If a homemade card looks off, the size is usually wrong before the art is.
People search for trading card size, trading card dimensions, and Pokemon card size in pixels because printers, sleeves, and binders are unforgiving. A card that is 2 millimeters too wide will not sleeve cleanly. A file that looks sharp on a phone can still print soft. MakeACard exports 750 x 1050 PNG cards at the standard 5:7 proportion.
The short answer
Most Western trading cards are 2.5 by 3.5 inches, or 63.5 by 88.9 mm. That is the size used by Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh in the US and Europe. At 300 DPI, the print file should be 750 by 1050 pixels. Add bleed if you are sending the file to a print shop.
If you only remember one number, remember 2.5 x 3.5 at 300 DPI.
Use the Card Size and Print Guide if you want the interactive version of this chart.
Standard trading card sizes
| Format | Inches | Millimeters | Typical games | 300 DPI pixels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard / poker size | 2.5 x 3.5 | 63.5 x 88.9 | Pokemon, MTG, Yu-Gi-Oh | 750 x 1050 |
| Japanese small size | 2.32 x 3.39 | 59 x 86 | older JP Pokemon, Weiss Schwarz, Vanguard | 696 x 1017 |
| Tarot / oversized | 2.75 x 4.75 | 70 x 121 | some tarot and oversized TCG cards | 825 x 1425 |
| Jumbo / display | 3.5 x 5 | 89 x 127 | promo display cards | 1050 x 1500 |
| Sports card (modern) | 2.5 x 3.5 | 63.5 x 88.9 | baseball, basketball, football | 750 x 1050 |
| Mini / game token | 1.75 x 2.5 | 44.5 x 63.5 | tokens, minis | 525 x 750 |
The important detail: modern sports cards and standard TCG cards share the same footprint. If you sleeve a custom Pokemon-style card in a standard penny sleeve, it should feel like a real card, not a printout.
Pokemon card size in pixels
This is the query that sends people to the wrong answer.
A Pokemon card image on your phone is not a print file. Screenshots from TCG Pocket, eBay listings, or Discord are often 400 to 600 pixels on the long edge. That is fine for a chat preview. It is not enough for paper.
Use this:
- Screen / web preview: 360 x 504 pixels is enough to look crisp on a phone.
- Home print at 300 DPI: 750 x 1050 pixels.
- Shop print with bleed: 825 x 1125 pixels if you add 0.125 inch bleed on each side.
- High-res archive: 1500 x 2100 pixels at 600 DPI if you want to reprint later without upscaling.
If your file is smaller than 750 x 1050 and you print it at actual size, the printer has to invent pixels. That is why homemade cards look muddy even when the design is good.
MakeACard exports a 750 x 1050 PNG at 5:7. That pixel count corresponds to 2.5 x 3.5 inches at 300 PPI, but the file has no dedicated DPI metadata or bleed.
Why homemade cards miss the size
The usual failure is not art. It is software trying to be helpful.
- Fit to page. The printer scales the card to fill Letter or A4. The card comes out 3.1 inches wide and will not sleeve.
- Wrong document size. People drop a card into a Google Doc or Canva letter template. The page is 8.5 x 11. The card is not.
- No bleed. Print shops cut through the edge. If your border stops at the exact card edge, a 1 mm shift leaves a white sliver.
- Screenshot source. A 500-pixel image printed at 2.5 inches is about 200 DPI. You will see it.
The fix is boring and reliable: create the card at the right size, place it on a sheet with the Print Layout Tool, and print at actual size.
Sleeves, toploaders, and binders
Standard size cards fit:
- Penny sleeves
- Standard deck protectors
- 3 x 3 binder pages
- Standard toploaders
Japanese small-size cards need smaller sleeves. If you mix a 59 x 86 mm card into a standard binder page, it will rattle. If you force a slightly oversized homemade card into a sleeve, the sleeve splits at the corner.
If the card is a gift, sleeve it. A clean sleeve hides small paper differences and makes the object feel finished.
Paper thickness vs card size
Size is the footprint. Thickness is the feel.
Real TCG cards are roughly 300 to 350 GSM. Home printers rarely match that exactly. 110 lb cardstock is the best common compromise. Photo paper looks glossy and still feels thin. Copy paper is a non-starter.
A card that is the right size on thin paper still feels fake in the hand. A card that is the right size on cardstock, even without holofoil, feels like a card.
For the full print workflow, read how to print custom Pokemon cards at home without them looking fake.
Sports cards, MTG, and Pokemon: same size, different finish
Collectors argue about borders, holofoil, and texture. They do not argue about the rectangle.
That is useful if you are making custom cards for a birthday, a classroom, or a team. One print layout works for:
- A Pokemon-style pet card
- A custom Magic-style commander portrait
- A sports-style rookie card of a kid on a team
The art language changes. The cutter does not.
Quick checklist before you print
- File is 2.5 x 3.5 inches
- Resolution is 300 DPI or 750 x 1050 pixels
- Print setting is actual size, not fit to page
- Paper is cardstock, not copy paper
- You have a trimmer, not only scissors
- You checked the card against a real sleeved card
If you want the AI to handle the pixel dimensions, create a 750 x 1050 PNG card from a photo. Set the physical size in your print workflow because the PNG does not include dedicated DPI metadata or bleed.
If you are measuring a card you already own, use the card centering calculator for left/right and top/bottom ratios.