The Impact of Color and Design on Game Card Quality

Color is a critical element in the look and feel of games. Knowing the basics of color theory and printing can help you make informed decisions when choosing a game card.

A card’s design should be bold and simple enough to stand out from a distance and reward close study by revealing subtle details. This principle is called “visual hierarchy.”

Paper Stock

The paper stock used to make your cards can significantly impact the look and feel of your final product. There are many different papers to choose from, each with its characteristics. Some are smooth and glossy, while others are matte and dull.

Paper stocks can be grouped into two categories based on thickness and weight: Text and Cover. Text paper is lighter, thinner, and can be rolled and folded without damage. It can be printed for flyers, handouts, and letterheads.

Cover paper is heavier, thicker and must be scored or creased before it can be folded. It can be printed on both sides and has a matte or glossy appearance. It is typically used for mass-mailed postcards, business cards, invitations, program covers, catalog covers, and presentation covers. Cover/Card paper can also be embossed, creating a textured surface that’s both smooth and luxurious.

Coating

Color in card sleeves is not only an essential part of the aesthetic of a game, but it also plays a critical role in making games instantly recognizable. From the bright blues and oranges of Portal to the meaty reds of Hot Meat Boy, color is a way for games to stand out among the competition and make them immediately identifiable.

The coating is another element that makes a card quality and serves a couple of primary purposes. One is to protect the cards from moisture – paper’s arch-enemy – which can cause the ink to lift, smudge, or fade over time. This is especially important in decks that are sleeved. The coating can also make a patio feel premium and smooth. USPCC, for example, uses a slightly slippery finish they call Magic Finish (although Ellusionist calls theirs Performance Coating). This helps cards slide more quickly, but it is not so tricky that shuffling becomes difficult.

Customization

Color is a critical component of the gameplay in Magic: The Gathering. Each of the game’s five colors represents an ideological faction whose culture defines the flavor and strategy of its cards and its relations with the other colors.

Similarly, many games use color to communicate important information to the player. For example, Portal 2 uses blue and orange to indicate a portal for objects to be pushed through. At the same time, the Pirates of the Caribbean Online categorizes potion ingredients by their colors depending on what they are made from.

Moreover, a game’s color scheme can be customized to meet the needs of its intended audience. For instance, some players suffer from color blindness. Hence, designers are increasingly considering the need to create games that people can play with color blindness by using shapes, textures, patterns, and fonts that can be differentiated from one another even without the aid of color.

Design

In addition to good paper stock and coating, the design on the back of a card can also make or break its quality. The ideal method is simple and bold, with a distinct shape or style that can be instantly recognized. This allows the card to stand out from its competition and compel referrals.

In Magic, color is a fundamental aspect of gameplay and design. Each color represents an ideological faction whose culture shapes the game’s flavor and mechanics. Players must understand the meaning and significance of each color’s culture and its interaction with other colors.

Additionally, each color in Magic has its own “hoser” cards that negatively affect a color’s enemies. In contrast, very few cards in a set have effects that negatively impact an ally’s color. This intentional and strategic design decision reflects the ideology of each color’s faction and its interactions with other colors.