Magic the Gathering is a popular card game that is played both online and in person. The cards that are used for this game are well-known but many people wonder: how large are Magic the Gathering cards?
Magic the Gathering Cards are 2.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches long, similar in size to standard playing cards. In fact, Magic the Gathering Cards are the same size as most card game decks. There are two sections on the front of the card: the text box and the art box.
Now that you know the general dimensions of Magic the Gathering cards, let’s explore the aspects and dimensions of the elements on the cards. Let’s get started.
- How Large are Magic the Gathering Cards?
- Are Magic the Gathering Cards the Same Size as Playing Cards?
- What is the Standard Trading Card Game Card Size?
- How Large is the Art Box on Magic the Gathering Cards?
- How Big are Magic the Gathering Novelty Cards?
- What are the Different Types of Magic the Gathering Cards?
- Can I Use Card Sleeves to Protect Magic the Gathering Cards?
How Large are Magic the Gathering Cards?
Magic the Gathering cards are 2.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall, or 63 millimeters wide and 88 millimeters tall. Players use these cards when playing the game in person and when participating in tournaments.
Magic the Gathering cards that don’t have a layer of foil on them are .305 millimeters thick, and Magic the Gathering cards that do have foil on them, otherwise known as holographic or foil cards, are 3 millimeters thick. Foil Magic the Gathering cards are slightly thicker, but they are the same width and length as regular MTG cards.
Magic the Gathering cards are comprised of two pieces of card stock that are glued together.
When playing online, the digital version of the Magic the Gathering cards have the exact same design as the physical cards. When comparing the digital cards to the physical cards, they are the exact same proportions. This consistency makes the digital and in-person game versions more cohesive and avoids confusing players.
Are Magic the Gathering Cards the Same Size as Playing Cards?
In general, standard playing cards are half an inch shorter than Magic the Gathering cards. Since Magic the Gathering Cards are made with the same method as standard playing cards, they feel similar in your hand.
Most playing cards are 2.5 inches wide and 3 inches long, but cards used in Magic the Gathering and Pokémon are 2.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches long. Other playing card games, like Yu-Gi-Oh, use bridge-sized playing cards, which are 2.25 inches wide and 3.25 inches long. These cards look and feel slightly different than Magic the Gathering cards.
Most card games have decks of their own, slightly different sizes; however, older games like Magic the Gathering and Pokémon use traditional-sized cards that are the same size as poker cards.
What is the Standard Trading Card Game Card Size?
The standard trading card game card size is 2.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall.
Many trading card games have uniquely sized and styled decks of cards. It might be a shock to learn that not every deck of cards is the same. Have you ever noticed that some cards from various games fit in your hand differently than the cards that come with other games? What is the point of a “standard” card size, if most companies are going to design their own anyways?
There are many different card manufacturing companies. While they might produce uniquely sized card games, standard trading cards tend to be the same size across the board.
Companies produce these standard cards for more popular games, such as poker, where a change in card size would be inconvenient. However, these rules do not apply to novelty games, such as trivia cards.
How Large is the Art Box on Magic the Gathering Cards?
The art box on Magic the Gathering cards is a major part of the visual appeal of the actual card. The art box holds the illustration of the character.
The art box used to be 2.1 inches long and 1.8 inches wide. Additionally, the illustration was surrounded by a border. However, the border around the illustration box was reduced in thickness in 2015.
This allowed the artists to extend the art box to 2.3 inches long and 1.8 inches wide.
There are various symbols around the illustration of the card, but the text box is placed underneath the art box on Magic the Gathering cards. The text box has information about the card, as well as the character’s powers and abilities. The text box is 2.3 inches wide and 1.28 inches tall. The card is colored based on the powers and abilities of the character shown on the card.
How Big are Magic the Gathering Novelty Cards?
One of the most interesting types of Magic the Gathering card is the Novelty card. Novelty cards are 26 inches wide and 36 inches long, so they are quite large.
They are not really meant to be used during an in-person or online game. Instead, they are made for show. They are relatively rare.
Novelty Magic the Gathering cards can be awarded to the winners of Magic the Gathering competitions, such as MagicFest and the Grand Prix events.
These oversized cards are not made out of the same yardstick material as standard MTG decks. Instead, Novelty Magic the Gathering cards are put on foam boards.
What are the Different Types of Magic the Gathering Cards?
There are 6 different types of Magic the Gathering cards, although some are no longer in circulation. The 6 different types are:
- Foil Cards (Holographic Card)
- Paper Cards (Tournament-legal, most common card)
- Vanguard Character Cards
- Plane Cards
- Scheme Cards
- Novelty Cards
Types of Magic the Gathering Cards and their Sizes
| Type of Card | Size of Card |
| Foil Cards | 2.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches long |
| Paper Cards | 2.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches long |
| Vanguard Character Card | 3.5 inches wide and 5 inches long |
| Plane Card | 3.5 inches wide and 5 inches long |
| Scheme Card | 3.5 inches wide and 5 inches long |
| Novelty Card | 26 inches wide and 36 inches long |
Vanguard character cards were used in Vanguard format games of Magic the Gathering. During these games, all players would pick a character and play it according to the conditions that were on the card. These cards were only printed in 1998 and 1999, so these cards are no longer in circulation.
Plane cards affect all players that come from the Planechase card series.
Scheme cards are made to even out the playing field so it is fair for all players, even if some more experienced Magic the Gathering players have a larger and more impressive deck. They are a part of the Archenemy multiplayer Magic the Gathering game.
Can I Use Card Sleeves to Protect Magic the Gathering Cards?
You can use card sleeves to protect your Magic the Gathering cards.
You can use any type of card sleeves as long as they are 2.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall or slightly larger, but if the card sleeve is much larger than that your cards may fall out.
This can lead to lost or damaged cards, which you don’t want. Losing or damaging your MTG cards is especially bad if there were rare cards in the card sleeves.
Although you can get card sleeves that your Magic the Gathering cards can fit in nearly anywhere, it is likely best that you get the sleeves that are made for Magic the Gathering cards specifically. If you get the card sleeves that are specifically made for Magic the Gathering cards, all of your cards will fit perfectly into the sleeves and will not fall out, even if you carry the folder with all of your cards in it upside down.
Overall, Magic the Gathering cards are similar to most other decks of cards; however, there is some variation depending on the game and the card manufacturer. Standard Magic the Gathering Cards are 2.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall, although some specialty packs have slightly larger cards.
Novelty Magic the Gathering cards are the largest type of Magic the Gathering card available. However, they are only given out as prizes at certain Magic the Gathering events and tournaments, so if you want a Magic the Gathering Novelty card you will have to compete in–and win–one of those tournaments.
Magic the Gathering cards are meant to fit easily in your hand, like a standard poker card. Most card game companies make cards in a different size to Magic the Gathering cards; however, some trading cards, such as Pokémon cards, are the same size as Magic the Gathering cards.
