CARD STOCK SELECTION
When designing game cards, the material is key to durability and gameplay experience. Here’s a breakdown of card materials:
· Art Paper: Thick and stiff, great for prototypes but not for frequent shuffling.
· Card Stock: Durable, with a core, and excellent for shuffling and regular use.
· Plastic: Highest durability, less common in board games.
BENEFITS OF CARD STOCK
Card stock, made by gluing two layers of paper with a core (usually graphite laminate), is preferred for game cards due to its:
· Snap
· Resilience to bending
· Improved shuffle
· Overall durability
TYPES OF CORE
Different cores affect card quality and opacity. Common options include:
· Gray Core: Basic option.
· White/Ivory Core: Intermediate option.
· Blue Core: Higher quality, often the baseline for manufacturers.
· Black Core: Most premium, completely opaque, ideal for preventing transparency issues.
If curious, you can tear a card from any card game to see what type of core they’re using.
