ARTJET 300gsm Double-Sided Semi-Gloss Inkjet Cardstock is a heavyweight printing paper engineered for one job: making custom TCG, proxy, trading, and DIY game cards that look and feel like commercially printed trading cards — straight from a standard home inkjet printer. At 300gsm with an approximately 370-micron thickness, a white core, and a semi-gloss coating on both sides, it is one of the closest matches to the weight, surface reflection, and sleeved handling of a real Magic: The Gathering or Pokémon-style card. In this guide, we cover the full specifications, the printer settings that matter, the layout tricks that change card feel, and how to order ARTJET cardstock wholesale for your own card-printing business.
What Is ARTJET Double-Sided Semi-Gloss Inkjet Cardstock?
ARTJET is excited to introduce its new 300gsm Double-Sided Semi-Gloss Inkjet Cardstock, specially developed for custom TCG cards, proxy cards, trading cards, and DIY game card printing. It is a coated inkjet media that sits deliberately between matte and full-gloss photo paper: both faces carry the same semi-gloss inkjet-receptive coating, so you can print card fronts and card backs directly without transfer printing or laminating two sheets together. The finish reflects light the way varnished trading cards do, but without the mirror glare and fingerprint problems of a full-gloss surface.
Unlike office-supply cardstock, which is designed for craft projects and business cards, ARTJET cardstock is optimized for trading card printing: the weight, stiffness, and surface reflection are tuned so that a printed card inside a sleeve is hard to distinguish from a factory-made card in the same deck. Here are the full specifications:
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Brand | ARTJET — manufactured by Colorway’s photo paper factory |
| Weight | 300gsm (±10% production tolerance) |
| Thickness | Approximately 370 micron |
| Core | White core |
| Surface | Double-sided semi-gloss (same coating both sides) |
| Printable sides | Direct double-sided inkjet printing — no transfer, no lamination |
| Ink compatibility | Dye ink (standard inkjet); not recommended for pigment ink |
| Sizes | Letter 8.5×11″ and A4; A3 coming soon |
| Packing | 20 sheets per pack, 50 packs per carton |
| Layout yield | 8 cards per page (landscape) or 9 cards per page (portrait) |
For context on what “gsm” means and how cardstock weights compare, Wikipedia’s card stock reference is a useful primer — though as experienced proxy makers will tell you, gsm alone never tells the whole story. Coating, core construction, and grain direction change how a finished card actually handles.
Why 300gsm and Semi-Gloss Is the Sweet Spot for TCG Cards
A non-foil Magic: The Gathering card weighs about 1.7 grams, and a foil card runs slightly thicker. The 300gsm / ~370-micron combination lands remarkably close to both targets, which is why this class of cardstock has become the go-to proxy card stock in the trading card community. Standalone, the cards are firm and shuffle-worthy; sleeved, they are genuinely difficult to pick out from real cards.
The semi-gloss finish matters just as much as the weight. Commercial trading cards are varnished with a finish that is glossy but not mirror-like. Full-gloss photo paper overshoots that reflectivity and looks “wet”; matte paper undershoots and reads flat under room lighting. Semi-gloss closely matches the light reflection of a commercial card face, so the printed cards blend in visually as well as physically.
If you are comparing finishes across our TCG range, our Black Core vs Holographic vs RC TCG cardstock buyer’s guide explains when an opaque black-core or holographic stock is the better choice — for example, if you need maximum opacity for double-sided printing without an insert, or rainbow-foil effects for premium collectible cards.
Designed for Dye-Ink Inkjet Printers
ARTJET 300gsm Semi-Gloss Inkjet Cardstock is optimized for standard dye-ink printers and is not recommended for pigment ink. The coating is formulated for dye ink, which delivers richer saturation and reliable adhesion on this surface. For color control, two simple driver settings cover most needs: choose a Glossy Photo Paper setting for higher color saturation, or a Semi-Gloss Photo Paper setting for a softer, less saturated result.
If additional stiffness is required after printing, let the printed sheets dry completely in a dry environment — preferably overnight. This restores the rigidity that ink moisture can temporarily reduce.
How to Print Proxy Cards at Home: Feed & Settings That Matter
The 8.5 × 11 inch sheet size is designed to work with standard desktop inkjet printers, making ARTJET cardstock convenient for small-batch custom card production and DIY TCG projects. EcoTank-style tank printers such as the Epson EcoTank ET-8550 are a popular choice in the card-printing community, but the stock is also reported to feed reliably through budget models rated for well below 300gsm, because the key is the rear straight paper path rather than the printer’s rated ceiling.
Follow these settings and techniques for the best results:
- Use rear or flat feed only. Never feed this stock through a front paper cassette or an automatic duplex unit — the stiff sheet will jam. Feed each sheet one at a time through the rear tray, and minimize bending before printing.
- Choose the right paper-type setting. Select “Photo Paper – Semi-Gloss” in your printer driver for softer, less saturated color, or “Photo Paper – Glossy” for maximum saturation. Test one sheet each way before committing a pack.
- Print at highest quality. Use the “Best Photo” or maximum-DPI setting so fine rules and small text stay crisp at 63×88mm card size.
- Let prints dry fully. Inkjet dye ink needs time to set on a heavy coated stock. In dry climates, allow sheets to dry overnight before cutting; this also restores rigidity lost to ink moisture.
- Print 100% scale. Disable “fit to page” so cards cut at exactly 63×88mm and sit flush in standard sleeves.
For a full production workflow — from template setup to cutting at production speed — see our printable TCG card stock guide, which walks through the complete custom trading card production process step by step.
Optimized Grain Direction: 8-Up Landscape vs 9-Up Portrait
Paper grain direction affects the stiffness and handling of finished cards. ARTJET cardstock has an optimized short grain so that cards cut in landscape orientation are stiffest along their long axis.
- Print 8 cards per page, landscape orientation → maximum rigidity. Sleeved, these cards feel closest to a real MTG card.
- Print 9 cards per page, portrait orientation → a slightly softer flex, closer to the feel of a Pokémon-style trading card.
Neither layout is “correct” — it depends on the game you are printing for and the handling feel your players expect. Test one page of each before running a full deck. For more on how core construction and coating choices affect opacity and stiffness across the whole TCG cardstock family, our TCG cardstock FAQ for Etsy sellers covers printer compatibility and small-batch production economics in depth.
Finishing: Sleeving, Cutting, and the No-Varnish Rule
Because ARTJET cardstock does not include a protective laminate layer, one usage rule matters above all: use card sleeves. Sleeving protects the printed surface from scuffing and moisture, and — because the sleeve adds its own slick surface — it also completes the shuffle feel of a commercial card. Un-sleeved cards will wear quickly with play. This is the same practice recommended by professional proxy makers: treat the sleeve as the card’s outer skin.
For a factory-clean finish, cut with a rotary or guillotine trimmer rather than scissors, and round the corners with a 3mm-radius corner punch to match commercial card curvature. A steel ruler and sharp blade also work for small batches. Cut only after the sheets have fully dried.
What Real Users Say
The strongest endorsement of ARTJET cardstock comes from people who print with it every week. Buyers consistently highlight three points: the double-sided coating works exactly as advertised, colors print vividly on ordinary inkjet printers, and sleeved cards mix into real decks without standing out. One verified customer put it simply: “Can print both sides as advertised. Nice color on my inkjet printer” — alongside photos of full-bleed game cards printed at home on this exact stock.
Community reviewers of the same 300gsm / 370-mic semi-gloss spec describe it as “excellent for quick inkjet proxies with high print quality” and “hard to tell when mixed in with real cards (sleeved)” — the same performance targets ARTJET cardstock was engineered around.
Ideal for Custom TCG & Trading Card Projects
Thanks to its 300gsm weight, ~370-micron thickness, double-sided semi-gloss printing, and dye-ink compatibility, ARTJET cardstock is a practical solution for creators who want high-quality custom cards from a standard inkjet printer. It is well suited to:
- Custom TCG Cards
- Proxy Cards
- Trading Card Printing
- Custom Game Cards
- DIY Collectible Cards
- MTG-Style Card Projects
- Pokémon-Style Card Projects
- Personalized Playing Cards
- Small-Batch Card Printing
- Home and Professional Inkjet Card Production
Factory-Direct Supply, Sizes, and OEM Options
ARTJET is backed by its own professional manufacturing facility, allowing production quality, consistency, and supply to be controlled directly from the factory. The new 300gsm Double-Sided Semi-Gloss Inkjet Cardstock is currently available in A4 and Letter size, with A3 among the additional popular sizes being introduced soon to meet different printing workflows. As a factory manufacturer, ARTJET can also support different packaging solutions, specifications, and OEM requirements for distributors and business customers.
Wholesale terms are built for resale:
- Pack size: 20 sheets per pack (160–180 cards per pack at 8-up or 9-up layouts)
- Carton: 50 packs per carton; full-carton orders recommended, with significant discounts at 5+ cartons
- Lead time & shipping: DDP delivery solutions available for convenient global purchasing
- Quality control: specifications carry a ±10% production tolerance, minimized through strict QC
- OEM support: custom retail packaging, private labeling, and bulk specification customization for distributors
Production takes place at the Colorway photo paper factory in China, where the same coating lines produce our matte, glossy, RC, and specialty inkjet media. If your product line also needs a non-reflective finish, our matte inkjet photo paper wholesale range is a natural companion for photo-style cards and inserts. For holographic premium cards that print without lamination, see our direct-print holographic Pokémon cardstock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will ARTJET cardstock work in my home inkjet printer?
Very likely, yes. It is designed for standard dye-ink inkjet printers with a rear or straight paper path. High-end photo tank printers handle it effortlessly, and even entry-level EcoTank models have been reported to feed it successfully. Avoid front cassettes and automatic duplexers.
Can I use pigment ink?
No — the semi-gloss coating is formulated for dye ink. Pigment ink may deliver duller colors and weaker adhesion on this surface. If your printer is pigment-only, choose a pigment-compatible cardstock instead.
Does it really feel like a real MTG card?
Sleeved, yes — that is the design target. At 300gsm and roughly 370 micron, the weight and thickness sit in the same range as a non-foil trading card, and the semi-gloss surface closely matches commercial light reflection. Print 8-up landscape for the stiffest, most MTG-like feel.
Do I need to laminate the printed cards?
No lamination is needed — the coating prints directly, which is what makes this stock fast for small-batch production. Because there is no varnish layer, sleeve the finished cards to protect the print and complete the handling feel.
Can I print on both sides?
Yes. Both sides carry the same semi-gloss inkjet coating. Since automatic duplexing is not suitable for this thickness, print side one, let it dry, then re-feed the sheet through the rear path for side two.
What is the minimum order for wholesale?
Wholesale pricing applies by the pack and carton (20 sheets per pack, 50 packs per carton), with meaningful discounts from 5 cartons upward. DDP shipping is available. Request a wholesale quote for current pricing and lead times.
The Bottom Line
If you want to print custom TCG, proxy, or trading cards at home that genuinely compete with factory-made cards, ARTJET 300gsm double-sided semi-gloss inkjet cardstock is the most direct route: it matches commercial card weight and surface reflection, feeds through standard dye-ink inkjet printers, prints on both sides without lamination, and — sleeved and cut 8-up landscape — shuffles like the real thing. Backed by a factory-direct manufacturer with A4/Letter in stock, A3 on the way, and OEM packaging support, ARTJET is built for both hobbyists and card businesses serving the growing custom TCG card printing market worldwide.
