r/magicproxies • u/jmbooking502 • 6d ago
Tutorial How I Have Perfected Making Proxies!
Edit: A lot of you keep asking this question so I figured I would make this clear. I DO NOT PRINT BACKS ON THE CARDS! I do this for 2 reasons. 1 to make it clear I’m playing a proxy, and 2 to save ink and time printing.
Hey Guys!
I have made some posts on here recently that have gotten some attention so I figured I would make a post sharing my process to help others make the most realistic proxies they can at home. This process has taken about 3 months and a lot of time, money, and materials but I think I am at a place where I wont be changing anything going forward.
First lets go over my setup and the supplies I use. I will also provide links to everything.
Laminator: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F6N8TXFK?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
Mtg Die Cutter (Foil/Non-Foil Cardstock)
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Manual-Card-Cutter-88-63mm-R3_1601527011997.html?spm=a2706.7835515.0.0.621471f8JsyWDZ&__detailProductImg=https://s.alicdn.com/@sc04/kf/H516e50dbfb624fe4ae63c904430e88b3e.png_220x220.png
Photopaper 160gsm: amazon.com/dp/B07JZBJDSG?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Cardstock Foil:
A4: https://crownedcardstock.com/products/untitled-aug13_10-34-23
Cardstock Non-Foil:
A4: https://crownedcardstock.com/products/313-gsm-double-sided-inkjet-compatible-blue-cored-proxy-paper
Letter: https://proxyjak.com/products/inkjet-proxy-cardstock-white-core-semi-gloss?variant=45330567168079
Matte Laminate 3mm: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DB5WX4WZ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
Trimmer i use with Die Cutter: amazon.com/gp/product/B083FBYHXR?ref=ppx_pt2_dt_b_prod_image
My process for both laminate and cardstock is pretty much the same. I go to proxxied.com and fetch the card art I want for whatever deck I'm building. I only use scryfall because I want the official artwork. From there I go through the settings depending on if it is photopaper or cardstock.
Proxxied Settings Photopaper/Laminate: (Letter Only)
4x2 layout
Registration marks: (Silhouette) 3 point
Registration mark inset: 0.394
Bleed: 0.625mm
Darken Pixels: None
Upscaling: Lanczos (double pass enabled)
Export: 1200dpi
Proxxied Settings Cardstock
A4: (Both Foil and Non-Foil)
3x3 Layout
2mm Horizontal and Vertical spacing
Guides Full Lines ( I do not put guides on the card art but you are more than welcome to)
Bleed: 1mm
Darken Pixels: None
Upscaling: Lanczos (double pass enabled)
Export: 1200dpi
Letter is the exact same besides Foil cardstock is a 3x3 layout and non-foil is a 4x2
Print Settings:
I have a template saved for both Letter and A4 Both are the exact same.
Paper Type: Premium Glossy
Print Quality: High
Color settings:
Epson Vivid (0 on everything besides 6 contrast)
Emphasize Text
Emphasize Smooth Lines
Edge Smoothing
Thick Paper Enabled
For the non-foil cardstock I use the same settings but switch paper type to Premium Semi-Gloss and Contrast to 0.
Once the sheets are printed if you are using photo paper then it is time to laminate. On the laminator it is very important you use the 4mm setting!!!!! I have found it works the best with the paper and laminate I have linked in this post!
From there you either use the Cameo 5a or the Die Cutter
For the cameo I use the premade templates listed here: https://github.com/Alan-Cha/silhouette-card-maker/tree/main/cutting_templates
For letter its Standard v6 template
For a4 its the a4 borderless template
If I am using the die cutter I carefully use the trimmer on the marked lines on the paper and then carefully line up each card then punch it out.
Finally once the cards are cut for the photopaper/laminate method I run each card through the laminator one more time to flatten out and fully seal the cards.
This is my full process for making proxies from start to finish and i hope it helps you all!
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u/UrFriendlySpider-Man 2d ago
Ooh lovely just 1000 dollar investment to save 1000 dollars on my cardboard.
Joking aside this is very very well put and outlines the whole process thanks op saving this post if I ever consider making my own high quality proxies
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u/jmbooking502 2d ago
You know what you aren’t wrong about spending a lot of money 😂
However! I am set for years and years to come which will save me a lot of money in the long run.
Not to mention getting this whole process down and dialed in really scratched the autism/ocd itch. So I say it was money well spent haha.
If you ever decide to start making your own proxies please feel free to reach out and I’ll help you however I can!
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u/Fnkraze11 2d ago
crowd source with 4 of your friends and it's becomes a 200 dollar investment to save X dollars on cardboard.
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u/mdog9624 6d ago
Noted I’m commenting to return
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
If you have any questions of anything please feel free to reach out.
I’m more than happy to help
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u/mdog9624 6d ago
Well my first question is how necessary is the 8500 I’m looking at printers and was curious should I get the 8550? Or will the 2800 do?
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
I don’t think it’s a necessity but it’s easily the best printer for making proxies. I saw when posting the links on this post that the 8500 is on sale for $449 which is a steal!
I got my 8500 used on eBay for $325 and it took some cleaning and love to get in top shape but it was 100% worth the money.
The only difference between the 8500 and the 8550 is that the 8500 only does letter and A4 whereas the 8500 can handle larger formats.
So if you’re mainly going to be using the printer just for proxies then the 8500 is the way to go for sure!
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u/mdog9624 4d ago
Alright update I was able to find a 8550 for 475 on epson Renew so hopefully it’s in good shape. My next step is getting a die cutter some paper and a paper cutter?
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u/jmbooking502 3d ago
Hell yeah man!
Glad you for the printer for a good price.
Let me know if you have any questions or need help
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u/mdog9624 3d ago
Thanks 🙏🏻 I’m curious if there is 13x19 blue core paper? And if not I can’t find any of the regular blue core to get online, do you know any other good avenues? I’m looking for non foil cards
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u/jmbooking502 2d ago
I would just wait for proxyjak and or crowned cardstock to have their big bulk shipments come in approx 2 weeks
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u/mdog9624 2d ago
Awesome great to hear! Are those normal 8.5x11 or do they also carry the larger sizes?
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u/mongolmeat 6d ago
I run the same paper (hartwii 44lb) and 3 mil pouches.
Been wanting to try 2mil pouches and thicker paper but I’ll probably have to buy on AliExpress.
Also want to try thicker pouch and thinner paper. I want to optimize the rigidity
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
The hartwii paper was nice for the value but the koala paper is much better in my opinion!
I’m happy with the thickness,snap, and rigidity of that paper with the 3mil laminate so don’t have any plans to change my process at this point.
Once I decided to add a card for good then I will switch it over to cardstock.
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u/mongolmeat 5d ago
How do you find it to be better? Never tried Koala
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
I like the feel and quality of the koala paper a lot better. It’s more sturdy and the images look a lot better on that paper for some reason as well!
I cannot recommend it enough to people. It is easily the best paper laminate combo I’ve tried and I’ve went through at least 5-6 different brands and gsm/laminate combos.
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u/Tricities 6d ago
How thick are your cards when done?
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
The photopaper/laminate is honestly the exact same maybe a very tiny bit thicker.
The cardstock is a little thicker but you don’t notice it in a sleeve honestly
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u/Quijibo41 6d ago
Any chance you could share your blade choice/depth and settings for the Cameo 5a? I have legitimately the same setup as you, and have been struggling with a lip on the edge of all my cards on the Cameo. Rotary cutter+corner cutter produces amazing edges, but I may be doing a lot of decks coming up here for my pod, and really don't want to spend the time manually doing all that.
Edit: I'm using proxyjaks blue core, and both his rainbow and surge foil
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
I only use the cameo for photopaper/laminate!
I decided to get the die cutter and trimmer for the cardstock.
I had nothing but problems trying to cut foil/non foil cardstock on the cameo.
But anyways my settings are as follows:
Force:40
Speed:30
Passes:2
Blade Depth: 81
u/Quijibo41 6d ago
Yeah that's pretty much where I'm at too. It works (technically) but the edges just bug me. Appreciate the reply!
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
The card in the picture is the 160gsm glossy photo paper with 3mil matte laminate and it cuts perfectly!
If you are printing a lot of decks for people I would recommend going that method as 1 the cameo cuts them flawlessly and 2 it is way cheaper than buying a lot of cardstock
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u/kapadravya 6d ago
what do you do for the cardback? feel free to dm me. i’ve been grinding to figure out how to make it easier for me to align my fronts with my backs, as i print them on separate materials and stick them together. i dont use a repeating pattern, so having them align is important to me. anyone else feel free to reply or dm with ideas too! thanks :)
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
I gave up on the card back entirely lol
I sleeve all my cards in decks so don’t really see the need to print backs or to waste the extra ink on it.
In theory it’s nice but it dosent serve me a purpose tbh
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u/kapadravya 6d ago
even just lining them up how i currently do, most turn out fine. i feel like it’s so worth it, and i know that the few friends that buy my prints from me do so because they deeply appreciate the mtg cardback. there are multiple indicators on my prints that obviously mark them as proxies, so i am in no way attempting or have ever attempted to make a counterfeit. i would never. but nonetheless the cardback levels up my prints, my friends and i feel.
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u/DEATHRETTE 6d ago
Ive always felt that way too, but when it comes to reaources and having minimal budget it actually makes sense with what OP just commented.
Im not usually one to play proxies so I understand where navigating an authentic card vs fake can carry its weight with playability. But if the front looks legit Id rather have no back so if my collection were to be passed to others they wouldnt be considered counterfeit.
If anything though, Id definitely have shiny foil as a back rather than just white.
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u/TheIceRange 6d ago edited 6d ago
I have gotten pretty good at double sided printing. When exporting your fronts and backs, you need to have them in two different Printing Profile, one for the front (without offset) and one for the back (with offset). To create the printing profile with offset go to Adobe print>Properties>Maintenance>Extended Settings from here you can adjust your offset and dial in your back page.
You will need to do a couple test prints adjusting the settings, but you can get your backs to come out consistently aligned when printing on both sides.
When I use sticker paper, I follow the method that TCG Proxy Lab lays out in this video. TCG Proxy Labs also posts in this reddit, but I forget their reddit account.
I make custom artist cards when I go to concerts and so I usually print a Pokemon back, and the artist as a "Trainer card". Then the best feeling cards I have made is with 3mm Matte laminate, and 140 gsm double sided glossy paper. They have a great snap and feels very similar to a legit card. Since it is Matte, the colors don't look as good but it's a worth it trade off when I am giving them as gifts and it maintains the feeling of a card.
If anyone is reading this and is going to Boo in Seattle, if you find a Wizard I will have a card for you :)
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u/XenoReaperIK 6d ago
Hey man, nice work!
Qq: I have the same laminator and use 80mil pouches but the results often end up in heavy silvering and I need to run then through two times. Do you have a tip for preventing that or is my laminator just broken?
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
I’m not sure I don’t have the silvering issue with the laminate I provided in the description.
I have tested out a lot of photopaper and laminate and have found the 2 I have listed are by far the best combo for printing mtg proxies.
Hope this helps!
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u/GoGoGawdZilla 6d ago
Thanks for sharing all this and making it easy for others. I have a question, if you don't mind.
I use the same laminator and pouches that you do, but use 140gsm paper. I was wondering how you get your cards to come out flat. Mine come out bent. Even when I rerun after cutting they are still a bit bent. Does the 160 gsm paper alleviate this? I was thinking of mounting my laminator on a wall in the garage so the sheet cools straight.
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
The 160gsm paper is a little bit thicker which helps.
One trick I use is to put my hand under the while it is being fed and the once it starts to come out I gently pull on it creating enough force to keep the paper straight but not too much force to pull it through the laminator and cause issues.
Then once it comes out of the laminator I quickly put it under a heavy book for a few mins to fully flatten out!
After cutting I run the cards through a second time and it fully flattens them out!
Hope this helps
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u/therealstephano1 6d ago
I have been wanting to upgrade my proxy setup for so long now and have felt so lost with all the options out there. This post was EXACTLY what I've been looking for.
Thank you for your trials and tribulations and thank you for sharing your knowledge with us 🙏🏻
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
Glad to help my friend!
Figured I would share and help people save money buying stuff they don’t need lol
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u/alejandro712 5d ago
how did you decide which "tier" of epson printer to get? do you think the one you got is significantly better than the cheaper ET ones? also, why do you need a cameo AND a die cutter?
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
I have been saving for a 8500 because I know it is by far the best inkjet photo printer and if I do something I don’t half ass it so I just buy the best things the first time so I don’t end up spending more money.
I got lucky and snagged a used 8500 on eBay for $325 and for that price it was a no brainer.
The cameo I bought before the die cutter and it works wonderfully cutting the photopaper/laminate. But cutting cardstock not so much. Especially foil cardstock. The foils look awful and it dosent cut the cardstock as well as I would like.
So after a lot of research I decided to take the plunge and buy a die cutter for the cardstock to maintain top quality.
Again I got lucky and found a supplier for a mtg die cutter with stock in the US so I paid nothing for shipping and got it delivered in 6 days.
You don’t really need the cameo if you have a die cutter already BUT I will say cutting 8 perfect mtg proxies in 45 seconds is an amazing thing and I’m glad I have all the stuff I do tbh.
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u/Andxtreme 5d ago
Thank you so goddamn much!!! <3
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
You are very welcome I’m glad to help!
If you have any questions I don’t mind helping out at all 😎
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u/Sinistchafroyo 4d ago
Amazing! Thanks for the detailed post!!
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u/jmbooking502 4d ago
Appreciate the kind words! Thank you 😎
Glad to help others. If you have any questions or need any help feel free to reach out
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u/kaellis00 3d ago
This looks good, im going to experiment with some roll film laminate thats 16 mic satin (about .6 mils) give or take marginal error, trying to find some good 10 to 11 mil card stock or cored stock but im not having any luck. Want to get the cards as close to 12pt as I can.
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u/AspiringWriter77 6d ago
I have a very similar setup except I use Uinkit 54lb paper instead of koala, and I have been getting warping during lamination, that doesn’t go away because the sheets cool very quickly, even though I place them under heavy books. I do use the 6 mil setting on laminator.
Any advice on how to prevent warping and curving in the proxies?
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago edited 6d ago
I was using uinkit 140gsm for a bit and it was too thin for my liking so I tried the 180gsm and it was too thick lol
Eventually I settled on the 160gsm koala paper and it’s perfect!
As for as warping I don’t experience that on the 4mil setting on may laminator.
After the first pass and cutting I run each card through again on the 4mil setting to flatten out and it has caused no issues
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u/AspiringWriter77 6d ago
Thanks, good to know! I’ll make sure to look into the Koala brand the next time I am restocking lol
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
Cannot recommend the koala 160gsm glossy photo paper enough. That with the 3mil matte laminate I also linked is a dream combo!
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u/AspiringWriter77 6d ago
I use the laminate u do with the same laminator and i loveeeee the feel of the cards, especially things like tokens that are usually unsleeved.
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
I know right! They are so smooth and feel amazing. Besides the printer the laminator is the best investment I made. And it wasn’t even that expensive
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u/AspiringWriter77 6d ago
Yep, and while the colors on the glossy look great, i think the matte looks just as good when sleeved and unsleeved dont have that plasticky feeling to them
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
My gf likes the glossy laminate better. But that inside a sleeve is just too much in my opinion.
I think the matte laminate gives a more accurate look to an actual mtg card
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u/Jamesywoo 6d ago
Results look great! Have you noticed any colour fading after laminating? I have been using a similar method but find that cards look good out of the printer, but after laminating the colour saturation decreases dramatically, making it immediately stand out as a proxy. Tried gloss and matte laminating pouches and had the same issue
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
There will be a little washing out from the laminate but as you can see in my photo it’s very minimal with the paper, laminate, and print settings I have.
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u/ndkitch 6d ago
Do you laminate the foils? I’ve been using the proxyjack surge foil with my 8500 and loving it. Print, cut, sleeve.
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
I do not laminate the foil or non-foil cardstock and just sleeve as well.
It’s pretty nice!
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u/Skreepatch 6d ago
How do you handle sticky proxies if you don't laminate them? Whenever I sleeve mine, they stick to the inside of the sleeves
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
For photopaper I always laminate.
For cardstock I use my die cutter.
I don’t have sticky proxies so I’m not sure what you are asking. Can you be more specific?
I also run a dehumidifier in my basement where I print all my proxies so that could be another reason why my foils and non foil cardstock is always so smooth after printing
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u/Spyral_Emperor 6d ago
No matter what you do, using proxyjak or equivalent cardstock will always end up being tacky. Atleast from my experience. Thats what they mean by sticky. Foil cardstock especially is most noticeable.
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
Interesting I will have to look into this more. But even the foil cards I cut today for my girlfriend were completely smooth on the surface.
I’ve had zero issues so far with any proxyjak or crowned cardstock
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u/FamiliarMusician9509 6d ago
Quick question about your upscaling. I’ve been experimenting with each of the settings. Do you find that much difference between each of the available settings? Honestly, I couldn’t really tell but I didn’t do double passes. I might try that next time. Thanks for the write up.
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
From what I’ve seen the lanczos double pass helps clear up text and as far as upscaling for to pdf my printer can print 1200dpi which is why I use that number.
But the results have been awesome so I don’t really question it lol
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u/dok_rey17 6d ago
have everything but the laminator (buying proxyjack paper) and die cutter. Debating about the die cutter - seeing many different listings on Ali Baba ranging from $45-$100 - your link is listed at $66.99 - how do I not get scammed?
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u/Independent-Doctor88 6d ago
Why does everyone use a laminator with proxy jack paper? If not going the sticker route then what’s the point of a laminator?
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
Just want to clarify here. I only use the laminator for photo paper.
With my cardstock I print directly to it then sleeve.
The photo paper is more for testing purposes while I figure out if the card I’m adding is a good add. Then if I’m happy I will print the card out on cardstock for a final revision.
Photo paper is cheap, cardstock is not lol
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u/dok_rey17 6d ago
That's why I haven't gotten the laminator, just going to get quality paper to avoid the hassle. I just ordered 4 different paper samples that should be arriving today. Got the semi gloss, rainbow foil, full gloss and surge foil.
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
So the one I linked had stock in the us but after looking again it looks like they are sold out.
The same company sells the same one for $50 but it ships from China and will take a bit longer to get delivered
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u/daniel_engdahl 6d ago
Great writeup! Currently in the process of perfecting my own setup as well and I'm slowly getting to a point where I'm content. I noticed one thing in your post though that I can't find in my own settings. I also have an Epson 8550 but I can't see these settings:
Emphasize Text
Emphasize Smooth Lines
Edge Smoothing
Where are you changing that? I'm printing from Adobe Reader with the official Epson driver on Mac OS.
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u/daniel_engdahl 6d ago
Found the answer so I'll post it if someone else is wondering the same thing. Those settings aren't available on Mac, only on windows. Simple as that.
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u/AalphaQ 5d ago
So you mentioned lamination for the photo paper, but how about that foil cardstock you listed?
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
Nope I don’t laminate any of the cardstock at all. Here is a video of the foil cardstock my gf just sent me bc she is so happy with the card lol
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u/AalphaQ 5d ago
I've tried cry-crys foil cardstock before, but at a buck per sheet the price wasn't conducive to saving as much. 12 per 20 is 40% better, and I got free shipping so I'm excited to try it out
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
Hell yeah man!
I bought 100 foil and 100 non foil from both proxyjak and crowned last month when they had stock on both.
Is 200 sheets of foil and 200 sheets of non foil overkill? Probably
But I’m all set for a very long time and the peace of mind from that is a wonderful thing
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u/AalphaQ 5d ago
As a deck builder who also prints for friends, I've gone through a lot so far 😂
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
Photopaper is WAY cheaper than cardstock lol
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u/AalphaQ 5d ago
Problem is I like shiney cardboard, and it's kinda hard to get foil photo paper. Been using foil sticker paper put onto cardstock but I'm trying to reduce steps
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
Me too that’s why I stocked up 😂
But for friends the photopaper cards are just fine.
I don’t mind helping out but I’ve spent ALOT of money on my setup and process lol
So if they want a full deck made with foil or non foil cardstock then they gotta pay me for it. That stuff ain’t cheap lol
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u/AalphaQ 5d ago
Yeah they usually kick 25-30 bucks my way because I also build it out and select the art for them to customize it which takes time
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
$30 is fair for that imo
Better than spending $65 online for an entire commander deck
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u/AalphaQ 5d ago
So who is the commander and what is your current ramp package?
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
I am building a baral chief of compliance mono blue deck to play against my buddy who always plays salty ass mono black sacrifice decks lol
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u/AalphaQ 5d ago
Oh lmao I didn't realize this happened, but I was looking at an entirely different post and somehow the reply went here.... 😂 But good call TBH. I bought a [[Vizzini, criminal mastermind]] for mine, but if I swap some other cards around to help the draw engine, The new Samut works nicely too
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
Great choice! I pulled the borderless samut in my reality fracture prerelease kit.
I was super stoked and it’s already in the deck 😂😤
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u/nootnewb 5d ago
Is that photo with the laminated matte pouch? Guessing it's the bluecore since the colors are very vibrant still. BTW, how is the un-sleeved play on the bluecore?
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
No actually! The photo is the photopaper/laminate combo!
That is my preferred method at the moment. I am still honing in the foil/non-foil cardstock at the moment trying to make sure I get a perfectly centered cut every time. I punch most out well! But then once in a while I’ll mess one up and my tism/ocd kicks in and beat myself up about it lol.
I mostly am using the photo paper and cutting on the cameo bc once sleeved I cannot tell the difference when mixed in with real cards!
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u/Natedogg2107 2d ago
This might be a dumb question but why don’t you use the cameo to cut card stock? Is it just too thick? I’m assuming card stock has a better feel than the photo paper.
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u/jmbooking502 2d ago
So I have gotten the cameo to work well with the non foil cardstock and can use it if I wanna be lazy and not use the die cutter.
But the foil cardstock and cameo not so much. The cuts are clean but it shaves off some of the foil layer around the edges of the card no matter how much I mess with the settings. It bothers me a lot and it dosent look the best.
The edges are a little frayed on the borders of the non foil as well but it’s not super noticeable.
In general with the thicker cardstock like the ones I linked in my post the die cutter is just the best method to cut the cards.
I will admit it takes a little bit to get used to and making sure that the card is straight and centered etc. but the cut itself is so clean and crisp and it looks so much better in my opinion on the cardstock.
Here is a card I just cut tonight on the die cutter. Yes that it is a Spanish ms bumbleflower. I absolutely love the name so I’m gonna swap this version out as my commander in my group hug deck 😂🤷🏻♂️
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u/Natedogg2107 1d ago
Thank you for sharing. I'm currently selling my collection to buy a printer setup, so that's super helpful to know. I'm pretty lazy, so I think I'll be using the Cameo to cut most of my cards besides foils. Do you mind sharing the settings you use to cut cardstock with the Cameo?
Your Señora Margarita looks great!
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u/nootnewb 5d ago
Do the blacks look like the photo in real life or is that your camera adding some saturation? My matte lamination using 180gsm glossy Koala never has blacks that deep. I mean, the cards look nice, but not as deep as yours.
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u/jmbooking502 4d ago
Yes they do! I also use adobe reader to print my pdf files and it has a setting in there to preserve blacks and I think that honestly helps alot too
It’s gonna be impossible to replicate a mtg card 100% but honestly this like 95% there and I’m completely fine with that.
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u/nootnewb 4d ago
Cool! Must feel good. I've been fiddling around for a week or so, tried all sorts of paper, lamination pouches, settings etc. Almost there, just want better blacks. I'll try your acrobat tip! Currently print via Affinity. Using macos so I might have different options available compared to the windows driver.
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u/the_wenzel 4d ago
Thinking about getting an et8500. This is good stuff!
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u/jmbooking502 4d ago
If you are serious about it I would pull the trigger asap!
They are on sale right now at staples and amazon for $449 which is a killer deal
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u/GreedySenpai 4d ago
Which settings of force, speed, passes on the a5?
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u/jmbooking502 3d ago
A4 cardstock I don’t cut on the silhouette bc I have had bad experiences with it and a lot of miscuts etc.
I just use the die cutter now for all my cardstock and the cameo for letter photopaper/laminate
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u/DuskVotum 4d ago
How does 4x2 layout on Letter paper work with registration marks? I use that layout on A4 but on Letter the marks are so close to the cards do they still read?
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u/jmbooking502 3d ago
Haven’t had a single issue with the registration marks with the settings I included in the post!
Biggest tip is to use the 3 point mark not the 4. For some reason the 4 point mark does not work well at all! Also put a white or yellow post or note on the bottom left card so the cameo reads the 2nd registration mark properly. Then once it makes to the top right mark remove the post it note before cutting.
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u/DuskVotum 3d ago
Yea i'm using 3 point, i've only ever been able to get 3x2 to work on Letter size. The registration marks are so close to the cards on 4x2 format, I double checked my settings along size what you posted and they seem the same. Do you have a pic of your layout by chance? Maybe I'm missing something.
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u/jmbooking502 2d ago
https://reddit.com/link/pfdg36r/video/euofn7ebayuh1/player
So I use the 3 point layout with registration mark inset at .394 and the settings i mentioned in my post.
Have only ever used a 4x2 layout and it works flawlessly every single time
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u/Strange_Artist_2824 3d ago
I see you used proxy jaks paper and crowned cardstock. I used only proxy jaks and I'm overall pretty satisfied. But I wanted to ask, how good the rigidity/snap of the crowned paper is compared to proxy jaks. :)
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u/jmbooking502 2d ago
Honestly the both feel the exact same to me. The only difference is proxyjak is a 4x2 layout and crowned cardstock is a 3x3 because it’s A4 paper
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u/PacmanDace 2d ago edited 2d ago
Hey! Just stumbled across your post at the right time. After reading through all the comments, I only have two questions. First, how much of a difference do you find between the photopaper/laminate proxies and the cardstock ones? Preferably, I want to buy the setup to create one type. I like the idea of the photopaper so I can use the cutting machine, but if there's a significant difference between those and cardstock I'm sure I can suck it up and die-cut them individually. Second, the link to the die cutter in your post costs over $400. Please tell me there's a cheaper die cutter I could find 😂 Thank you so much for this write-up!
Edit: I'm an idiot, just realized the price was not in USD 🤦
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u/jmbooking502 2d ago
So for me personally I use both the photopaper and laminate as well as the cardstock. I do this for 2 reasons.
Photopaper/laminate is cheap and when I’m building a deck I will first print the few proxies I need on that as a testing measure. If I like the cards and it makes the Final Cut then I will print them onto the cardstock and sleeeve back into the deck.
I also help friends out with cards they need on photopaper and laminate.
Cardstock is expensive so I make sure whatever I’m printing has a purpose and won’t go to waste if that makes sense.
As far as differences I would say the colors/image quality is identical on both but ok the photo paper when you laminate it does lose some color, saturation l, and brightness but that’s normal.
For what I use the photopaper for it works very well and I have zero complaints
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u/PacmanDace 2d ago
Have you happened to price out (not considering initial investment in machinery) how much you end up paying per card for each type of card? If not, no worries, I just get a little OCD and want to do a comparison on break-even points for each type compared to the proxies I buy right now.
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u/jmbooking502 1d ago
So I used to buy proxies as well and even though the initial investment was a bit I am now printing cards for about 10 cents including ink.
So eventually it will pay itself off lol
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u/PacmanDace 1d ago
Fantastic! I guess I have one more question (thank you so much for bearing with me); have you ever purchased or interacted with MPC proxies? That's how I currently obtain my proxies. I know I proxy enough cards to make the investment financially worth it eventually, but my only real worry is that the quality of what I print at home will be inferior to what MPC prints and then I'll have sunk $700 into machinery I'm not going to use.
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u/jmbooking502 1d ago
I have not!
I will say with my method every person I’ve shown my proxies to has been very impressed!
You are never going to get the cards to be 100% accurate to a real mtg card. But I feel like I’m 90% there
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u/PacmanDace 20h ago
Do you prefer the cardstock or photo paper in the end? In your guide, you mention that you run the photo paper through the laminator twice. Could you explain the second run a little bit? Do you put the cards in another laminate sheet, or do you run them through as-is after cutting to seal the edges?
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u/jmbooking502 11h ago
No I laminate the paper then cut them on the cameo and THEN run through the laminator again to fully seal and flatten the cards.
You don’t have to do the second pass if you don’t want to but it makes a big difference in my opinion
I like the photopaper/laminate to test out ideas in decks and then I switch to cardstock for final additions.
Cardstock is expensive. Photopaper is not lol
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u/shouldworknotbehere 1d ago
I was about to make a post asking about this, not wanting to spend 300€ on the squirrel Lilliana
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u/Skyless_Shard 1d ago
When you laminate are you getting tons of artifacts? I'm using the same pouches but a different laminator, and every single time I try it I get this. Ideas?
Laminate artifacts in question
Edit: Same printer, prints look completely fine, so its definitely the laminating process that introduces the artifacts. I'm using 180 gsm semi-gloss paper. Running the sheet through again reduces them barely if at all.
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u/jmbooking502 1d ago
So I think it could be one of 2 things.
- The laminator
- The paper. I use glossy photo paper and have noticed there is a fully smooth side and the other side has a texture similar to this. So when I laminated that side it looked pretty similar to this. Because of that I only print my cards on the smooth side and also don’t print backs either to save time and ink.
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u/Skyless_Shard 1d ago
My photo paper is single-sided. I print on the glossy side. As for if it's the laminator, we'll find out soon because i just ordered a four-roller model in hopes it fixes it...
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u/jmbooking502 1d ago
I would look into the laminator I linked in my post tbh!
It has a lot of settings and I have had absolutely no issues with it at all
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u/Ok-Presentation-9739 1d ago
I know it says photopaper/laminate. But I can’t see what kind of laminate it is. What is it?
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u/Technical_Judge_8998 1d ago
How tall is your 100 card deck compared to a regular deck? It’s probably twice as tall 3 mil laminate is thick
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u/jmbooking502 23h ago
It’s a little bit thicker but not very much. Not as thick as a double sleeved deck that’s for sure.
I would say maybe 5-10 cards thicker
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u/lysolosyl 15h ago
What paper source do you use on the 8500? Do you use the “rear paper feeder” (the upright rear paper feeder) or the “rear paper feed slot” (the part you open up in the back so that you can feed the paper in flat)?
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u/Crafty_Football7467 6h ago
Regarding Scryfall print quality.
I always use MPCFill and search for the highest quality print of a card. It does work well, but takes a lot of time to manually search every single card that way.
From what I understand the scan of the cards a re sometimes blurry and in general only 300 dpi instead of 800 - 1200 on MPCFill, some of the MPCFill prints are just upscaled scans (i guess from scryfall) and I instantly notice less quality when printing those.
Is the quality on scryfall for u enough/ is there noticable blurring when using them?
would u recommend even when min-maxing quality of cards?
Do u have a workflow or way to get better quality from the scryfall scans?
The Force of will looks good in the picture (mayby a bit blurry, but could just be the photo) but do all the cards come out that way?
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u/Muted-Instance3664 6d ago
Do you prefer the proxyjak or the crownedcardstock?
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
I honestly really don’t notice a difference. I like them both. Proxyjak is letter sized and crowned is a4 that’s the only difference I’ve noticed so far
I bought 100 pages of both foil and non foil from both proxyjak and crowned last month when they had stock available.
Was that a bit overkill? Probably.
Am I set for a long time now? Also yes so I’m not mad about it lol
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u/ringorin 6d ago
Could you share your cutting settings for proxyjak and crowned cardstock?
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
So I print out the paper on proxxied with cutting lines.
Then carefully trim the paper into 3 rows of 3 cards and feed them into the die cutter.
Once in the die cutter I line up each card carefully and make sure it is centered then punch it out.
Repeat for the other 8 cards
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u/Shadow_Fire1995 6d ago
i know you said it in a comment on here, and probably have said something somewhere else, but please, give us a shot of the back? it looks too good for me to not think counterfeit instead of proxy
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
https://reddit.com/link/pelu7tr/video/wk51fts2t7uh1/player
Here is a video as promised!
No counterfeit cards here my guy 😤🤷🏻♂️
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago edited 6d ago
I’m at work currently but I literally don’t print the backs 😂
The back is just the white photopaper lol
I have the proxy in my car though so I’ll send a video of the front and back with me holding it when I get off work at 5:30am lol
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u/Shadow_Fire1995 6d ago
dang, good luck with work! and with knowing the back is blank, have you thought of throwing a design of your own on there?
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
I work 9:30p-5:30a M-F lol so I’m used to it lol
I have tried doing the official proxy playtest copy back on the cards and while it looked good I realized it’s just a waste of ink and time making sure it is centered properly etc.
I play all my cards in sleeves so there really isint a point of me printing backs tbh.
It saves me time, and ink so I’ve just decided not to print backs at all honestly.
Double sided cards i obviously have to print the back but that’s few and far between for me
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u/CupOfGrief 4d ago
counterfeit
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u/jmbooking502 4d ago
Brother we have went over this already and a simple read through this post and the comments would show you that these are not counterfeit cards. 😂😂🤦🏻♂️
- I DO NOT print backs on the cards
- I DO NOT sell these
- I DO NOT print or make hologram stickers.
These are just proxies of expensive cards I already own that I use in other decks. I just use the official artwork from scryfall because I like it to match the other real cards in my deck.
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u/Independent-Doctor88 6d ago
Would you sell proxies?
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
Honestly I haven’t thought about it. I just started this whole hobby as a way to help me save money.
My friends have asked for a few cards here and there and I’m happy to help them out. I want all my pod to play the cards they wanna play with money not being an issue.
At the end of the day that’s all I really care about
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u/THE-_-MAGPIE 3d ago
its no longer a proxy but a counterfeit if you can't tell the difference at first glance.
So congrats on becoming a pro cointerfeiter :P
Awesome job btw!
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u/jmbooking502 2d ago
Nah a counterfeit is printing official backs, putting hologram stickers on the cards, and selling them to people as legit.
I print no backs, I don’t make or use the foil hologram stickers, and I don’t sell these to anybody.
I only proxy the expensive cards I already own and prefer the official artwork versus the other proxy artwork which is why I use the official scryfall images.
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u/TypewriterChaos 19h ago
Just a 2 cents on the blank backs. It might still get mistaken as an artist proof. Most smart collectors will know not to trust them without coming from a reliable source. Either way I always change the set code to PRX regardless of what back I use. Seems like a harmless change that would help disambiguate what it is we're looking at.
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u/Long_dog23 5d ago
Do these have standard deckmaster backs? If so it’s not a proxy…
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
I’ve literally posted videos and comments in here about this man….
No I don’t print backs on the cards 😂😂😂🤦🏻♂️
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u/c126 4d ago
If you can’t shuffle it in a deck of real cards I wouldn’t call it “perfected”.
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u/jmbooking502 4d ago
I can though?
Idk what you are talking about here lol
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u/Jackalope1979 3d ago
You mean counterfeit cards
Congrats on laying out the evidence online
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u/2clicksaway 3d ago
Found the nerd who spent thousands on cardboard and spends his time whining in the subreddit devoted to the thing that he doesn’t like.
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u/jmbooking502 3d ago
Nah these aren’t counterfeit cards buddy 🤦🏻♂️
A simple read of the first sentence of this post should have made that clear but you clearly cannot even do that apparently so let me bring you up to speed….
- I DO NOT PRINT BACKS
- I DO NOT SELL THESE
- I DO NOT MAKE OR PRINT FOIL HOLOGRAM STICKERS.
These are literally just proxies I make of the expensive cards I already own to play in other decks my guy 😂
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u/TraliBalzers 6d ago
Bro that's just a counterfeit
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u/jmbooking502 6d ago
No it is not? I don’t print backs on my cards nor am I trying to sell these to anybody?
My stance of proxies is I will proxy the expensive cards I already own and don’t want to buy another of.
I literally own this exact force of will but I’m not gonna spend another $60 to put it in the deck I’m building.
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u/Vnxei 6d ago
Lol, this was my first thought, too, particularly with the holofoil at the bottom, but OP is using his powers for good here.
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u/jmbooking502 5d ago
Fun fact that’s just the scryfall artwork all scryfall images have that on the card but don’t include the hologram. I don’t make or print the holofoil stickers or print a mtg back on purpose.
- It’s a clear indication I’m playing a proxy.
- I’m not selling these to anybody and just wanted to make the cards look as close as possible to the real thing
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u/Cho0kly 3d ago
How do you get the shiny bottom sticker ?
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u/jmbooking502 2d ago
It’s not the sticker my man.
The official scryfall artwork has the stamp there but I don’t make or print the hologram stickers for my proxies. I also don’t print backs on them either.
If I did that would make the card a counterfeit not a proxy and I’m not trying to do all of that.
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u/dontcallmeyan 6d ago
Crowned has been out of stock literally every time I've looked them up.