Leaked internal video reveals for the first time ever how Pokémon cards are made from start to finish

September 29, 2022

In an internal video acquired and released by Pokémon fan site PokéBeach, The Pokémon Company International and Millennium Print Group reveal how Pokémon cards are made.

The video, titled “How Pokemon Cards are Made: from Start to Finish,” features the previously unpublicized Western creation process, from text translations to printed drafts being delivered to warehouses.

The creation begins when Japanese card-makers send over an Excel file, which includes a list of names and details of each card’s art, information and text. These are then translated into different languages, including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Portuguese.

Creating the card designs and templates in the Adobe suite then takes at least three weeks. Viewers are shown how each card is meticulously created with its own individual texture. There are also countless versions of logo designs for packaging that go through different departments to be approved.

Further processes include proofing, plating and laminating before the card printing begins.

The video reveals how production facilities in Durham, North Carolina, produce 26.62 million cards per day, or 220,000 double sided sheets, using 120-foot-long printing presses that cost $8.5 million. Each sheet holds 121 cards in total. There are also 2.5 million packages for the cards produced each day.

After printing, the cards go through quality control checks, including smoothing out corners, making sure the thickness of the cards are accurate and test scanning their QR codes. The cards are then collated and boxed before they are sent to warehouses.

Featured Image via PokeBeach

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