Playing Card Board | MAGIC: THE GATHERING

When last you heard from me, I was rambling on about coatings, with a focus on the finishes that we apply to the faces of our cards. In this installment, I would like to speak further about the stuff that is literally at the core of that Magic card in your hand—the paper.Of course, Magic paper is no ordinary paper. It is playing card board. We use this style of paper (also referred to as stock) because the performance requirements of a playing card are different from your average game piece. While you might not choose to riffle shuffle your favorite Magic deck, you certainly could, as our playing card board is designed to bend and shuffle without creasing or otherwise damaging the stock.How is this possible? Because most Magic paper is actually two sheets of special paper of a specific thickness and weight that have been laminated together. This construction is what gives the board it's "snap," a term we use collectively to describe the paper's pliability, rigidity, and strength. In th...