MTG Proxy Printing Primer
This primer provides an overview of the most common methods to create and print high quality MTG proxies either through MPCFill or at home.
Many of the methods and tools described in this primer were developed by the Magic Proxies Discord and MPCFill online communities. Without these communities, proxy making would be prohibitively painful.
None of the links contained in this primer contain affiliate links. I make no money off these recommendations. I’m not affiliated with any manufacturers etc.
July 2025
GMail rnr.Silverhand
@rnr.silverhand | Linktree
Example Workflow and Tools List
WOTC Card Specs and Print Processes
Methods, Media & Samples
Vinyl Sticker Paper (gloss / matte / holographic)
Applying sticker paper (adhesive backed vinyl) to commons provides high resolution prints, at one of the lowest costs and only slightly increases the card thickness. This method preserves the official card back and retains the rigid flex and snap of the card. Single sleeved vinyl proxies are roughly the same overall deck height as dual sleeved official cards. If the holographic media is used the proxy will have slightly darkened colors due to holographic layering. This can be compensated for by slightly increasing vibrance, contrast, brightness, etc. or use the gloss white sticker media instead. Dry time is slightly longer than glossy photo paper.
Sample images printed on the Epson ET-8500 using gloss foil/holo adhesive paper.
Applying gloss sticker paper to a MTG common is cheaper, faster, more authentic, more rigid, more vibrant and sharper than many of the other methods including lamination and alternate card stocks. Cheaper because you don't have to buy cardstock or a laminator, you just use commons and inkjet printing costs less than laser. Faster with less material to cut and align and no lamination. More authentic because you use an actual MTG card back. More rigid because the MTG cards are two very thin dense substrates glued together. More vibrant and sharper because quality inkjet sticker paper puts the dye based ink just below the surface with no additional layers of laminate etc. between your eyes and the ink. The sticker paper is micro thin so you don’t build a Jenga tower.
Thick Glossy Photo Paper
Using thick glossy photo paper like Epson Ultra Premium Glossy Photo Paper (79lb 297g/m2 11.8mil) is faster and easier as it avoids the adhesive and cleanup steps. However, this method doesn’t offer the bling of foil/holo and the cards are slightly thinner and less rigid than official cards. Gluing a thin cardstock to the backside helps stiffen the card and better match the thickness of an official card. This proxy method results in more vibrant and accurate colors with brighter whites and text is very easy to read.
Black Core Card Stock (Many printers won’t work with this rigid core media)
Official Blue/Black core cardstock has a rigid core that blocks light. This media is difficult to obtain and nearly always comes in massive bulk orders for commercial clients. Printing on core media requires a professional printer with a nearly flat paper path. See “Offset vs Continuous Tone” at the end of this document for details.
This isn’t a recommended method for printing at home. If you want to know more about core based cardstock and card surface finishes check out [LINK] [LINK] [LINK]. See the end of this document for more information on blue/black core cardstock options. If you are set on using core cardstock, I would recommend having MPCFill print your cards.
Generally speaking
- Image quality/clarity/vibrancy:
Inkjet glossy photo > holo/foil sticker paper - Matching WOTC card rigidity/thickness:
Blue/Black core cardstock ~= Sticker paper on common MTG card
Example Workflow and Tools List
Vinyl Sticker Paper
Acquire image > upscale image > generative fill image to card edges > enhance contrast, brightness, vibrance, saturation, clarity via photo editor > use program such as CardConjurer, Photoshop or ProxyShop to combine the background image with a card frame (the most common are borderless or showcase).
Import 9 rendered proxy images into a PDF card template (see assembly section) and enable cutting guides and print. Cut out the cards, apply the sticker to commons, trim any excess vinyl and round the corners with a 3mm corner rounder.
Sources and Sample Tools Overview
Some of the better tools. Not a complete list. There are many card conjurer forks.
Image Sources | Upscaling | Generative Fill | Photo Editing | Card Rendering | Assembly |
MPCFill | Photoshop | Photoshop | |||
MTGPics | Topaz Gigapixel | Topaz Gigapixel |
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Authors Twitter | Topaz Photo AI |
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ArtStation |
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Magic-Ville.fr |
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Sample Starting Kit
Upscaling - Topaz Gigapixel $99
Generative Fill - Photoshop $20/month
Card Rendering - ProxyShop (req Photoshop) or Card Conjurer
Photo Edits - Photoshop $20/month or Open Source/Freeware
Printer - Epson ET-8500 Inkjet $580
Corner rounder - 3mm $16
Trimmer - Fiskars 12" Rotary $80
After investment, cards are ~.10 - .12c or a deck of 100 cards is ~$10 - $12 (EcoTank Inkjet).
Home Printing vs Print Shop
If you’re printing your own proxies, final card dimensions should be 2.5 x 3.5 and should not have the ⅛ inch bleed border. See the bleed edge example below.
Community pre-rendered proxy images are available via MPCFill and are formatted for 3rd party printing with a bleed border. These images require cropping before being printed at home. To print MPC proxies at home, digitally trim the ⅛ inch bleed border using Print Proxy Prep, XNView or Photoshop.
Community Proxies
- Always credit the artist or AI on the proxy.
- Keep the image file size under 30MB. Max jpg quality is fine. (MPCFill)
- Don’t use the WOTC copyright on custom play test cards. (MPCFill)
- Don’t put fake copyrights on your proxy images. (MPCFill)
- Always include a ⅛ inch bleed border either filled with the image or black/white if the 2.5x3.5 version of the image already has a black/white border.
These requirements support 3rd party printing, variances in trimming, and MPCFill guidelines for the Google Drive API limitations.
Images
High resolution images are available on MTGPics, ArtStation, artist Twitter feeds, Magic-Ville.fr, and Pinterest. There is a community drive full of upscaled art as well. MPCFill has images already merged with templates (ready to print).
Generative AI can also create an image. Some of the more popular engines are Midjourney (subscription) and DALL-E (15 Free/Day available through Co-Pilot per email account). Photoshop can also generate images from scratch now. Attribution should be given to the AI engine used.
AI proxy samples (Silverhand) [LINK] Top link to Silverhand proxies [LINK]
Formatting & Render Sharing
Bleed Edge
A ⅛ inch bleed edge is required for sharing proxies with the community as well as printing proxies at print shops like MPC. The bleed edge allows for full edge to edge printing after the image is trimmed. No bleed edge is required for home printing.
Use the details in Print Shop Options at the end of the document for MPC.
Home Printing
(2000 x 2800 @ 800 PPI) 2.5 x 3.5 excludes a ⅛ border
(3000 x 4200 @ 1200 PPI) 2.5 x 3.5 excludes a ⅛ border
3rd Party Printing (see Print Shop Options at end of the document)
(2192 x 2992 @ 800 PPI) 2.74 x 3.74 includes a ⅛ border.
(3288 x 4288 @ 1200 PPI) 2.74 x 3.74 includes a ⅛ border
With ⅛ border (bleed edge) Without ⅛ border (no bleed edge)
Saving your images and renders at 800-1200 PPI is recommended.
Upscaling
Most images should be run through an upscaling program to enhance the image quality and resolution. ~4K image resolution is recommended.
Real-ESRGAN - FREE - Easy - Main page Download
Easy free AI upscaling with Real-ESRGAN and a GUI tool.
Run realesrgan-gui.exe
Realesrgan-x4plus for more realistic/fine detail photos and
Realesrgan-x4plus-anime for anime or concept art images.
Also good for fixing grainy images.
Topaz Gigapixel $99 or Photo AI $199, both a one time cost, also available as a subscription $23/mo. - Easy
Full Photo AI package includes other valuable modules
Upscale, Sharpen, Denoise, Fix Lighting, Remove Elements, Face Recovery
ChaiNNer - FREE - Intermediate - ChaiNNer Main page Download
Requires some module configuration. Can chain operations together including resizing, face restoration, inpainting, denoising etc.
Photoshop - $20 per month - Advanced
Photoshop also offers Neural Filters such as Photo Restoration, Skin, Makeup plus modules to perform RAW adjustments, Clarity, Vibrance, and more. See pinned help in Discord for alternative solutions.
Generative Fill
Photoshop is one of the best generative fill tools. There are many others like Flux.
If the proxy is borderless or extended you may need to perform a generative fill to fill the image to the edges of the card. Perform a generative fill of the image to the exact dimensions listed on the resolution charts above under the Formatting & Render Sharing section.
If the proxy already has a black bordered edge when formatted at 2.5 x 3.5 fill the edges to the exact dimensions listed on the resolution charts with black.
Before and after the generative fill shown below.
Photoshop Adjustments
Most images require adjustments before printing. Holographic media dims the image which makes white text a better choice than black text for legibility because the holo media makes white reflect nearly all light (mirror). Balancing color saturation, brightness, clarity, vibrance, contrast, hue, sharpness etc. is an art and like salt, everyone has their own opinion. Compare your image to similar renders and/or the color wheel in this document to more accurately gauge your end result. I find that tweaking a setting to where I think it should be, then dialing it down a notch works well. Remember images on the screen don’t look the same printed. Test printing a few variants of a card before uploading is recommended.
Holo/foil media darkens the image. To compensate, use a Photoshop action or manually set adjustments similar to these. All of these settings vary from image to image and there is no hard and fast rule here. I’ve found brightness can be anywhere from 10-20 depending on the image for example.
Rendering (Image + Template)
Once the image is ready, combine the image with a card template.
ProxyShop
If you own Photoshop, ProxyShop is the best choice to render your cards or you can alternatively use a stand alone card template in Photoshop directly. Templates are posted in the MPCFill Discord as well as online and are available in ProxyShop.
When using ProxyShop be sure and enable manual editing mode (Global Setting > Main Settings > Manual Editing Mode). After assembly, you may want to copy your own 2.74 x 3.74 image into Photoshop if you’ve already performed your own generative fill.
Silverhand proxy examples [LINK]
Card Conjurer
To use Card Conjurer offline, Download from the GitHub link, click "Code" > "Download ZIP" > Unpack to a folder and run the launcher (launcher.exe for Windows)
There are also many forks and hosts online. Be sure and check the MPCFill pinned information for the sites with the most current templates.
Card Conjurer 1 (this one seems to always have newer frames) or Card Conjurer 2.
To add the bleed edge in Card Conjurer: In the “Frame” tab select the Frame group “1/8th Inch Margin” and add the correct frame to your card. After adding the frame click “Load Frame Version” to update the image.
Fonts/Symbols/Colors
The community has standardized on proxyglyph.ttf as the primary font for mana and card symbols. Proxyglyph is available in ProxyShop under the fonts folder. Using the proxyglyph font and the font color, type the letter O to create the background circle for mana and the letters WUBRG for their respective mana symbols. In Photoshop, select Window > Glyphs to see the other symbols available in proxyglyph.
The color wheel (v4) below contains HEX Color codes to use in Photoshop
(Source: SuperGnaw, colors gathered from Scryfall and MTG Fandom)
A minimum of 7-8 pt. fonts are recommended for readability. If needed, use Photoshop to apply a thin stroke and/or a thin drop shadow to fonts that are hard to read. Using a high contrast background for your text is the best solution for issues with readability (i.e. white text on dark backgrounds or the opposite).
ProxyShop contains the latest vector set symbols and fonts (see sub-folders where you installed ProxyShop - note you must have launched Proxyshop at least once).
Other sources for set SVG symbols
Keyrune or replace end of the URLs w/set code below
https://keyrune.andrewgioia.com/icons.html?icon=j25
https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?type=symbol&set=OTJ&size=large&rarity=m
High resolution/vector set symbols official release pages:
Investigamers SVGs or WPN Marketing Materials (“Art and Logos” contain set symbols)
A few example links to Scryfall SVG files
https://svgs.scryfall.io/sets/tdm.svg https://svgs.scryfall.io/sets/tdc.svg https://svgs.scryfall.io/sets/fic.svg https://svgs.scryfall.io/sets/fin.svg https://svgs.scryfall.io/sets/fca.svg https://svgs.scryfall.io/sets/spg.svg
Assembly, Print & Trim
Printing & Template Tools
Install the full print driver suite from the printer manufacturer to obtain the full set of advanced driver options. Using the full print driver from the manufacturer can fix everything from too much ink and slow dry time to splotches and resolution.
PDF template tools offer quick assembly of 9 cards onto one sheet for printing. There are many ways to do this both online and offline. Be sure and enable cutting guides in the tools to aid in trimming.
[Proxy Print Setup] by Taxiera, [MTG-Print] (“upload custom cards”) [KPPT] by Burton
Be sure and select “Actual Size”. Disable “Auto-Fit” / “Shrink/Enlarge”. Also select “Print Using System Dialog'' and select the highest end paper and quality settings. Printer manufacturers tie many settings including ink density, quality, and print speed to the paper type selected in the driver so selecting the highest quality paper is the best way to configure the printer for maximum quality.
Without selecting “Actual Size” and disabling “Auto-Fit” the printed cards are too small and fine details are lost.
Quality media dry time is 1-2 minutes and shouldn’t rub off or smear. If you are in a humid climate it may take a few more minutes. Avoid moving or touching the printed media during the dry time.
Printing adhesive backed proxies at 2.5 x 3.5 provides a slim margin of extra material which allows for “exact fit” coverage over an official common or land.
Applying/Trimming/Rounding
Use a rotary bypass trimmer to cut the cards out. Peel the vinyl media and align & apply along the long side of a common card smoothing out bubbles as the vinyl is applied. When aligning the vinyl, starting on the longer card edge ensures a straight application. It’s best to evenly align the vinyl resulting in an even amount of excess (1-1.5mm) along all card edges. Bubbles will naturally dissipate over 24 hours for most media. After applying the vinyl, use a rotary bypass trimmer to trim excess along the card edges.
Finish by rounding the corners with a 3mm corner rounder. To avoid shearing the corner and leaving foil or paper visible, flip the card over, face down, when rounding.
MDFC
If you want to print a MDFC dual sided card I recommend Epson Ultra Premium Photo paper and super gluing the front and back together with this inexpensive bulk glue [LINK]. Just lay a few thin spirals on the back of a card. It’s important to stay ⅓ of an inch or more away from the edges to allow the glue to spread without leaking off the edge of the card.
Trimmer Cleaning
If you are using non-adhesive backed media, you rarely need to clean the trimmer. If you are using adhesive backed media you’ll need to clean the trimmer frequently.
To perform a quick clean of the trimmer (after every 1-2 adhesive sheets), use tweezers to pull any shavings from the blade assembly, run a QTip with an adhesive remover like GooGone along both the rotary blade and trimmer edge (metal bar).
To perform a full clean of the Fiskars trimmer (every 10 adhesive sheets or as needed), remove the retainer screws on the bottom (permanently if you choose) and put pressure on the orange clips while applying pressure away from the base on the rail system. Take pictures during disassembly to aid in reassembly. During reassembly, make sure the blade sits against the edge of the metal bar not on it.
Gear
Printers
Inkjet or Laser?
HP is generally accepted as the producer of the best laser printers on the market so these quotes should set the inkjet vs laser photo printing question to rest.
“Inkjet printing is ideal for detailed photographs. Choose an inkjet printer if you print a lot of photos or color graphics.” Source HP.com August 8, 2024
“Laser printing is perfect for text heavy documents with crisp text. Choose a laser printer if you print mostly text documents.” Source HP.com August 8, 2024
Photo Quality Inkjet Printers
You get what you pay for. A $300 printer provides basic output, $500 excellent and $750+ the printers have extras such as a wide format and archival pigment inks (which aren’t necessarily better, keep reading). Generally, the more ink colors your printer has, the better the color reproduction will be.
Pigment inks are made up of solid particles of colorants suspended in a liquid carrier that sit on top of the substrate. Dye inks are made up of even smaller particles dissolved in a liquid carrier and absorbed into a micro-porous surface coated on the substrate.
Pigment ink is known for its durability, water resistance, and fade resistance. Printers using pigment ink tend to produce more accurate colors and long-lasting prints, making it suitable for applications that require high-quality and long-lasting output, such as archival printing or professional photography. Pigment black ink is a better “true black” than dye based black.
Dye-based ink is vibrant and capable of producing a wider range of colors. However, prints made with dye-based ink may be more susceptible to fading over a long period of time and can be affected by moisture. Dye based printing on vinyl media offers some moisture protection and card sleeves make moisture a non-issue. Use of archival pigment ink isn’t needed for proxies as they spend 98%+ of their life in a box. Modern dye ink doesn't fade for many years anyway. Dye ink is less $$$ than pigment ink - ET-8500 dye ink = $1,000 a gallon vs SureColor P700 pigment ink = $5,700 a gallon.
Dye + pigment black ink offers the best mix of inks for proxy printing. If you have a printer with both color dye inks and a pigment based black ink, the print driver will determine which to use based on the paper type and print quality. For example, selecting Epson Ultra Premium paper with the “Best” print quality will use the best black ink (according to Epson) for the paper you selected. I believe the advanced driver settings allow setting one black ink as an override but the best prints are typically auto-selected by the Epson print driver based on configuration.
Epson Eco-Tank Printers
“EcoTank” and “EcoTank Pro” These Epson EcoTank models are targeted for the home and SOHO segment. These models are inexpensive with fewer color tanks, a lower print resolution and can print proxies but not as well as Photo printers.
The Epson EcoTank models targeted for the photo segment are “EcoTank Photo Printers”. These models are more expensive, print at a higher resolution, have higher quality ink as well as a larger number of colored dye ink tanks. They come with both pigment and dye based black ink.
Use the Epson ink finder page to view the various models and inks.
Top Inkjet Printers (~Ranking Image>Colors>Cost>Availability)
The four printers below are the best bang for the buck proxy printers on the market as of mid-2025. If you find a decent ecotank style printer, look for:
- Colored dye ink for more vibrant colors
- Pigment black ink for “true black”
- High print resolution
- Duplex if that’s something you’ll use
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
Max Media | A4 | 13x19 | A4 | A4 |
Duplex | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Resolution | 5,750 x 1,440 | 5,750 x 1,440 | 5,750 x 1,440 | 5,750 x 1,440 |
Dye/Pigment Ink | 5/1(black) | 5/1(black) | 3/1(black) | 3/1(black) |
Smallest Droplet | 1.5 picoliter | 1.5 picoliter | 3.3 picoliter | 3.3 picoliter |
$ | $590 | $690 | $320 | $253 |
Ink $ per ml | $0.25 | $0.25 | $0.23 | $0.23 |
Ink $ per Gallon | $946 | $946 | $871 | $871 |
Release | 12/21 | 5/21 | 9/21 | 2/21 |
These printers didn’t make the list due to lack of pigment black ink or lower print resolution: ET-4800/4810, ET-3943, ET-3850, ET-2988, ET-2980, ET-2800, ET-2720
Some printers in the Surecolor, Pixma, Expression lines may meet the same criteria for the table above but the printer and ink costs for these “premium” lines are $$$$. Most of those printers use pigment ink which doesn’t provide as vibrant colors as dye ink.
Reviews - Epson ET-8500 ET-8500 Review, Keith Cooper (Northlight Images)
Theoretically, more nozzles would increase print speed and smaller droplet sizes would increase resolution. However, nozzles and droplet sizes alone don’t indicate superior prints as the output is a result of dozens of other factors including driver algorithms, media used, whether you’re using an ICC profile etc. More nozzles may increase the chance of clogs requiring additional cleaning cycles. Smaller droplet sizes may increase resolution if the media has a fine enough surface coating.
Media
The media matters just as much as the printer. The recommendations below are based on experience with dye ink which is the most common consumer inkjet ink. Most inkjet media works fine with both dye and pigment ink types if it's labeled for inkjet media. Inkjet printing requires coated media (labeled “For Inkjet”) for proper dye ink absorption.
Consumer printers have a more limited selection of paper choices than professional or commercial printers. Generally speaking, most consumer printers work best with regular cardstock under 14pt thickness. WOTC Magic cards are made using a rigid blue/black core cardstock @ 12pt and 320 gsm. The rigidity of blue/black core cardstock is higher than standard cardstock and requires professional or commercial printers. Have MPC print your cards if you’re looking to print on blue/black core cardstock.
If you want to know more about core based cardstock and card surface finishes check out [LINK] [LINK] [LINK]. See the end of this document for more information. For more information about paper weight, LB, GSM check out [LINK] [LINK] [LINK] [LINK].
Recommended media
Average cost per card (EcoTank Ink/Most media listed below) ~ $.10-.12c.
Laser printing increases the cost over EcoTank Inkjet printing. Inkjet photographic images look better than laser images.
Mecolour has slightly better clarity and prismatic effect than StampColour. MC is also the lowest cost holographic media. Check AliExpress for additional options.
Sample videos of Holo vs SC Beam [LINK] [LINK] (first card is Holo, second is SC Beam). Avarrix Holo has a slight orange peel to the reflectivity but has high clarity.
Holographic Media
This media tends to dim the image slightly so it’s recommended to increase brightness, saturation and vibrance of rendered images. See Photoshop Adjustments earlier.
Use of white text is recommended as it provides 100% reflectivity when viewed at an angle. Use of gradients provides smooth reflections on holographic media.
Substrate | Front | Back | Compatibility | Links / $ Sheet |
Vinyl | Hayes Holographic SC Beam Holographic MC Beam Holographic Avarrix Holographic | Adhesive | Inkjet Inkjet/Laser Inkjet/Laser | [LINK] .56c [LINK] .54c [LINK] .45c [LINK] .99c |
Vinyl | Glossy White | Adhesive | Inkjet Inkjet Inkjet/Laser | [LINK] .38c |
Cardstock | Glossy White | None | Inkjet Inkjet | |
Black Core 12pt 330GSM | Matte White | Matte White | Laser | [LINK] $2.50 *** |
**Frequently 25%-50% off on Amazon or Epson
*** Most consumer printers won’t work with BC card stock. Check your printer specs for media thickness compatibility. I gave up on getting the ET-8500 to work with black core.
Inkjet Note: Avoid holo/foil craft paper that isn’t labeled for inkjet. It’s not micro-perforated for inkjet printing so the dye ink will pool on top.
Trimmer/Corner Rounder
Rotary Bypass | Basic Trimmer | Guillotine |
Rotary trimmers are recommended for consistent precision cuts. The basic trimmers use a V shaped blade that wears out quickly and can tear or rip media. Guillotine trimmers aren’t accurate enough for under 1mm trimming. Guillotine cutters don’t have a rotating blade which causes the paper to shift under pressure when cut.
There are two primary cutting methods used by rotary trimmers. The bypass system presses a rotating blade against a sharp edge. This method offers a clean and accurate cut. Carl rotary trimmers press the rotary blade into a self healing cutting mat strip that needs to be replaced over time so they didn’t make the list.
Use a 2.5mm or 3mm corner rounder to both trim the corners and help ensure the adhesive backed vinyl is firmly applied to the card corners. The Sunstar Kadomaru Pro Neo works well for rounding individual cards. Maintenance is required with Goo Gone if you are using sticker paper. You may prefer a more expensive rounder for super thick card stock. [1] [2] [3]
A clear view of the media and cut line is the most important feature to look for. A dual rail or wide single rail system will keep better alignment over time. A rotary blade avoids snags/tears and paper shifting.
Rank | $ | Self-Sharpening | Rail | Width | System | Replaceable Blade | Easy Clean |
1 | ~120 | Dual | 12 | Rotary Bypass | No | No | |
2 | ~70 | Single | 12 | Rotary Bypass | No | No | |
3 | 50 | Single | 12 | Rotary Bypass | Yes | Yes | |
4 | 170 | Dual | 14 | Rotary Bypass | Yes | Yes | |
5 | 55 | Single | 18 | Rotary Bypass | Yes | Yes |
The Fiskars are often 20% off at Michaels. Cleaning the Fiskars is a pain but the build quality is solid.The Fiskar platform extension can be removed for better portability.
The tight clearance on the Dahle 507/508 paper retention (clear ruler) limits media thickness and can cause vinyl media to grab the surface under the retainer. Lifting the clear paper retention is one fix, another would be to remove the retention. This may affect the 550 as well.
Aligning the cut line is a bit different compared to the Fiskars. The Dahle 507/508/550 use a base edge which sticks out about 1mm. Lining up cuts takes a bit of practice to visualize the extra 1-1.5mm. The Dahle trimmers have the easiest cleanup of any trimmer I’ve seen with easy direct blade access by flipping the trimmer over or full access with the flip of a lever, pull the rail, remove the blade, all in a few seconds.
The Dahle 507 image shows the metal rail extending past the plastic paper retention bar. The paper in the picture is lined up to trim a very thin line of paper. The alignment on the Fiskars cut line is lined up with the plastic. The metal rail on the Dahle collects debris due to the design.
Goo-Gone and standard cotton swabs are the best method to clean the blade after cutting adhesive media. 6 inch swabs may be preferred for the Fiskars ProCision.
WOTC Card Specs and Print Processes
Understanding how MTG cards are made provides insight into things like “perfect fit” sleeves, identifying counterfeit cards, print processes and how to enhance the quality of your proxies.
WOTC Magic cards are made using a rigid blue/black core cardstock @ 12 pt and 320 gsm. Dimensions are 63mm x 88mm with ~2.5-3mm rounded corners. WOTC/MPC uses digital (offset) halftone printing, a common mass printing method.
Offset vs Continuous Tone
Offset Printing
This requires specialized commercial printers that simulate continuous-tone imagery through the use of dots, varying in size or spacing, generating a gradient-like effect. The small patterns of dots in offset prints are referred to as rosettes.
Continuous Tone
Laser and inkjet printing offer “continuous tone”. This provides better fine details and smoother graphics. Top: WOTC Card (5x) Bottom: ET-8500 print (5x)
Print Shop Options
MPCFill [LINK]
If you want blue/black core cardstock proxies printed for you, MPC offers various cardstocks and finishes. Submit your card images through MPCFill for printing at MPC using one of the dimensions below (includes bleed edge)
MPC prints at 800 DPI, 2.48" x 3.46"
This corresponds to 2176 x 2960 in pixels (including bleed edge)
Recommended print shop pixel dimensions at various DPI (with bleed edge) :
1632 x 2220 600dpi
2176 x 2960 800dpi
3264 x 4440 1200dpi
Alternate print shop options: DriveThruCards [LINK] Print & Play [LINK]
Print comparison
Tips & Tricks
Scryfall isn’t 100% accurate. Always double check the mana cost, P/T, and text.
Card backs can be printed using the duplex paper path however they won’t be a perfect fit as consumer printers don’t have that level of precision. Increase the size of your card backs slightly so when they are cut based on the front of the card, they appear to be a perfect fit on the back of the card.
Photoshop
When using generative fill, provide an extra margin of existing pixels (expand selection 35+ pixels @1200 PPI) in the selection to avoid seams and increase image flow.
Enhancing or Repairing Eyes / Faces
If you don’t own Topaz, these online resources restore low quality face, eyes, etc.
Nightfury GFPGAN Sczhou CodeFormer Tencentarc GFPGAN ARC Tencent
In Photoshop you can change the direction of a subject's eyes under Filters > Neural Filters > Smart Portrait.
Midjourney
You can earn 1 free hour of generation time per day simply by rating a couple dozen other images. You’ll find “Rate Images” on the Midjourney web interface.
Add the following aspect ratio switches in Midjourney prompts to generate the proper image ratio.
“--ar 733:1000” 3.74 x 2.74, includes a bleed edge (3rd party printing)
“--ar 714:1000” 3.5 x 2.5, no bleed edge (home printing)
-- ar 4:3 also works
You can also save this setting for all your AI generated images using “/prefer suffix”. Reference
You can infill directly in Midjourney when using their image generation engine by selecting zoom out.
AI proxy samples (Silverhand) [LINK]
Applying the color gradient to rarity symbols/SVG’s
Rarity: Darker - Brighter (Order: Dark-Bright-Dark with -45 degree angle)
Common: Black - White
Uncommon: #626e77 - #b7d1e1
Rare: #8d742f - #d7bd74
Mythic Rare: #bb2c26 - #f7971d
Advanced Holo and Foiling
Spot Holo Technique
The spot holo method uses white ink/toner to mask elements of the image by layering transparent media over foil media allowing a custom mix of non-holo and holo elements.
Toner Foiling Technique
Toner foiling requires a laser printer, a laminator, and foil to transfer custom foil elements to images. Toner foil is laser reactive. A separate technique called hot foiling uses only heat and heat reactive foil.
One of the biggest problems with these advanced holo methods is alignment of the images. Consumer printers aren’t precise enough to do perfect reproducible size/alignment between separate prints or printers.
Mana Symbol Order
Proxies should maintain the same modern mana symbol order provided by WOTC. Most of the history, reasons and methodology are documented here. The method below is another way to remember the mana symbol order.
To sort mana, look at the image and find a sequence that includes the necessary colors and no others, following either the pentagon (allied colors) or the star (enemies). The clockwise direction will tell you the ordering. |
Alternative Mana Symbols
The ProxyGlyph font contains alternative mana symbols with borders. You can access these in the Glyphs tool window in Photoshop.
Layering a colored background circle (O in ProxyGlyph) and a drop shadowed alternative mana symbol above results in a 3D mana symbol. Feel free to download my premade Photoshop 3D mana and element palette here.
Troubleshooting
Ink Splotch
Flatten your media before printing. Never send curled/bent paper through the printer as it will cause printhead strikes, building up ink residue that will ruin future print jobs. Cheap media (often vinyl sticker paper) doesn’t dry as fast as quality photo paper, curls easier and increases the chance of ink splotches. Slowing the print job (high speed/bi-directional), lower ink density, better media and setting the print job to thick paper can all reduce the chances of this issue (see excess ink below for more). If you find these ink splotches/patterns you’ll need to perform a manual print head cleaning. Store sticker paper in a sealed pouch/envelope or container to avoid curling and protect from humidity issues.
Manual Print Head Cleaning YouTube Video
Eventually you’ll want to perform manual maintenance on the print head, wiper blade (rubber ridge used to wipe the print head), pump cap or rollers. Be careful not to damage any component. Turn the rollers when cleaning them.
- Turn the printer off. Open the printer and leave it open.
- Turn on the printer and unplug the printer when the print head is mid printer.
- Wet a paper towel with a good amount of rubbing alcohol.
- You can carefully lift the print head ¼ inch and slide the paper towel with a good amount of rubbing alcohol under the print head a few times. Lift the print assembly and slide and push the paper towel under the assembly using a six inch cotton swab.
- Slide the print assembly on the paper towel gently. It won’t go all the way across but you’ll want the paper towel to make it half way under the print assembly then switch sides. Wait 5 min after cleaning and then power on and print a test sheet of cards.
Advanced Printer Features Missing
Always install the full print driver from the printer manufacturer. Windows drivers don’t contain the advanced driver options the manufacturer does.
Cards Aren’t The Right Size
Be sure and select “Actual Size” or “100%”. Disable “Auto-Fit” / “Shrink/Enlarge”. Double check your dimensions against the information in Images > Formatting section.
Images or Text are Blurry
- Perform a nozzle cleaning.
- Select “Print Using System Dialog'' and select the highest end paper and quality settings. Printer manufacturers tie many settings including ink density, quality, and print speed to the paper type selected in the driver so selecting the highest quality paper is the best way to configure the printer for maximum quality.
- Ensure the proper settings are used during the upscaling step.
- In the print dialog, select “Actual Size” or “100%”. Disable “Auto-Fit” / “Shrink/Enlarge”.
“True” Black
If the black ink appears tinted, you may want to revisit your gear and media options. The best fix to obtain “true” black is to use a printer with pigment black ink. All of the printer options in the pinned proxy primer have pigment black. Ensure you are using the full manufacturer's driver suite and use official ink & paper from your printer manufacturer.
Excess Ink/Wheel Marks
Media dry time should be less than ~5 minutes max and shouldn’t rub off or smear. If the ink smears or rubs off, you likely want to adjust one or more of the settings below or buy better media.
If you find the final output has too much ink after drying for 5 minutes or the output has “pizza wheel” marks, a row of dots from the printer rollers, your settings aren’t compatible with the selected paper. You can adjust one or more of the following to try and resolve the issue with the existing paper. Test in recommended order, one at a time, print speed will be greatly affected by some of these settings.
- Install official print drivers
- Turn off high speed/bidirectional printing
- Decrease ink density in advanced options
- Turn on thick paper
Printers > Printer preferences > maintenance > extended >
Enable Thick Paper and Envelopes - Turn on quiet mode (slows down print passes)
- Select one paper category under the best paper listed or select matte paper
- Purchase higher grade media or a better quality printer/ink
- Using default settings with thick media has a higher chance of ink buildup on the print head. If you are using thick paper, turn on thick paper to keep the print head higher up off the media and reduce print head strikes/ink buildup.
(EPSON) Printers > Printer preferences > maintenance > extended > Enable Thick Paper
Rear Paper Feed Slot - Epson ET-85xx
Removing and attaching the RPF:
The rear paper feed slot is meant to print a single thick sheet from the back of the printer as flat as possible. There will be a 0.8" unprintable area on the trailing edge of your print. Epson advertises the rear paper feed slot for media up to 1.3mm thickness. I didn’t have great success using the slot. Keith Cooper (all his videos are extremely useful) hints at this in his video. Fiddly. Paper load error, etc. My thick cardstock printed skewed and lost control of the media while printing. If thick or core cardstock media is what you’re looking to print on, you may want to invest in a professional printer or use MPC to print your proxies.
Inkjet maintenance box - Epson ET-85xx
The inkjet overflow\maintenance box eventually needs to be replaced. Epson ET-3850 and higher have user replaceable boxes. These ink overflow boxes are on most modern inkjet printers. I've been printing for 2+ years and gone through 4-5 sets of ink and 2000 full page color prints and the maintenance box in my ET-8500 has 25% remaining. A new box is $20.
Questions or recommendations?
Magic Proxies on Discord
Glossary
Generative fill (aka inpainting / infill) is a process where damaged, deteriorated, or missing parts of an image are filled in. AI generative algorithms are used to complete the image.
Modern Upscaling uses large collections of images to build models which are then used to increase the resolution and size of an image using neural networks or other deep learning techniques.
Vibrance (coined by Adobe) adjusts the saturation so that clipping is minimized as colors approach full saturation or in different terms, increases the saturation of less-saturated colors more than the colors that are already saturated. Vibrance also prevents skin tones from becoming oversaturated.
Clarity changes the contrast along the edges of objects in an image.
PPI (Pixels Per Inch) is a measurement of digital screen resolution.
DPI (Dots Per Inch) is a measurement of print resolution.
What are you doing down here?
May your proxies be crispy, crunchy and punchy!™
Sharp crisp details through upscaled images with hard well defined edges, saturated with a dash of vibrance, a hint of HDR and bucket full of punchy colors.
[LINK] Best baked at 1200 DPI and served with vibrant dye.
