How card thickness is measured
Card thickness is measured in points, abbreviated pt. One point equals one-thousandth of an inch, so a 20-point card is 0.020 inches thick — about half a millimeter.
A standard trading card — the kind in a retail pack — runs roughly 20 to 24 points. It is thin enough to flex with a satisfying snap, thick enough to hold its shape for decades.
Why thickness matters
Thickness is the physical difference between a card and a print. A card with real heft survives being handled, traded, sleeved, and stacked. A thin print creases, curls, and feels like what it is.
It also affects fit. Protective sleeves, top loaders, and display cases are sized around standard card thickness, so a card printed to the true spec drops straight into the accessories built for it.
Thicker cards exist
Not all cards are the standard thickness. Relic cards with pieces of jersey, patch cards, and other memorabilia cards can run 35, 55, or even 100-plus points — thick enough to need oversized holders.
Custom cards printed on official trading card stock, like Snapshot's, match the standard thickness of a real base card, so they handle and store exactly like one.