A tuck box should be sized from the measured thickness of the complete packed deck—not card count or stock weight alone. Use this workflow to estimate the required internal depth and verify it with a physical prototype.
A custom card deck can turn a routine logo gift into something playable, useful or collectible. Explore practical project ideas, branding choices and production steps.
Tarot cards provide a taller canvas for expressive artwork and supporting text, while poker cards are more compact in the hand, on the table and in a package. Here is how to choose the right format for an illustrated deck.
Black core and blue core describe an internal opacity layer, not the complete quality or handling of a playing card. Compare finished samples for show-through, stiffness, finish, durability and deck thickness before choosing.
PrintMTG offers the more direct workflow for MTG playtest decks and custom Magic-style cards, while MakePlayingCards is better suited to original games and elaborate deck production.
Plan the box around the complete packed product—not the card count alone. This workflow covers deck thickness, rules, tokens, inserts, presentation, prototypes, and shipping.
Matte and gloss primarily change how a card reflects light. Learn how to choose a finish while separately evaluating stock, opacity, stiffness, texture and handling.
Choose a windowed tuck box when seeing an actual card helps sell the deck. Choose a closed tuck box when branding and retail information need the full printed surface.
Mini European cards save substantial table space, while Poker-size cards provide more room for text, artwork, and information hierarchy. Compare both formats before building your next prototype.
A sample deck should answer a defined question, not merely look finished. Match prototype fidelity to gameplay, usability, campaign, and production decisions.
Put a retail UPC or EAN barcode on the lower-right area of the finished playing-card box’s back panel whenever the structure allows. This guide explains how to protect that scan area while choosing the box, finish, and packed contents.
Protect custom card decks in transit with an inside-out packaging system that accounts for card count, stock thickness, inserts, finishes, retail presentation, and shipment quantity.