TLDR
- Paste a decklist, review it, choose your options, and check out. That’s the whole workflow.
- Proxies are for casual play and playtesting. If you’re playing a sanctioned event, bring real cards.
- The three things that make proxies feel “real” in sleeves: correct size, readable print, and consistent backs.
- If you play on SpellTable: glare control beats fancy art. Matte sleeves and a straight-down camera save lives.
- If you’ve ever printed with “Fit to page,” welcome. We’ve all been there. Print at 100%.
At some point, every Magic player has the same intrusive thought: “What if I just… didn’t pay rent for this mana base?”
That’s where MTG proxy cards come in. Not to be sneaky. Not to counterfeit. Just to play more Magic, test decks faster, and stop treating staples like fragile museum artifacts.
This page is the main “start here” order hub. Scroll down to begin your order, or use the sections below to make sure you’re ordering the right way for how you actually play.
What we mean by “MTG proxy cards” on LetsProxy
A proxy is a stand-in game piece. It’s meant to be:
- Readable across the table
- Consistent in sleeves
- Honest about what it is
It is not meant to be passed off as an authentic Magic card. If your goal is “indistinguishable,” you’re in a different lane. Also the wrong lane.
Quick tournament reality check
If the event is sanctioned, you generally need authentic cards. The only “proxies” in sanctioned play are judge-issued replacements for specific situations during the event. If you’re playing casual Commander, cube night, or an unsanctioned event, it’s usually a Rule 0 and organizer decision.
If you want a script that doesn’t make it weird:
“Quick Rule 0: I’m running some proxies for testing. They’re clear and consistent in sleeves. Everyone cool with that?”
Choose your order path
Most people don’t need a complicated system. They need the path that matches what they already have.
| What you have | Best path | Best for | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| A normal decklist (text) | Decklist order | 95% of orders | Paste list, review matches, choose options |
| A Moxfield / Archidekt deck | Import or paste export | Online brewers | Import link or paste export, then review |
| “I just want a full deck” | Curated deck / precon style | Gifts, group nights | Pick a list, print as-is, tweak later |
| Custom cards / alt-art | Design tools | Themed decks, commanders, tokens | Design, proof, add to order |
| Print-ready files | Upload finished files | Artists and print nerds | Upload, run a quick quality sanity check |
The theme here is simple: get the list right first. Printing is easy. Fixing a deck after it shows up because “Forrest” didn’t match “Forest” is… character building.
How ordering works (the version that prevents regret)
This is the “do it once, do it right” flow.
- Get your list into simple text
Quantity + card name is perfect. Set codes are fine. Headings are fine. Just don’t make your importer do poetry. - Decide how picky you are about versions
Any readable printing? Great. All retro frame because you are like this? Also valid. Just choose before you start clicking. - Decide on tokens and sideboard
Commander decks make tokens. Modern decks have sideboards. Pretending otherwise is how you end up handwriting a Treasure token mid-game like a goblin. - Review the matches
This is the quiet hero step. It catches:
- a missed name
- accidental maybeboard lines
- duplicate pastes
- the classic “I typed it wrong and now I’m sad”
- Choose your print options
More on what actually matters below. - Checkout
You get confirmation, we produce, then you get tracking when it ships.
The print specs that actually matter (and the ones that don’t)
Printing has a lot of knobs. Most of them exist because printers are haunted. Here are the ones that change the play experience.
1) Correct size (so your deck shuffles like a deck)
If your cards are even slightly off, you’ll feel it in sleeves. The “almost right” size is the exact size of annoyance.
Rule of thumb: aim for standard Magic card size and avoid any scaling. If you print at home, print at 100% / Actual Size. Never “Fit to page.” “Fit to page” is a trap door.
2) Readability beats aesthetics
What you want in actual games:
- crisp rules text
- clean mana symbols
- solid blacks
- good contrast on name line and type line
What looks cool on a phone but prints badly:
- heavily compressed images
- low-contrast gray-on-gray text
- dark art plus dark frame plus tiny font (the “please squint” special)
3) Consistent backs (or sleeves that fully block backs)
Marked-card weirdness is not just a tournament thing. It’s a “my friends can feel that card in the shuffle” thing.
Your two safe options:
- One consistent back for everything, or
- Fully opaque sleeves that block any back variation
4) Finish and coating is a tradeoff, not a flex
This is the print-nerd part. Translation included.
- A more reflective finish can look great, but glare gets worse, especially on webcam.
- A more matte finish is usually easier to read, but may show scuffs differently depending on handling.
If you play on SpellTable, optimize for readable under normal light, not “maximum shine.”
5) Double-faced cards and tokens need a plan
Double-faced cards (DFCs) are where proxy workflows go to die quietly.
Common approaches:
- Print both faces and use a sleeve plan that avoids back-showing
- Use substitute/checklist style cards (boring, functional)
- Use front-only placeholders and keep a reference copy nearby
Tokens are easier. Just include them, label them, and be ready to select the exact token version during review if naming varies.
The MTG proxy cards pre-flight checklist
Do this once before checkout. It takes two minutes and prevents the classic “my order is technically correct but emotionally devastating” outcome.
- Counts make sense: you did not paste the list twice, and your basics are what you intended
- Commander is correct: yes, people really do proxy the wrong commander and only notice after sleeving
- Tokens included: Treasure, Food, Soldier, whatever your deck actually makes
- Sideboard included if needed: if your format uses one
- DFCs handled: you know how you’re representing both faces
- Readability check: name line and rules text are readable at arm’s length in sleeves
- Backs and sleeves plan: consistent backs or fully opaque sleeves
If you want to be extra safe, start with one deck first, then scale up to multiple decks or a full cube order once you like the results.
What you give up (honestly) when you proxy
Proxying is great, but it does come with tradeoffs:
- Not legal for sanctioned events (outside judge-issued exceptions)
- You may need Rule 0 conversations in new groups
- Ultra-custom designs can hurt readability if you get creative at the expense of clarity
The upside is you get to test, iterate, and play more without turning your hobby into a financing plan.