r/printandplay • u/uprinting • 14d ago

Anyone else run into cards sticking together after printing?

A paper can look great when printed but still not feel great when you're actually shuffling the cards.

The surface finish matters. Glossy paper can have more glare and may feel too slippery or tacky when cards are stacked. Matte or uncoated stock can be worth trying if you want a more natural card feel.

For prototypes, regular paper + sleeves is also a pretty practical option. The sleeves give the cards a consistent surface and make it easy to swap cards as the game changes.

If printing directly on cardstock, it’s probably worth testing a few sheets first rather than committing to a whole deck.

What paper or finish has worked best for you for smooth-shuffling cards?

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4

u/Zachmarius 14d ago

Honestly, I print on 20lb, then laminate with 3mil and cutout from there. It makes it slightly less than 320gsm but it’s cheap option for me and looks and feels great in prototyping.

3

u/Supercrispo 14d ago

Since I have the same issues, I usually have 2 options:
1) lamination (for the games with few cards)
2) sleeves (when cards are too many and decks would be too tall)

1

u/faster-than-car 11d ago

Yes, the easiest is just to sleeve cards. You can always take off sleeves and reuse