Card sleeves
The first layer. Sizing, matte versus glossy, inner sleeves and how to double-sleeve without warping a card.
A sleeve is the first layer of protection, and for most cards it is the only one they ever get. Standard sleeves are 66 × 91 mm and Japanese sleeves are 62 × 89 mm. A sleeve will stop surface scratches and handling wear. It won't stop a card being bent, crushed, or faded by light.
What a sleeve protects against
Sleeves deal with one problem, and they deal with it well: contact. Shuffling, dealing, and sliding a card in and out of a binder pocket all abrade the printed surface and round off the corners over time. The sleeve takes that wear so the card doesn't.
Sleeves add almost no rigidity, though. A sleeved card will still crease if it gets bent, it will still be damaged if something heavy lands on it, and the sleeve does nothing about light exposure. If those are the risks you're worried about, you need a rigid holder or a better place to keep the cards, not a better sleeve.
There are only two sizes you need to know
Standard size sleeves measure 66 × 91 mm and fit the 63.5 × 88.9 mm card used by Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Lorcana, One Piece, Flesh and Blood, and sports cards.
Japanese size sleeves measure 62 × 89 mm and fit the smaller card, around 59 × 86 mm, used by Yu-Gi-Oh! and Cardfight!! Vanguard. Put a standard sleeve on a Yu-Gi-Oh! card and you'll see the slack immediately. A card that moves inside its sleeve wears at the corners.
One correction worth making: Pokémon cards are standard size in every language. There is no separate Japanese Pokémon sleeve size, despite what a number of hobby sites will tell you.
Material and thickness
Almost all sleeves are polypropylene, and that's the material you want. Conservation guidance lists polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyester as chemically stable and safe for long-term contact, and it singles out PVC as one to avoid.
Thickness is quoted in microns. Dragon Shield's thick Perfect Fit inner sleeves are 100 µm, roughly double their regular inner sleeve. Thicker sleeves take longer to split, at the cost of a bulkier deck.
Matte, glossy and opacity
Finish is mostly about how the cards play rather than how well they're protected. Textured backs shuffle more predictably, so they're the usual choice for decks that see regular use. Glossy sleeves are clearer, which suits display.
If you play in tournaments, opacity is the property to check. A sleeve you can see through gives your opponent information, so manufacturers advertise high opacity for sight-shielding.
Common questions
- What size card sleeves do I need?
- Standard size (66 × 91 mm) for Magic, Pokémon, Lorcana, One Piece, Flesh and Blood and sports cards. Japanese size (62 × 89 mm) for Yu-Gi-Oh! and Cardfight!! Vanguard.
- Do sleeves stop cards from bending?
- No. Sleeves protect against surface and edge wear from handling. They add almost no rigidity, so a sleeved card can still be creased. Bending is what rigid and semi-rigid holders are for.
- Are card sleeves safe for long-term storage?
- Polypropylene sleeves are. Conservation guidance lists polypropylene as chemically stable for long-term contact, unlike PVC, which generates acids and can stick to printed items.
Sources
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