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Sleeves

Sleeve sizes, and how to double-sleeve

Standard is not 'Japanese Pokémon'. Japanese size is Yu-Gi-Oh!. Getting that wrong wastes a whole box.

8 min read

There are two sleeve families that matter for these games. Standard outers are about 66×91 mm and fit cards of 63×88 mm. Japanese (also called small) outers are about 62×89 mm and fit cards of about 59×86 mm. The word Japanese on a sleeve box does not mean 'for cards printed in Japan'.

Which game is which

  • Standard: Pokémon in every language, One Piece Card Game, Magic, Disney Lorcana, Flesh and Blood, Dragon Ball Super.
  • Japanese size: Yu-Gi-Oh! and Cardfight!! Vanguard.
  • Jumbo promo cards and odd sealed novelties are neither. Measure them. A sleeve cannot grow.
  • Full arts and textured cards are the same length and width as a normal card from that game. They can be slightly thicker, which matters for perfect fits and for the point size of a toploader, not for which outer sleeve you buy.

The three layers people mix up

  • Penny sleeve: soft, loose, cheap. Bulk storage, and the inner layer for a toploader or a grading submission. Useless for shuffling.
  • Perfect fit: tight inner sleeve, sized to the card. Seals dust and a splash. Not a substitute for an outer if you shuffle.
  • Deck sleeve: the outer you hold. Matte backs shuffle and hide wear. Gloss shows the art and shows every scuff on the sleeve.

Double-sleeving, openings opposed

Put the card into the perfect fit so the opening of that sleeve sits at the bottom edge of the card. Slide that into the outer sleeve, whose opening is at the top. Dust and a drink now have to turn a corner. Do the same idea with a penny if the perfect fit is too tight: penny opening down, outer opening up, when the penny is only an inner and not the thing you shuffle.

Official art sleeves from an elite trainer box are fine for a casual deck and a poor choice as the only layer on a card you cannot replace. They are thinner. If you love the art, put it over a perfect fit, and keep spares — art sleeves scuff.

Sleeves

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Dragon Shield Matte, standard

Dragon Shield

The default outer sleeve for Pokémon, One Piece, Magic and Lorcana.

Matte backs shuffle cleanly and hide the fine scratches sleeves pick up. A box of 100 is the right unit for a deck plus spares.

Fits
Standard size
Use
Any deck you shuffle, and double-sleeving a card you care about.
Price
Often about £10–14 for 100
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Sleeves

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Dragon Shield Matte, Japanese size

Dragon Shield

The smaller outer sleeve. This is the one Yu-Gi-Oh! and Vanguard actually fit.

A standard 66×91 mm sleeve is loose on a 59×86 mm card, so corners knock around inside it. Japanese-size sleeves sit properly.

Fits
Japanese size
Use
Yu-Gi-Oh! and Cardfight!! Vanguard decks.
Price
Often about £10–14 for 100
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Sleeves

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Dragon Shield Perfect Fit, standard

Dragon Shield

A tight inner sleeve. Dust and a splash have to travel past two openings.

Used under an outer sleeve with the openings facing opposite ways. Do not force a thick textured card — if it will not slide with light pressure, use a penny sleeve instead.

Fits
Standard size
Use
Double-sleeving standard-size cards you play or bind.
Price
Often about £5–8 for 100
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Sleeves

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Ultra PRO penny sleeves

Ultra PRO

Soft, cheap, and the correct first layer inside a toploader or card saver.

Buy them by the hundred for bulk storage and for anything going into rigid plastic. They are not for shuffling — they stick, cloud, and slide apart. Check the pack says polypropylene if you can.

Fits
Standard size
Use
Bulk binding, toploaders, grading submissions, posting a card.
Price
Often about £3–6 for 100
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Sleeves

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Ultimate Guard Katana, standard

Ultimate Guard

A smoother, quieter shuffle than most mattes, with a clear front.

A fair alternative if Dragon Shield feels stiff in the hand. Same standard size: Pokémon, One Piece, Magic.

Fits
Standard size
Use
Players who shuffle a lot and want less sleeve noise.
Price
Often about £10–13 for 100
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