<p>They are not trade secrets, but some technical information may be limited online because these companies only communicate with serious clients.</p>

<p>For metallic effects the printer prints white and 4-color ink on top of a board with foil layer. Areas with white behind the color will be opaque and not have holographic effect. Different holographic effects are created based on the type of foil layer. If you look for "holographic special effect foil" you can see foils come with different patterns and rainbow/color effects. </p>

<p>Here is an example of a company that works with holographic foil. You can see they use a lot of technical jargon and you have to reach out to them to learn the details of their capabilities.
<a href="http://www.crownrollleaf.com/foils_holographic_patterns.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.crownrollleaf.com/foils_holographic_patterns.html</a></p>

<p>Looking at holographic Pokemon cards, they use certain patterned foils (dots or stars) that may be custom made for them by their manufacturer.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-29T15:53:44.057Z
2017-09-29T15:53:44.057Z
Katie
<p><em>This is only a partial answer.</em></p>
<p>The core technology originated out of 3M. I'm not sure their <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140323023812/http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Security/Identity_Management/Products_Services/Civil_ID_Systems/Design_Credentials/Laminates_Security_Features/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Laminates &amp; Security Features</a> page describes the &quot;actual&quot; technology used in the cards, but this is an application of that technology.</p>
<p>3M developed the first holographic driver's licenses etc.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-21T23:54:10.997Z
Does Wizards have a patent for their own process of producing foils or does each company that does the printing for Wizards have their own way of doing it which may or may not be patented?
Max Young
CC BY-SA 4.0
2016-04-13T15:49:54.720Z
2021-03-10T22:33:46.283Z
2021-03-10T22:33:46.283Z
John
<p>For many years WOTC used the Belgian company Carta Mundi for the physical production of the cards. It is probably also why WOTC's headquarters in Europe, Middle East, and Africa is still in Belgium. Eventually, WOTC chose not to have all its production done with one company. The United States Playing Card Corporation (USPC), Shepard Poorman, Quebecor, and Yaquinto are all now confirmed WOTC printers.</p>
<p>Foil cards have an extra foil layer on the card that highlights certain parts of the artwork over others. A print coating - a very thin, clear protective finish - is applied over the top of all printed materials.</p>
<p>Konami manufacturers the Yugioh cards themselves of the TCG's printing the following is said, but for the life of me I cannot get details about their foiling process.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>North America is the main distribution region for the Trading Card
Game, including the countries of Canada and the United States with
English, French and Spanish prints being officially distributed and
legal for tournament play. Although all other TCG prints are legal as
well.</p>
<p>Cards are printed in the United States and from there distributed to
the region, Canada gets French cards from either a main print in the
United States or from Europe when necessary. Spanish cards can be
officially requested by stores and distributors for sale inside the
territory, but this is rarely done, and this causes the Spanish print
to be not as expensive as the English one, and this happens to the
French print as well.</p>
<p>The main reason to be separated from the rest of the Americas is the
legality of promotional cards. Many such promotional cards however
easily reach the Latin America and the Caribbean region, mostly
Mexico, despite being illegal until officially reprinted in those
regions. Following the discontinuation of the Shonen Jump promotional
cards, there were considerably fewer differences in card legality
between the regions.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>JapanThe Pokémon Card Laboratory (PCL), located in Japan, is the designer of new cards and the ultimate authority on any matter relating to the Pokémon Trading Card Game.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/08/24/how-pokemon-cards-are-made-in-8-steps" rel="nofollow noreferrer">You can find out more in this article.</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-19T20:20:43.810Z
2021-03-19T20:20:43.810Z
Neil Meyer
<p>Are printing techniques trade secrets?  I'm wondering what type of printer, foil, cardboard, etc., is required to print holographic cards of the sort you might see in Magic or Yu-Gi-Oh.  I can find nothing about this online, and I'm wondering how the companies themselves source the industrial printing equipment.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-13T17:20:08.890Z
This is not a complete answer, but there's some information on [MTGSalvation.com](http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Foil_card) about MTG's foiling process as well as a little bit of history.
Rainbolt
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-19T20:25:22.027Z
Typically the makers of games don't manufacture the cards themselves it is analogous to how book publishers don't print books themselves, they have book printers who concern themselves with that.
Neil Meyer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-19T20:29:08.357Z
Here is an excellent video on the long history of pokemon foils - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjlU_WKhS8w
Neil Meyer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-19T20:59:37.827Z
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDO9oAi6b7M
Neil Meyer
<magic-the-gathering><yu-gi-oh><pokemon>
How are holographic trading cards printed in an industrial setting?
Parseltongue
# How are holographic trading cards printed in an industrial setting?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-13)

Are printing techniques trade secrets? I'm wondering what type of printer, foil, cardboard, etc., is required to print holographic cards of the sort you might see in Magic or Yu-Gi-Oh. I can find nothing about this online, and I'm wondering how the companies themselves source the industrial printing equipment.

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering, yu-gi-oh, pokemon

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This is not a complete answer, but there's some information on [MTGSalvation.com](http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Foil_card) about MTG's foiling process as well as a little bit of history.  
> **username_2**: Typically the makers of games don't manufacture the cards themselves it is analogous to how book publishers don't print books themselves, they have book printers who concern themselves with that.  
> **username_2**: Here is an excellent video on the long history of pokemon foils - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjlU_WKhS8w  
> **username_2**: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDO9oAi6b7M  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-09-29. Score: 3

They are not trade secrets, but some technical information may be limited online because these companies only communicate with serious clients.

For metallic effects the printer prints white and 4-color ink on top of a board with foil layer. Areas with white behind the color will be opaque and not have holographic effect. Different holographic effects are created based on the type of foil layer. If you look for "holographic special effect foil" you can see foils come with different patterns and rainbow/color effects.

Here is an example of a company that works with holographic foil. You can see they use a lot of technical jargon and you have to reach out to them to learn the details of their capabilities.
<http://www.crownrollleaf.com/foils_holographic_patterns.html>

Looking at holographic Pokemon cards, they use certain patterned foils (dots or stars) that may be custom made for them by their manufacturer.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-04-13. Score: 3

*This is only a partial answer.*

The core technology originated out of 3M. I'm not sure their [Laminates & Security Features](https://web.archive.org/web/20140323023812/http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Security/Identity_Management/Products_Services/Civil_ID_Systems/Design_Credentials/Laminates_Security_Features/) page describes the "actual" technology used in the cards, but this is an application of that technology.

3M developed the first holographic driver's licenses etc.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Does Wizards have a patent for their own process of producing foils or does each company that does the printing for Wizards have their own way of doing it which may or may not be patented?  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-03-19. Score: 2

For many years WOTC used the Belgian company Carta Mundi for the physical production of the cards. It is probably also why WOTC's headquarters in Europe, Middle East, and Africa is still in Belgium. Eventually, WOTC chose not to have all its production done with one company. The United States Playing Card Corporation (USPC), Shepard Poorman, Quebecor, and Yaquinto are all now confirmed WOTC printers.

Foil cards have an extra foil layer on the card that highlights certain parts of the artwork over others. A print coating - a very thin, clear protective finish - is applied over the top of all printed materials.

Konami manufacturers the Yugioh cards themselves of the TCG's printing the following is said, but for the life of me I cannot get details about their foiling process.

> North America is the main distribution region for the Trading Card
> Game, including the countries of Canada and the United States with
> English, French and Spanish prints being officially distributed and
> legal for tournament play. Although all other TCG prints are legal as
> well.
>
> Cards are printed in the United States and from there distributed to
> the region, Canada gets French cards from either a main print in the
> United States or from Europe when necessary. Spanish cards can be
> officially requested by stores and distributors for sale inside the
> territory, but this is rarely done, and this causes the Spanish print
> to be not as expensive as the English one, and this happens to the
> French print as well.
>
> The main reason to be separated from the rest of the Americas is the
> legality of promotional cards. Many such promotional cards however
> easily reach the Latin America and the Caribbean region, mostly
> Mexico, despite being illegal until officially reprinted in those
> regions. Following the discontinuation of the Shonen Jump promotional
> cards, there were considerably fewer differences in card legality
> between the regions.

JapanThe Pokémon Card Laboratory (PCL), located in Japan, is the designer of new cards and the ultimate authority on any matter relating to the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

[You can find out more in this article.](https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/08/24/how-pokemon-cards-are-made-in-8-steps)


---

