Playing card packaging is one of the few categories where the footprint is close to settled before you begin. The card sizes are standard, the structure is conventional, and almost all the design decisions live in depth, closure and finish.
The standard footprints
| Card size | Industry-standard dimensions | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Poker | 2.5 x 3.5 in (63.5 x 88.9 mm) | The default for most decks and card games |
| Bridge | about 2.25 x 3.5 in (57 x 89 mm) | Narrower, easier to hold a large hand |
| Tarot | Larger than both, and not standardised in the same way | Measure your own printed deck |
These are published industry-standard card dimensions used as a starting point, not iBox box sizes. The box internal footprint is the card size plus clearance so the deck slides in and out without binding, and that clearance is a feel decision worth sampling.
Depth is where the work is
Internal depth is card count multiplied by finished stock caliper, plus clearance. Two things move it:
- Count. A 52 card deck plus jokers and reference cards is deeper than 52 alone. Count everything that ships inside.
- Stock and finish. A thick casino-weight linen stock builds noticeably more depth across a full deck than a thin stock does. Coatings add caliper too, multiplied by the count.
So measure a printed, coated, finished deck, banded as it will ship. An unprinted dummy deck will give you a box that is too tight once the real cards arrive.
Structure and closure
The conventional tuck box is a straight tuck end carton with a thumb notch cut in the front panel so the deck can be pushed out. Beyond that, the choices are:
- Thumb notch shape and depth. Too shallow and the deck is hard to remove. Too deep and the top card is exposed and gets scuffed.
- Tuck flap with a locking tab. Keeps the box closed through repeated use, which matters for a product that is opened hundreds of times.
- Seal or sticker. A tamper seal is standard for collectible and casino decks, and it is a design element rather than an afterthought.
- Rigid two piece box. For collector editions and multi-deck sets, where the box is part of the purchase.
Finish
Card packaging carries more foil per square inch than almost any other category, because the box is small, held close and bought partly on appearance. Foil stamping, embossing and spot gloss all register well at this size. Soft touch lamination gives a premium hand feel and shows fingerprints on large dark panels, which on a box handled this often is worth thinking about. Ask for a physical sample of any finish before committing a full run.
Ordering
Minimum order is 100 boxes, and pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes, confirmed on your written quote. Die and plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints are included, so a tuck box cut to your exact deck depth costs no more to tool than a near-standard size. Turnaround is stated per product in three lanes: rush with expedited production and air freight, standard by air, cost saver by sea, from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery. Specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks. Production is in West Chicago and Guangzhou.
This page is the guide. Playing card boxes is the product page and the place to order. If dice ship alongside the deck, dice box dimensions covers the grid maths for those. Send your card size, count and finished stock caliper to request a quote.
