MTG Proxy Printing Checklist: 12 Things to Verify Before You Order
Table of Contents
This post helps Magic players ordering proxies avoid the most common print mistakes by giving a fast, scannable MTG proxy printing checklist, so their cards show up the right size, sharp, and ready to shuffle.
TLDR
- Most proxy print disasters are boring: wrong size, no bleed, low-res art, or “my text got guillotined.”
- Verify trim size + bleed + safe zone first. Everything else is just vibes.
- If you do only one thing: zoom to 200% and proof every card edge and title line.
You can have the cleanest decklist, the spiciest brew, and the best intentions. And then your cards arrive 2% too small and suddenly your entire Commander deck feels like it was printed for ants.
This MTG proxy printing checklist is the “save yourself from the printer’s version of tripping on a Lego” guide. Run it once before you order, and your future self will stop sending your present self angry texts.
The checklist (read this before the crop monster eats your borders)
If you’re about to print magic proxies, run this list once so you don’t pay extra to learn what bleed is.
| # | Verify this | What goes wrong if you ignore it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finished size (trim) is correct | Cards come out slightly off-size and feel “wrong” in sleeves |
| 2 | Bleed is included on all sides | White slivers on edges, or art stops short of the cut |
| 3 | Safe zone is respected | Rules text, mana symbols, or names get clipped |
| 4 | Resolution is high enough at final size | Fuzzy text, crunchy lines, “why is my art made of squares?” |
| 5 | Scaling is locked (no auto-fit / no “shrink to printable”) | Inconsistent borders across the deck, “marked” looking edges |
| 6 | Color mode / profile expectations are realistic | Blacks look washed, saturation shifts, skin tones get weird |
| 7 | Blacks are built sanely (not “accidental dark gray”) | Muddy shadows, flat-looking art, gray “black” frames |
| 8 | Text is readable (font size + weight) | Hairline text breaks up, micro-rules become micro-sadness |
| 9 | Double-faced / split / adventure cards are handled correctly | Wrong backs, missing faces, or “why is this a Mountain?” |
| 10 | Card backs are consistent (and clearly non-official, if used) | Mixed backs, sorting headaches, accidental deck confusion |
| 11 | Count + duplicates match your plan | Missing basics, wrong quantities, cube collation chaos |
| 12 | Proofing pass at 200% is done | You ship typos and off-center crops straight to your doorstep |
1) Finished size (trim): confirm the target card dimensions
Start here because everything else depends on it. Traditional Magic cards are approximately 2.5″ x 3.5″ (about 6.3 cm x 8.8 cm). If your print file is built for something else, the rest of your “perfect” setup is just perfectly wrong.
Quick check: Make one test card in your layout tool, set the finished size, and drop in a border frame. If your printer has a template, use it.
2) Bleed: extend art past the cut line
Bleed is the extra image area beyond the final cut. Printers need it because cutting is precise, but not psychic. The industry-standard bleed is commonly 0.125″ (3mm) on each side.
Quick check: If your final card is 2.5″ x 3.5″, adding 0.125″ bleed each side means your file area is typically 2.75″ x 3.75″.
3) Safe zone: keep critical stuff away from the edge
Bleed protects the edge. Safe zone protects the important stuff. Keep card names, mana symbols, rules text, and anything you’d cry about losing comfortably inside the trim line.
Quick rule: Put critical text at least 0.125″ (3mm) inside the trim. If you’re using a fancy border or frame, give yourself more.
4) Resolution: make sure your art is sharp at final size
The fastest way to make proxies look “cheap” is low-res files. For print, a common target is 300 DPI at the final printed size.
Quick check: If you’re exporting raster (PNG/JPG), don’t upscale tiny images to card size and hope. Hope is not a workflow.
5) Scaling: turn off anything that “helps”
Auto-scaling options like “fit to page,” “shrink to printable area,” or “scale to margins” will quietly ruin your day. You’ll get inconsistent borders, slightly different zooms, and a deck that looks like it was assembled by five different printers who never met.
Quick check: Ensure export is 100% scale. If you’re placing images in a layout, lock proportions and align consistently.
6) Color expectations: RGB vs CMYK surprises
Screens are bright little liars. Print is ink on paper. If you design in RGB and it gets converted later, colors can shift, especially saturated blues, neon-ish colors, and deep shadows.
Quick fix: If your print provider gives profile guidance, follow it. If not, prioritize “looks good in print” over “looks nuclear on my monitor.”
7) Blacks: avoid the “why is this black actually gray” problem
Blacks can print weak if they’re built from light values, or muddy if they’re overbuilt. This shows up most on frames, text, and dark backgrounds.
Quick fix: Use solid, intentional blacks for text and key black elements. If you’re not sure, do a small test order before committing to 612 cards of darkness.
8) Text: tiny rules text is where quality goes to die
Even with 300 DPI, ultra-thin fonts and tiny sizes can break up. If your design uses custom type (especially for custom frames), give it enough weight to survive printing.
Quick check: Zoom your file to 200% on screen. If it’s hard to read there, it’s going to be worse in your hand.
9) Double-faced, split, and “two-cards-in-a-trenchcoat” layouts
MDFCs, DFCs, split cards, adventures, and tokens are the usual place orders go sideways. Common failures include: wrong face, missing face, or mismatched backs.
Quick fix: Decide your approach ahead of time:
- Print both faces (front/back), or
- Print one face and use a placeholder + checklist card, or
- Use helper cards where appropriate for your play style
10) Card backs: consistency beats chaos
If you’re printing backs, make sure they’re consistent across the whole order. If you’re mixing custom backs, do it intentionally (by deck, by cube section, by token pack), not accidentally.
Practical tip: A clearly non-official back can also save you from mix-ups when you have multiple proxy decks floating around your house.
11) Counts and duplicates: do the boring math now
This is the cube-builder classic: you order 540 cards, then realize you forgot basics, tokens, or the duplicate slots you planned for aggro.
Quick check:
- Commander deck: 100 cards, plus tokens if needed
- Cube: confirm your list size + basic land station plan + tokens
- Multi-deck order: label by decklist and verify totals
12) Proof at 200%: the final “don’t be brave” pass
This is the step that catches:
- off-center crops
- wrong borders
- typos
- missing mana symbols
- “why does this card say Gobiln?”
How to proof fast: Pick 10 random cards, then 10 “high-risk” cards (DFCs, heavy text, dark art, custom frames). If those look good, the rest usually follows.
Mini checklist you can paste into your notes app
- Size correct (trim)
- Bleed added
- Safe zone respected
- 300 DPI-ish at final size
- No auto-scaling
- Color expectations set
- Blacks look black
- Text readable
- DFCs handled intentionally
- Back consistency
- Counts verified
- Proofed at 200%
FAQs
What’s the single most common proxy printing mistake?
No bleed. It’s always no bleed. The second most common is accidental scaling.
Is 300 DPI always required?
It’s a great default for card-sized prints. Vector elements (like borders) can stay crisp regardless, but raster art benefits a lot from adequate resolution.
How much bleed should I use for MTG proxies?
Many printers consider 0.125″ (3mm) the standard starting point. Always follow your printer’s template if they provide one.
Why do my colors look different in print than on screen?
Screens emit light (RGB). Print uses ink (CMYK-ish reality). Some bright colors simply won’t translate 1:1, and conversions can shift tones.
Do I need to worry about corner radius?
Usually the printer handles rounding, but your design should keep important elements away from corners so rounding doesn’t clip them.