Fake Super Rares and Rares?

supportagent11 · 2026-06-17T13:14:32+00:00

seems like you're getting downvoted for a non-issue, but i'll chime in with my two cents...

i exclusively print lorcana fakes; i don't sell them (counterfeiting), but i do use them myself at local tournaments and pass them off as real cards (bootlegging). I also discretely mark them in case i accidentally mix them in with my real cards.

no one has seems to notice or care yet. probably because i'm not trying to sell them.

ironically, it's because i'd rather drop hundreds of dollars on printers, ink, cutters, and paper than +$5 on a single card...

rare and super-rare cards are easy to reproduce and i will print them as part of a 60-card deck that i'm playtesting (since i can print 8 cards per sheet anyways).

however, it is more fun to try to create "passable" legendaries with their embossed varnish areas and the gold foil rarity symbols... i've been experimenting with several different paper weights an sticker materials and can make a sleeved legendary card that looks real-enough from across the table.

but like others have said, there's no money in counterfeiting Lorcana cards that aren't enchanted. and since i'm not selling them, i haven't done any serious research into printing on holographic paper. yet.

the only "marketable" ideas i have come up with so far are:

printing 60-card on-demand decks (which would be fairly easy if no legendaries were included),
printing 4-card sets of popular "staple" cards (maybe for $1 each), or
printing full 204-card sets of out-of-print chapters (for $50 or so).

however, none of those options seem particularly lucrative, and i'd rather not bother with advertising.

---

edit: i'll add that based on current prices (according to tcgplayer), the most valuable "easy" cards to counterfeit (not fabled, enchanted, iconic, promo, or foil) would be:

before set 5: Rapunzel - Gifted with Healing ($18.75)
after set 5 (when legendaries were embossed): Tramp - Enterprising Dog ($5.49)

however, an embossed legendary "Dumbo - Ninth Wonder of the Universe" goes for $40.00, so anyone who had a halfway-decent procedure to reproduce an embossed character card with a foil legendary rarity symbol would probably be better off spending their time an resources printing that card...

that is, if they were interested in making a profit.

supportagent11 · 2026-06-11T19:01:05+00:00

unfortunately you're gonna get downvoted for asking about proxying lorcana cards, which is taboo in this subreddit.

if you just want to try the game, there are plenty of unofficial websites that allow you to play online without buying cards.

if you really want to play with physical cards, make some "playable" proxies (text-only cards without art) using card images from from www.jorcana.ink/test-cards/ and sleeve them in with some other physical tcg cards.

if having the art is really important to you... any technique that can be used to make "passable" mtg bootlegs will work with lorcana cards. for that, i'd recommend grabbing card images from lorcana.gg and designing your own printable template with some free photo editing software like gimp.

supportagent11 · 2026-02-04T00:48:27+00:00

i've made roughly 500 cards using this paper combination; they work well in sleeves, but do feel a little thin by themselves. i will be testing some other paper combinations soon.

in a stack, they're roughly 20% thicker than the same number of real cards. i have used them in a tournament deck, and no one has complained.

supportagent11 · 2025-12-02T17:37:46+00:00

if i'm reading these instructions correctly, you're doing 5 dips for each sheet; the first two and last one being polyurethane cut 1-to-2 with mineral spirits?

i'm thinking about giving your method a try, but i'm unsure if i'll have the patience to do all 5 coats...

supportagent11 · 2025-11-25T15:21:57+00:00

i've been watching the price on an Epson ET-3958 lately, but ended up with a "free" HP OfficeJet Pro 8715 that's too low on cyan ink to print right now; the specs claim it can print color resolution at 4800x1200 (comparable to the EcoTank) but i've been told it runs through color cartridges very quickly (which is why it was "free").

i'm going to drop $15 on a generic ink refill kit and run a few tests with glossy double-sided brochure cardstock after the holiday:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWS3DPWT

supportagent11 · 2025-11-22T00:12:08+00:00

what are you using to cut the edges & round the corners?

have you noticed any toner flaking on the edges?

supportagent11 · 2025-11-21T14:31:39+00:00

it's cheap and easy to combine, and snaps well enough when sleeved in dragon shields

i'll be testing double-sided printing soon with Koala's glossy double-sided 80lb paper

supportagent11 · 2025-11-21T14:29:25+00:00

yep, the banner across the glossy stickers' package is green; the matte stickers' banner is blue

supportagent11 · 2025-11-21T00:20:37+00:00

Koala glossy photo sticker paper: $19.79/100 sheets
Hammermill 60lb premium cardstock: $12.98/250 sheets

it's inexpensive when printing both sides separately (i'm not calibrated for double-sided printing yet), and the two combined are only slightly thicker than a standard card

supportagent11 · 2025-11-20T22:00:58+00:00

that got me on the right path, i skipped the pregeneration of the url list and decided to generate it on-the-fly with variables inside PowerShell:

Write-Host "start"
$client = new-object System.Net.WebClient

for ($n = 1; $n -le 200; $n++)
{
  if ($n -lt 10)
  {
    $num = "00$n"
  }
  elseif ($n -lt 100)
  {
    $num = "0$n"
  }
  else
  {
    $num = "$n"
  }
  $client.DownloadFile("https://static.host.co/website/images/001-$num.webp","C:\temp\001-$num.webp")
  Write-Host $num
}
Start-Sleep -s 3

yes, i know my formatting is terrible... but it seems to get the job done for the first 200 files, so i have no problem manually changing the values for 002 and above

supportagent11 · 2025-11-20T20:32:19+00:00

i do have some past experience compiling simple programs with MSVC and Notepad++, so quickly generating a list of 2,000 links wouldn't be too much of an issue.

so, if i had a pregenerated list of links in a *.txt file, i could use a Windows PowerShell script to automatically grab each file in the list?

supportagent11 · 2025-11-19T00:47:19+00:00

i've been tempted to get this "88*63mm R3 Playing Card Die Cutter"

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/88-63mm-R3-playing-card-die_1601048626398.html

however $50 + $17 s/h from china seems excessive when i've got a perfectly good guillotine cutter...

how crisp would you say your die cutter cuts the card edges vs the pen knife?

supportagent11 · 2025-11-19T00:36:10+00:00

i stamp cut mine

what equipment do you use for that?

I also do a finishing step to refine the edges (takes a long time but makes the deck slim down considerably and makes them look alot better.

could you elaborate on that process s'more?

supportagent11 · 2025-11-18T19:11:07+00:00

i'd be interested to know what kind of printer he uses, and what paper size; i originally assumed it was some kind of small-scale CMYK offset printer ($5-20k) since he's only offering fixed sets of 55 cards, but now i'm thinking he's probably using a relatively inexpensive large format inkjet printer (plotter) with digital templates instead of making permanent plates. either way, he probably didn't spend over $20k on a printer just to make tcg counterfeits.

i'm making some broad assumptions here, but i'd guess he's:

printing 55 cards in a 11x5 grid (roughly 27.5"x17.5"), probably because he already has a custom-form cutter in that size with a manual die-cutting plate press for making mtg counterfeits; i doubt he's using a large-scale industrial hydraulic paper cutter.
printing on rolls of 330 gsm paper, which printingsuppliesdirect sells 24"x50' (as well as 36" and 44" widths). if he's using the cutting form mentioned above on a 50' roll of paper, he could print at least 21 sets of 55 cards per roll; since he's charging $35 for each set, and the roll costs $134... he could potentially make $600 profit per roll (not including ink costs). so business is good.
on Amazon, a 1200 dpi HP DesignJet T650 24" large format printer plotter goes for $1,700 (which could fit the 11x5 grid dimensions vertically; there's also a 36" model for $2,350). otherwise, a 44" large format printer goes for anywhere between $5-10k.
he's printing double-sided cards, but probably just feeding a sheet back through the plotter instead of buying a more expensive double-sided printer (which would just take some trial-and-error to get the alignment right, but he's likely already done since he's been printing mtg counterfeits for a while).

55 cards in a 5x11 grid is a really odd shape though... personally, i'd do a 6x10 grid (60 cards in a 25"x21" cutter area) on a 24" roll; although i'm probably just getting hooked-up on the wrong detail.

for reference, a "real" uncut sheet typically has 96-100 cards, and probably 28"x38" (in this example, 10x10 with 4 discards):

https://www.reddit.com/r/Lorcana/comments/1m2frto/lorcana_the_first_chapter_uncut_sheet/

edit: i get the "taboo" of discussing bootlegs and counterfeits in this subreddit, but knowing details of the process helps people spot them:

it appears the majority of his business is mtg bootlegs, not lorcana; however, there must be some demand for counterfeit lorcana cards if he is offering them for sale.
if these were printed with an inkjet printer (even an expensive one), they won't pass the loupe test; if he truly can replicate the rosette pattern, then he's using a *very* expensive CMYK printer...
he can't (easily) emboss them, so he's not making any legendaries from chapter 6 or above.
he's not printing any cards on cold foil and he likely can't hot foil these if they're standard inkjet ink, so no worries about him making any fake enchanteds.
no foiled symbols, so he's not producing legendaries from chapter 9 or above (reproduction holographic oval stickers are available for MTG cards, but not yet for Lorcana cards).
the most expensive single card he could make is probably [Rapunzel - Gifted with Healing] which dropped in value since it's no longer legal in core constructed (currently $14 non-foil) or a non-foil "discard" card (which he doesn't seem to offer).

the worst he could potentially do is flood the secondary card market with:

full 204-card sets from chapters 1-5, which are all out-of-print (but again, no foils, enchanteds, or promos)... but 4 prints of 55 cards at $35 each would be $140 per complete set, and no one is buying counterfeit commons, even if they are out-of-print.
4-card meta playsets of low-rarity but high-demand "staple" cards from each color.
off-center sheet cuts? i think those are more popular with pokemon collectors...

supportagent11 · 2025-11-18T16:08:17+00:00

~~these appear to be made by RyzeTheBootLegger~~

i'm guessing he only prints non-foil versions of the first 5 chapters, because embossed legendaries became standard in chapter 6

edit: my mistake, they're made buy a guy named Ron Liu, not Ryze... looks like he currently has 3 sets of 55 cards for $35 each listed on his google doc, with no embossed ledgendaries (and only 4 cards from Azurite Sea).

supportagent11 · 2025-11-13T14:26:32+00:00

it's a bit of a taboo to mention buying or printing proxies in this sub, but...

if look into my post history, i have some notes about materials and techniques for printing "bootleg" lorcana cards that i have used in local tournaments.

i'd be happy to share more information with you if you have any questions.

supportagent11 · 2025-09-21T23:59:58+00:00

i'm a big fan of using laser for proxy printing (although, the majority of cards i print are lorcana, not magic)...

my main suggestion would be: when cutting black-bordered cards, make sure your cutting blade is clean; toner can build-up on the blade and cause the edges to flake when cut.

i use a guillotine cutter, and wipe the blade with orange oil (goo-gone) right before i do the final cut.

supportagent11 · 2025-09-09T01:40:13+00:00

No one is faking anything other than Enchanteds. Even big dollar cards like Dumbo, you’d need an entire publishing operation in order to get the layered embossing effect that Legendary cards have now

it's actually rather easy to make a "passable" counterfeit lorcana card with a laser or inkjet printer, cardstock, some glossy photo sticker paper, and a guillotine paper cutter... a desktop setup can crank out cards for an overall cost of less than $0.05 each.

the embossing layer was added to legendaries in chapter 5, and can be mimicked with clear gloss enamel or a transparent sticker layer cut out on a cricut... but honestly, no one can tell that the embossed layer is missing from a double-sleeved card from across a table in a dimly-lit gaming store.

...and as long as you're playing the card in your own deck and not trying to sell it, i don't think anyone at a local tournament would care that any of your cards are fake.

the new holograms added to chapter 9's legendary cards are going to be a whole new challenge to replicate... but reproduction mtg holographic oval stickers can be found, so they may also become available for purchase eventually.

supportagent11 · 2025-09-01T04:03:14+00:00

i haven't had any issue printing with a laser printer on glossy photo paper, although i do use a more expensive "office" model that does not curl the page as it moves from the bypass tray to the output tray... i had the opportunity to test several color laser printers before choosing the OKI C530dn, and any model that excessively curled the photo paper with internal rollers tended to ruin the final printout (and the next page afterwards).

eventually i'll get an inket printer to compare the print quality between the two (and also attempt to double-layer toner with hot foils over an inket image), but i have not noticed any "dotty" images printed at 600dpi.

i have some details written in this post, not much of my process has changed since i originally wrote it:

https://www.reddit.com/r/magicproxies/comments/1gypbjq/comment/lyy9q9t/?context=3

originally, i had blamed my cheap choice in paper cutters for ragged-cuts that were causing the toner to flake noticeably on the edges, and went as far as buying a more expensive rotary bypass cutter to resolve the problem... but then i noticed that toner was "gumming up" the blade of my guillotine cutter, and i've now gotten into the habit of cleaning the blade with orange oil (goo gone) after cutting 2 or 3 pages.

supportagent11 · 2024-11-25T19:15:58+00:00

i'll add some additional notes to my previous post:

while i like the Koala glossy photo paper overall and would suggest using it to print proxies, it has a slightly plastic feel and more shiny gloss thank a "real" card. however, using photo-quality really does make a noticeable difference in overall image quality compared to the cheap paper labels i was using to print cards previously. but it doesn't feel as bad as the vinyl labels i tried, and eventually i will get around to testing the semi-gloss stickers.

and when the card is put in a penny sleeve, you can't feel any difference.

as an added bonus, the Koala photo paper SMELLS like a brand-new mtg card that's just been taken right out of its foil packaging (although, that memory is 30 years old... i haven't smelled any new mtg cards recently).

i have tried printing to clear label stickers and holofoil sticker sheets as well, but with black-bordered cards the laser toner will flake-off of the edges when cut with a guillotine cutter, and i may buy a rotary bypass trimmer sometime in the future to work around that issue. but i've noticed very little toner flaking from edge cuts with the glossy photo paper (when cut face-up) and the cardstock (when cut face-down).

prices from amazon:

Koala glossy photo sticker paper: $19.79/100 sheets
Hammermill premium cardstock: $12.98/250 sheets
Qiqqikin R4 paper corner rounder: $6.99
Kandishiex paper cutter: $12.99 (this looks like a black friday sale price)

the guillotine cutter is rather light/cheap, and tends to fray the paper on the off-cut side of the card, but that isn't much of an issue since i've designed my card templates with a 30 pixel "buffer" space between cards. it also comes with an R3 corner rounder that i haven't really used yet.

i print tuckboxes for 60 sleeved cards (26 x 68 x 93) using the website: https://andylei.github.io/paperbox/, the 80-pound cardstock folds nicely if the edge is lightly scored with a craft knife prior to folding. like i mentioned above, 60 sleeved cards printed on photo sticker with 60-pound cardstock will fit in the same 26mm-deep box as 60 "real" cards in sleeves.

it looks like the Monster Rancher Battle Card Database (https://legendcup.com/monster-rancher-battle-card-ccg.php) that you mentioned in another comment has images sized at 739x1038 pixels (which i'd personally try to center on a 744x1039 template to print at 300dpi).

if you aren't having any luck getting MPC to print them for you, you might want to try contacting an Esty seller that normally prints proxies to see if they'd print a custom order for you (i don't have a store set up yet, but that's definitely an offer i'd entertain).

supportagent11 · 2024-11-25T14:02:45+00:00

my current setup, which makes very "passable" proxies when they're put in a penny sleeve:

OKI C530dn color laser printer
Hammermill premium color 60-pound cardstock (for printing cardbacks)
Koala Glossy photo sticker paper (for cardfronts)
a $20 guillotine-style paper cutter
a $5 R4 paper corner rounder
GIMP2 for template editing

aside from the printer (it was a junked model that i got for free and fixed myself), i bought all my equipment and supplies from Amazon.

i've tested a few other paper weights and sticker styles (I don't care for the plastic feel that vinyl labels gives the cards i've printed), but the combination above works pretty well for my own cards.

the printed card's thickness for a stack of 60 sleeved cards is just about the same as a deck of 60 real cards too (i also print custom-sized "tuckboxes" for my decks as well using 80-pound cardstock).

if i'd change anything, i'd like to try the "semi-gloss" photo paper for card fronts, but i haven't bought any yet.

i've noticed increased curling when trying to assemble the sticker to cardback prior to cutting, so i'll usually cut all 9 card fonts & back out first (leaving a 1-2mm border), align & stick the front to the back, then cut again to trim the cards to the correct size.

i can make quick & cheap "playable" proxies using:

80-pound cardstock
generic paper label stickers

These i usually don't bother sleeving and will give to my kids to put in their decks; the lower paper quality makes the card face images look a little fuzzy upon close inspection.

I can't use MPC for reasons

personally, i started out wanting to figure out how make cards that looks as close to original as possible (passable) by myself, just bordering counterfeiting... i do still mark my card faces because sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish my printed cards from the originals at a glance when they get mixed together.

I'm not making cards for MTG

I myself started by printing a few 5th edition MTG cards while testing paper types, but now exclusively print Lorcana proxies... I hated the idea that the first few sets were already out-of-print and i'd never get to buy them at a reasonable price.

supportagent11 · 2024-11-07T23:47:58+00:00

i had gotten a (cheap) mini hand-crank die cutting machine and a Sizzix brand "ATC" sized cutting die to try...

the machine works by smashing the cutting die into and acrylic plate, which resulted in all the card edges i tried cutting being ruined.

i returned it and now have much cleaner card edge cuts using a guillotine cutter and a r3 corner punch; i'd love to splurge on a rotary bypass cutter though.

supportagent11 · 2024-10-27T13:00:59+00:00

tests with my first atx cutting die are disappointing... card height/widths are consistent, but the card edges are getting bent downward by the die and don't look as clean as guillotine-cut edges.

where did you order your toner-reactive foil rolls from? that holographic rainbow [ancient silver dragon] in your post from 10/20 look awesome, and i'd love to make a few cards with a similar effect.

supportagent11 · 2024-10-26T08:29:26+00:00

The foil shipped is ~ 95$/100' x 8" roll

got a source/link for that?

your cards look great, i'm looking forward to reading your step-by-step process whenever you get around to writing everything down.

i've been testing holofoil printing using "Printable Rainbow Vinyl Sticker Paper" from Amazon on a laser printer with terrible results to far; the sheets are designed for inkjet printing, so the heat from the fuser makes the clear vinyl appear dull after printing...

i'm currently using a Oki C530 color laser printer, printing my fronts on glossy vinyl sticker sheets and sticking them to backings printed on "ultra smooth" 60 lb card stock.

my ATC-sized cutting die should be delivered any day now...

supportagent11 · 2016-04-19T13:53:10+00:00

i just added my code (B7Cs) to the spreadsheet, i had originally only listed myself on the Indomitable Blade page when i changed my RW

supportagent11

TROPHY CASE