimensions: A standard tournament-legal MTG card measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches, or 63.5 x 88.9 mm.
Comparing MTG Card Sizes
MTG cards fit into the "poker card" size category, as opposed to the slightly smaller "bridge cards" used in games like Yu-Gi-Oh. To visualize the difference:
| Game | Card Size (inches) | Card Size (mm) |
| MTG | 2.5 x 3.5 | 63.5 x 88.9 |
| Yu-Gi-Oh | 2.25 x 3.25 | 57.15 x 82.55 |
Poker cards and MTG cards have virtually identical dimensions – makes sense considering they originated as paper playing cards! Meanwhile Yu-Gi-Oh shaved off a little size.
In terms of thickness, MTG cards are remarkably sturdy: around 0.012 inches (0.305 mm) for non-foil cards. Compare this to an average paper playing card at just 0.004 inches (0.1 mm).
So if you enjoy fancy card flourishes, you‘ll find MTG stock nearly 3 times as thick! The thickness ensures durability for all the shuffling that comes with trading card gaming.
What About Sleeved Card Size?
Avid MTG players tend to keep their cards in protective sleeves while playing. So what dimensions can you expect for a sleeved MTG card?
Popular Dragon Shield card sleeves come out to approximately 66 x 91 mm when holding a MTG card. This provides a snug fit with some extra sleeve overhang for grip.
You can also double sleeve MTG cards for maximum protection by using an inner sleeve along with an outer sleeve. Just be aware this will add even more thickness.
Interesting MTG Card Size Facts & Stats
Let‘s get into some fun trivia around MTG card dimensions:
- According to my experiments, a stack of 1000 standard MTG cards measures about 12.56 inches (31.89 cm) tall. For visualization, this is a little shorter than two soda cans stacked!
- An average US dollar bill clocks in at 2.61 inches long. Lined up in a row, 494 MTG cards would equal a dollar bill in length. I‘ll take the cards over the cash any day!
- MTG card stock is remarkably thick and durable compared to everyday paper. The stock thickness used is typically 280 GSM (grams per square meter) versus 192 GSM for standard playing cards.
- Perhaps unsurprisingly given the game‘s complexity, one scientific study deemed Magic: The Gathering the world‘s most computationally complex real-world game! The huge card pool and interactions put it above chess.
How MTG Cards Are Printed
Ever wondered how that fancy foil treatment gets applied to premium MTG cards? Let‘s take a peek behind the scenes!
Most foil cards start with a holographic foil laminate that‘s glued directly to the paper card stock. To create those dazzling effects within the card art, selective areas are printed with white ink layers of varying opacity.
This white ink adjusts how much underlying foil shines through the finished design. Areas with no white ink come out the most vibrant and shiny! Adjusting those white ink values is key to making the cards pop.
Recommended Card Stock for Custom Prints
If you ever venture into creating your own custom MTG proxies or fan sets, what paper stock comes closest to matching real Magic card quality?
According to major card printing company PrintNinja, the industry standard stock is:
Blue Core Cardstock, 280 GSM
Going with 280 GSM will ensure you get close to the same thickness and durability as real MTG cards. For the closest color and texture match, choose a core shade that best matches the desired deck.
And there you have it – everything you could possibly want to know about MTG card size and production! Let me know if you have any other questions.
