Card Printing · Formats & construction
Magic Trick Card Printing
Performance decks need consistent handling and carefully controlled face and back relationships.
- Specified face sequence, duplicate cards, reverse relationships and handling surface
- Opacity-controlled deck stock
- Performance deck
Start with the intended use, finished size and quantity. The material and construction can follow.
The product in use
Face pairings and consistent handling for magic routines
A performance deck is specified by the relationships between its faces and backs, not just by the card size. List duplicates, reverse groups and any deliberate sequence so the finished deck can be checked against the intended routine.
What makes up the finished product?
- Printed faces
- Identify every front and its matching reverse; a shared back still requires a defined orientation.
- Card construction
- Surface, opacity, thickness and corner shape work together to determine handling and readability.
- Packed unit
- Define individual cards or a complete deck, plus any guide, box and pack assortment.
Specifications and materials
Magic Trick Card Printing specifications
Use these reference options to build the project brief. Dimensions are design examples; material availability, tooling and production timing depend on the confirmed specification.
| Parameter | Reference or option | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Finished dimensions | 63 × 88 mm | A published poker-format reference supports familiar handling; trick-specific formats require a separate brief. Design reference, not a factory limit. |
| Performance manifest | Specified face sequence, duplicate cards, reverse relationships and handling surface | Performance cards need a controlled manifest; special visual effects are separate from the deck arrangement. |
| Artwork and collation | Unique face count, reverse groups, copies per design and cards per packed unit | A full manifest prevents missing cards, mixed versions and incorrect front-to-back pairings. |
| Cut and handling | Finished size, specified corner geometry and surface finish | Assess bend, edge condition, stacking and any writing or scanning function on the finished card. |
| Optional special construction | Routine-specific deck construction; optical effects specified separately | Confirm any special construction through a separate material, artwork and handling sample. |
| Material construction | Opacity-controlled deck stock or Coated illustrated card | Compare the actual grade and construction. View the darkest face against the common reverse under stronger light, then shuffle a full deck. |
| Format and order unit | complete decks or individual cards per defined design | List components and versions separately so quantities refer to the same finished unit. |
| Finishing choice | Paper opacity and surface friction matter more than decorative thickness; proprietary effects need individual feasibility review. | Approve the proposed material and process combination on an appropriate sample. |
Compare the material and its effect.
Choose the surface and construction for the way the finished product will be used. The options below are selection references, not a guaranteed inventory list.
Opacity-controlled deck stock
Card stock with a specified core and finished caliper
A deck needs consistent stiffness and enough opacity to conceal its faces. A generic coated-card GSM does not establish either.
Sample check: View the darkest face against the common reverse under stronger light, then shuffle a full deck.
Coated illustrated card
300 or 350 g/m² supplier reference grades
These grades provide an illustration-card comparison. Deck suitability still depends on opacity, coating friction and the finished stack.
Sample check: Trial the trimmed stack in its sleeve or box rather than selecting by GSM alone.
Selected sample focus — Opacity-controlled deck stock: View the darkest face against the common reverse under stronger light, then shuffle a full deck.
Format & usable space
Magic Trick Card Size, Face Sequence & Handling Surface
63 × 88 mm
A published poker-format reference supports familiar handling; trick-specific formats require a separate brief.
This is a design reference, not a required size or a manufacturing limit.
Performance manifest
Specified face sequence, duplicate cards, reverse relationships and handling surface
Performance cards need a controlled manifest; special visual effects are separate from the deck arrangement.
View the original format reference
Surface finish options
Handling coating and separate packaging
Prioritize a compatible card coating and test friction, fanning, shuffling and opacity as a finished deck. The gallery illustrates coating appearance, not a specified playing-card finish. Decorative foil, film or raised effects are not assumed suitable for playable faces.
Illustrative finish samples, not photographs of this product. Final suitability follows the confirmed stock, construction and approved sample.
Compare all surface finishes
Details that change the finished product
Inspect the printed cards as a complete unit
Define the performance-deck arrangement
Identify every required face-to-back pairing in a confidential manifest. Test the proposed stock and coating for the intended handling routine.
Performance manifest
Performance cards need a controlled manifest; special visual effects are separate from the deck arrangement. A complete card set checks front-to-back matching, cutting, handling and the supplied pack count.
Surface and finishing compatibility
Paper opacity and surface friction matter more than decorative thickness; proprietary effects need individual feasibility review. A deck needs consistent stiffness and enough opacity to conceal its faces. A generic coated-card GSM does not establish either. View the darkest face against the common reverse under stronger light, then shuffle a full deck.
Performance Decks & Magic Instruction Kits
Performance deck
Control duplicates, reverses and sequence using the performer’s complete manifest.
Practice or instruction kit
Include the guide and specified deck in one count; check handling on the finished cards.
Solve the risk before production
Check Duplicates, Sequences & Face-to-Back Pairing
The critical finished-product check
A duplicate or reversed face-back pairing can make a performance set unusable. Inspect a complete deck against the pairing manifest, not just individual cards.
Handling changes after a finish is added
Why it happens: Coating friction or added decoration changes the movement needed by the routine.
Fix and check: Test a full finished deck using the intended handling sequence, not only a single card.
When to choose another format
Performance Decks, Playing Cards & Game Cards
| Alternative | Use and trade-off |
|---|---|
| Playing Card Printing | A conventional deck uses standard face-back relationships rather than a routine-specific pairing manifest. |
| Game Card Printing | A gameplay deck prioritizes rules and component matching over performance handling. |
Sample and approval
Check the Complete Performance Deck against Its Manifest
Free samples are available, with preparation completed within 15 days. Confirm the sample scope; courier arrangements and transit time are separate.
Structural sample
Checks dimensions, fit and assembly using unprinted or representative materials. It does not establish final color.
Printed proof
Checks text, image reproduction and artwork on the agreed proof medium. It may not reproduce final assembly or every finish.
Complete finished sample
A complete card set checks front-to-back matching, cutting, handling and the supplied pack count.
From brief to delivery
Order Details for Magic Trick Card Printing
Build and approve the order in five steps
Send the project brief
Send face-back pairing list, handling reference and exact cards per performance set. Include finished dimensions, quantity by version, destination and required arrival date. If a configuration is undecided, describe the intended use.
Compare the quoted configuration
Compare the same quantity basis: complete decks or individual cards per defined design. Check that the quote identifies materials, finishing, included components, sample scope, packing and freight.
Approve the appropriate sample
A complete card set checks front-to-back matching, cutting, handling and the supplied pack count. A print proof checks artwork and color; a complete finished sample also checks assembly. Record what the selected sample does and does not reproduce.
Confirm files and release production
Approve the final artwork revision and the performance manifest specification. Record the agreed quantity, payment conditions, packing and production schedule in the order.
Confirm packing and dispatch
State cards per deck or bundle, box components, assortment rules and carton labels. Confirm production completion and transit as separate dates, using the delivery destination and required arrival date.
- Supply front and back files with a matching ID list. Keep trim bleed separate from safe text and corner-cut areas; supply finishing masks as named separations.
- Extend edge-to-edge trim artwork by 3 mm unless the approved template specifies a different bleed. Use approximately 300 effective ppi for continuous-tone images at their placed size; keep fine linework as vectors where possible.
Project questions
Planning Magic Trick Card Printing
Does magic card mean a lenticular or holographic card?
Not on this page: the brief is for a performance-card deck. If an optical effect or another special construction is required, describe it separately so its materials, artwork and sample can be assessed explicitly.
How should I specify quantities and versions?
Count complete decks or individual cards per defined design. State face-back pairing list, handling reference and exact cards per performance set; components, language versions and different structures must be listed separately.
What determines the minimum quantity and delivery schedule?
The selected stock, construction, finishing, version count and sample scope determine production planning. Request quantity breaks for the same configuration and an arrival-date plan that separates sampling, manufacturing and transit. No minimum or lead time is implied by the design examples above.
Specify the finished product.
Send face-back pairing list, handling reference and exact cards per performance set. Include finished dimensions, quantity by version, destination and required arrival date.