Bleed, resolution and colour
A print-ready card file is an image at the finished card size, at 300 dpi, with 3 mm of bleed: artwork that runs past the cut line so no white edge shows after cutting. On TCGPrintery you do not have to add the bleed yourself. Upload your artwork at the finished size and the designer adds 3 mm of bleed to every card.
| Card | Finished size | Inches | Pixels at 300 dpi | With 3 mm bleed | Pixels with bleed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Size | 63 × 88 mm | 2.48 × 3.46 in | 744 × 1039 | 69 × 94 mm | 815 × 1110 |
| Japanese Size | 59 × 86 mm | 2.32 × 3.39 in | 697 × 1016 | 65 × 92 mm | 768 × 1087 |
| Tarot Size | 70 × 120 mm | 2.76 × 4.72 in | 827 × 1417 | 76 × 126 mm | 898 × 1488 |
Cards are printed on large sheets and cut to size. A cut can move by a fraction of a millimetre, so the artwork has to continue past the cut line. That extra border is the bleed. Without it, a thin white line can appear on the edge of a card.
The trim line is where the card is cut. The safe area is a margin inside it, usually 3 mm, where text and important details belong.
When you upload a file, the designer compares its shape with the card size. A file at the finished size gets 3 mm of bleed generated around it. A file that already has 3 mm of bleed is printed as it is. A file of another shape is cropped to fill the card and marked Cropped to fit, so you can check it; choose Whole image in the card editor to keep all of it.
Show bleed in the designer shows every card as it will print, bleed included.
Cards are printed at 300 dpi. A standard card needs 744 × 1039 pixels, or 815 × 1110 pixels with bleed. Larger files are fine, up to 25 million pixels, which covers every card size at 1200 dpi. Smaller files print, but look soft.
Upload JPG, PNG, WebP or PDF. A PDF page with a trim box at the card size is cut to that box.
Work in RGB. Files with an embedded colour profile, CMYK included, are converted for printing. A CMYK file without a profile is converted approximately and marked with a warning, so you can check the colours before you order.
Use the right card size, export at 300 dpi or more, keep text inside the safe area, let the background run to the edge of the file and leave out crop marks. Start from one of our free card templates if you are designing from scratch.
Not on TCGPrintery. Upload your artwork at the finished size and the designer adds 3 mm of bleed. Files that already include 3 mm of bleed are recognised and printed as they are.
3 mm on every side. A 63 × 88 mm card with bleed is 69 × 94 mm, which is 815 × 1110 pixels at 300 dpi.
300 dpi at the printed size. Higher is fine; lower prints but looks soft.
RGB is best. CMYK files with a colour profile are converted for you; without a profile they are converted approximately and marked so you can check the colours.
The designer checks every card and adds the bleed for you.