Cost calculator
How much does a printed card cost?
How much does a card cost, for you?
Set a budget for your next deck. Start from a paper pack's price, then adjust ink, waste and finishing to estimate your cost per proxy card. The calculation stays on this page: your amounts are not sent to an analytics tool.
On this page
Print, Cut, Play
Calculate from a catalogue pack
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The formula used
Usable cards = sheets × cards per sheet × (1 − waste / 100), rounded down to a whole number. The total cost adds the pack price, ink for every sheet and finishing for usable cards only. Divide that total by the number of usable cards.
Entering 0 for ink or finishing deliberately excludes them. This is not an estimate of their actual cost. Measure your consumption and waste on a few sheets before extrapolating to a whole deck.
Check yield before comparing
Nine cards per sheet is a layout assumption, not a guarantee. Card size, bleed, cutting marks and unprintable margins may change it. A4 and US Letter have different dimensions.
The other guides
Continue the guide
Guide 01 / 04
Black Core paper: the role of the black core
What the black core of a Black Core paper tells you, and the other things to compare before you choose.
Read the guideGuide 02 / 04
300 or 330 gsm paper: how to choose
Choose between 300 and 330 gsm card paper by comparing weight, thickness and what your printer accepts.
Read the guideGuide 03 / 04
Matte or holographic paper: which finish should you choose?
An understated deck or cards that play with light? Compare matte and holographic paper to choose your finish.
Read the guideGuide 04 / 04
Printing double-sided cards: prepare your test
Prepare your cards’ double-sided alignment with a calibration file before printing the whole batch.
Read the guide
Time for a test
Clear pointers. Now for the first sheet.
Compare the blank papers, their finishes, weights and formats, then prepare a test sheet with your printer.