0112 guides
Papers & finishes
Finishes, cores, weight and inks: understand your paper before choosing it.
- Luster paper: finish and printer choice6 min
- Matte Black Core paper: 300 or 330 gsm5 min
- Holographic paper: reflective front, matte back5 min
Resource centre · 28 guides online
Guides & advice for printing your TCG cards.
Paper, printers, settings and cutting. Know what comes from product specifications, manufacturer documentation or a cautious deduction.
Try:
Make the guides yours
Which printer do you use?
Select your exact model to see its published limits and paper guidance. Saved on this device.
Find your starting point
Five themes, from choosing a sheet to finishing your cards.
025 guides
Printers
A guide for each model: paper paths, published limits, inks and sources.
- Epson EcoTank ET-8500: choose paper for cards6 min
- Epson EcoTank ET-2850: understand the media limit6 min
- Epson XP-8700: use the rear feed6 min
035 guides
Prepare & print
Prepare your sheets, check the scale and choose your print settings.
- Print TCG cards at home: the complete method8 min
- Prepare a 3 × 3 card-sheet PDF6 min
- DPI, gsm, µm and ICC: read printing terms5 min
043 guides
Cut & finish
Guillotine, knife or cutting machine: make clean cuts and protect your cards.
- Cut cards with a Silhouette Cameo7 min
- Cut by hand or with a guillotine5 min
- Round corners and protect your cards5 min
053 guides
Troubleshooting
Jams, smudging or alignment: check possible causes in the right order.
- Avoid jams with thick paper5 min
- Ink smudges or will not dry: what to check5 min
- Align the front and back of your cards6 min
One guide per model
Guides by printer
Published limits, ink and paper guidance. A specification is not a successful print test.
Epson
Epson EcoTank ET-8500
Hybrid dye and pigment system
9 validated1 incompatible
Documentary sources · 2
Epson
Epson EcoTank ET-8550
Hybrid dye and pigment system
10 not tested yet
Documentary sources · 2
Epson
Epson EcoTank ET-2850
Hybrid dye and pigment system
7 validated2 not tested yet1 incompatible
Documentary sources · 2
Epson
Epson EcoTank ET-2860
Dye inks
9 validated1 incompatible
Documentary sources · 2
Epson
Epson EcoTank ET-18100
Dye inks
10 validated
Documentary sources · 2
Epson
Epson EcoTank ET-15000
Hybrid dye and pigment system
10 not tested yet
Documentary sources · 2
Epson
Epson Expression Photo XP-8700
Ink type not established
7 validated2 not tested yet1 incompatible
Documentary sources · 2
Epson
Epson Expression Photo XP-970
Ink type not established
7 validated3 not tested yet
Documentary sources · 2
Epson
Epson Expression Photo XP-15000
Ink type not established
10 not tested yet
Documentary sources · 2
Canon
Canon PIXMA G550
Dye inks
9 validated1 incompatible
Documentary sources · 1
Canon
Canon PIXMA G650
Dye inks
9 validated1 incompatible
Documentary sources · 1
Canon
Canon PIXMA PRO-200
Dye inks
8 validated2 not tested yet
Documentary sources · 2
Canon
Canon PIXMA PRO-200S
Dye inks
8 validated2 not tested yet
Documentary sources · 2
Canon
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300
Pigment inks
5 validated2 not tested yet3 incompatible
Documentary sources · 2
Canon
Canon PIXMA TS9550
Hybrid dye and pigment system
7 validated3 not tested yet
Documentary sources · 1
Canon
Canon PIXMA TS9550a
Hybrid dye and pigment system
7 validated3 not tested yet
Documentary sources · 1
Canon
Canon PIXMA iX6850
Hybrid dye and pigment system
7 validated3 not tested yet
Documentary sources · 1
Canon
Canon PIXMA iP8750
Hybrid dye and pigment system
7 validated3 not tested yet
Documentary sources · 1
Validated: tested in our shop, validated by the manufacturer or compatible per customer feedback. Not tested yet: nothing covers this paper on this model, so start with the Discovery Pack or a pack of 5 sheets. Incompatible: the size or the ink rules it out.
★ Beginner path · 5 steps
From a blank sheet to your first deck.
Five short steps, in the order you need them. Your progress stays on this device.
Progress0 / 5
Start the path- 1
Find your printer
Its limits determine your paper options.
2 min - 2
Choose your finish
Matte, Luster, Gloss: appearance and ink.
6 min - 3
Understand gsm
300 or 330 gsm: what really changes.
5 min - 4
Print your first sheet
From a plain-paper test to the reverse.
8 min - 5
Try several papers
Compare real samples with your printer.
2 min
Diagnosis
Having trouble printing?
Choose what you see. Check these possible causes in order.
Possible causes
Ink smears or stays tacky
- 1Check which ink the coating accepts.
Dye-only papers may not accept the printer’s pigment black ink.
- 2Let the printed side dry.
Wait before touching the sheet or printing its reverse.
- 3Check the media type in the driver.
Try one sheet before starting a batch.
Compare
Compare two finishes
Move the light and compare the published paper characteristics side by side.
A
Double-sided Matte Paper · Black Core · 300 gsm
From €11.90
- Finish
- Matte
- gsm
- 300 gsm
- Thickness
- 350 µm
- Core
- Black Core
- Ink
- Dye + pigment
- Format
- A4
B
Double-sided Matte Paper · Black Core · 330 gsm
From €11.90
- Finish
- Matte
- gsm
- 330 gsm
- Thickness
- 370-375 µm
- Core
- Black Core
- Ink
- Dye + pigment
- Format
- A4
36%
Illustration: actual appearance depends on your light and print. Highlighted rows differ between the two papers.
All guides
28 guides
Papers & finishes
Paper guide
Luster paper: finish and printer choice
Understand Luster’s satin finish, its two faces and the checks to make before your first sheet.
Beginner·6 min
Papers & finishes
Paper guide
Matte Black Core paper: 300 or 330 gsm
Choose between the two matte weights by distinguishing surface, black core and thickness.
Beginner·5 min
Papers & finishes
Paper guide
Holographic paper: reflective front, matte back
Understand the two faces of holographic paper and prepare artwork with reflections in mind.
Beginner·5 min
Papers & finishes
Paper guide
Surge Foil paper: prepare its wave effect
Choose artwork, check feeding and preserve front/back orientation on Surge Foil.
Intermediate·5 min
Papers & finishes
Paper guide
Semi-Gloss paper: check ink before sheen
A double-sided semi-gloss paper whose coating requires dye inks.
Beginner·5 min
Papers & finishes
Paper guide
Gloss A4 and A3 paper: shine and dye inks
Choose a Gloss size, check inks and prepare sheets at the correct scale.
Beginner·5 min
Papers & finishes
Paper guide
Silver and Golden papers: understand metallic media
Metallic faces and a transparent core: prepare a test without confusing these papers with Black Core.
Intermediate·5 min
Printers
Printer guide
Epson EcoTank ET-8500: choose paper for cards
Distinguish the straight path, rear feeder and cassette, then check ET-8500 inks.
Beginner·6 min
Printers
Printer guide
Epson EcoTank ET-2850: understand the media limit
What the ET-2850’s weight limit tells you, and what it does not prove for third-party cardstock.
Beginner·6 min
Printers
Printer guide
Epson XP-8700: use the rear feed
Read the published rear-feed thickness limit and distinguish that specification from a cardstock test.
Beginner·6 min
Printers
Printer guide
Canon PIXMA PRO-200: tray and manual-feed limits
Compare PRO-200 paper paths and understand Canon’s differing published weight figures.
Beginner·6 min
Printers
Printer guide
Canon PIXMA G650: photo paper and third-party cardstock
Understand Canon’s listed paper types and the limits of a weight-based comparison.
Beginner·5 min
Papers & finishes
Comparison
Matte, Luster, Semi-Gloss or Gloss: which finish?
Compare reflections, printable faces and accepted inks before choosing your cards’ appearance.
Beginner·6 min
Papers & finishes
Comparison
Black Core, White Core and blue core: the differences
Distinguish the middle core from finish, weight and observed opacity.
Beginner·5 min
Papers & finishes
Comparison
300 or 330 gsm: distinguish weight and thickness
Compare the two Matte Black Core products without inferring feeding from weight alone.
Beginner·5 min
Papers & finishes
Comparison
Dye or pigment inks: choose the paper
Identify each cartridge’s ink and understand coating restrictions before printing.
Intermediate·6 min
Papers & finishes
Paper guide
Choose paper for your printer and budget
A three-question method: feeding, desired appearance and the cost of a usable batch.
Beginner·6 min
Prepare & print
Tutorial
Print TCG cards at home: the complete method
From the printer manual to a cut card: prepare and check your first sheet.
Beginner·8 min
Prepare & print
Tutorial
Prepare a 3 × 3 card-sheet PDF
Actual size, bleed, marks and export: check a layout before using cardstock.
Beginner·6 min
Prepare & print
Tutorial
DPI, gsm, µm and ICC: read printing terms
Distinguish size, resolution, weight, thickness and colour management to diagnose the right issue.
Beginner·5 min
Prepare & print
Tutorial
Configure your printer driver
Size, paper path, media type and quality: build a reproducible setting without a universal recipe.
Intermediate·6 min
Prepare & print
Tutorial
Consistent colour: screen, paper and ICC profiles
Build a useful comparison and avoid double colour management without promising an in-house profile.
Advanced·7 min
Cut & finish
Tutorial
Cut cards with a Silhouette Cameo
Preserve print/cut geometry, read registration marks and validate the blade on scrap media.
Intermediate·7 min
Cut & finish
Tutorial
Cut by hand or with a guillotine
Prepare marks, preserve a square reference and validate dimensions before finishing the sheet.
Beginner·5 min
Cut & finish
Tutorial
Round corners and protect your cards
Check size, choose a suitable corner tool and check sleeve fit.
Beginner·5 min
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Avoid jams with thick paper
Identify an exceeded limit, wrong path or loading issue before another test.
Beginner·5 min
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Ink smudges or will not dry: what to check
Check ink, printing face, coating and driver in an order that avoids wasting sheets.
Beginner·5 min
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Align the front and back of your cards
Separate scale errors, turning orientation and feeding shifts before adjusting offsets.
Intermediate·6 min
Words worth knowing
The full glossary →Paper weight (gsm)
The mass of one square metre of paper in grams. A 330 gsm paper weighs 330 g per m²; this does not tell you its exact thickness or stiffness. Also compare thickness and the limits of the paper path.
Thickness in µm
One micron (µm) is one thousandth of a millimetre: 375 µm = 0.375 mm. Thickness describes what must pass between the rollers. If the manual gives a limit in mm, compare values in the same unit.
Paper core
The middle layer between the two faces of a sheet. It contributes to opacity and handling. Black Core means a black middle layer, not a finish: matte and Luster can share a black core while having different surfaces.
Dye ink
An ink with colourants dissolved in the liquid. Some coatings are designed only for this type of ink. Check every cartridge: a printer can combine dye colour inks with a pigment black.
Pigment ink
An ink containing suspended coloured particles. Its behaviour depends on the coating. A pigment black requires a check when paper accepts dye ink only; selecting a media type called “photo paper” does not by itself resolve that uncertainty.
Compatibility status
A status compares the paper specifications with the printer’s published limits. A condition identifies the required tray or loading method. Missing or conflicting information remains uncertain; a specification-based status is not a physical test.
Your printer is not on the list?
Send our team the exact model and the limits listed in its manual. We will help you identify what still needs checking.