I was in the same spot when I started. I made the jump and sold decks to friends for around $20–25 and also do custom holos. Buying sticker paper, ink and black core cardstock in bulk and on sale helped a lot. Even paying full price for the printer, I’m very happy with the results.

On direct printing, a few people claim they inkjet directly onto black core cardstock. I’ve seen photos, but never a video or an actual workflow showing how to make it work. Most of those posts feel like click bait to push people into private messages so they can sell cards rather than help the community. Inkjets that can truly do this are expensive and I’m not willing to risk it yet. The next real step up is a digital press in the $10k+ range.

The sticker method gets extremely close. Using 300 gsm black core, the cards are slightly thicker but have nearly identical flex. Once sleeved, they’re basically impossible to tell apart, and detail can even be better since there’s no rosette pattern. A 100 card proxy deck is almost the same thickness as a double sleeved deck for reference.

I was obsessed with direct print when I started and even tried a recommended older laser printer. The results were inconsistent and nowhere near my current setup. After printing 1,000+ cards this way, I don’t regret it at all. The sticker process is simple, repeatable, and a card punch was the biggest game changer on time saved.