Let’s face it: the printing quality of cards has been all over the place. Sets like Chronicles, Fallen Empires, and Homelands might as well have been printed on tissue paper with all the ink they soaked up. On the flip side, 7th Edition foils still stand as the gold standard for their pristine printing, even after all these years.
Why the big gap in quality? Well, blame it on different printers and Wizards of the Coast’s habit of trying out new printing tricks, like the neon ink from Kamigawa. Even with all their experience, they still manage to goof up now and then. But hey, sometimes those misprints end up making cards even more valuable to collectors. Go figure.
The Good
…praised for their crisp printing, durable cardstock, and overall consistency in quality.
- Alpha
- Beta
- Unlimited
- Revised (Third Edition)
- Seventh Edition
- Mirrodin
- Innistrad
The Bad
…criticized for issues such as flimsy cardstock, excessive ink application, and inconsistent printing quality.
- Chronicles
- Fallen Empires
- Homelands
- Ice Age
- Mercadian Masques
- Prophecy
- Urza’s Saga
Lately, sets like Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Strixhaven: School of Mages have impressed us with their top-notch printing. But then there are duds like Theros Beyond Death and Zendikar Rising, where it feels like they didn’t even bother to check the printer settings. Come on, Wizards, get it together!
So, spill the beans, which recent sets lived up to the hype in the Magic community’s eyes, and which ones left us all scratching our heads in disappointment?
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