I’ve seen people spend 30 minutes perfecting art, text, and mana symbols… then pick the wrong frame and the whole thing feels “off.” Not broken. Just weird. Like a card from a parallel universe where the kerning is slightly cursed.
If you’re making proxies or custom cards, choosing the right MTG card template is the difference between “that looks legit” and “why does this look like a screenshot from 2007?”
This guide walks through modern vs vintage frames, showcase styles, and the small details that make “close enough” not actually close.
Before you pick any MTG card template, decide what you’re copying:
Are you trying to match a specific printing of a card (set, year, treatment)?
Or are you just aiming for a clean, readable version that feels like Magic?
Those are different goals, and mixing them is where people get frustrated.
If you’re matching a real printing, you need a reference image. Not your memory. Not “i think it looked like this.” Pull up the exact version you want and keep it open while you work. When you compare side-by-side, the right template becomes obvious fast.
If you’re not matching a specific printing, you still want consistency. Pick one frame family for the whole deck or cube unless you’re doing a deliberate “showcase mix” kind of thing.
And yes, there are times you want the mismatch. Like making a retro frame meme card on purpose. That’s fine. But you should be choosing it, not accidentally landing there.
People say “modern frame” like it’s one thing. It isn’t. There are big eras, and each has its own feel.
This is the classic frame most players think of when they say “vintage.” The old border look has heavier edges, more obvious beveling, and that iconic textbox style. If you’re recreating anything that should feel like early Magic, this is usually the right call.
Also, old border is not just “a border choice.” The spacing, fonts, and overall geometry feel different. If you slap old border on a modern layout, your brain notices. It’s like putting modern phone UI inside a Windows 95 window. Technically fine, emotionally wrong.
Then you get the “modern” era frame that most players recognize today. But even inside modern, there’s a major split:
If you’re matching a card from the last decade-ish, you usually want the current modern look. If you’re matching something older but still post old border, you might need the earlier modern vibe.
And if you’re thinking, “ok… but what changes?” here’s what you’ll actually notice in practice:
Those bottom details are the biggest “tell” when something is wrong.
Here’s the part that trips people up: a card can be “modern” and still not use the default modern look.
Since the whole Booster Fun era kicked in, we’ve gotten a steady stream of alternate treatments: showcase frames, borderless cards, extended-art, retro frame throwbacks, special etched treatments, and set-specific frames that look nothing like the base version.
So your MTG card template choice has to account for style, not just era.
Showcase frames
These are the set-flavored frames that change the look of the card face. They’re meant to feel tied to a plane or theme. If you use a generic showcase template for the wrong set vibe, it’ll feel like cosplay.
Borderless
Art goes wide, frame elements shrink or shift, and spacing changes. If your card art is composed for normal framing, borderless can crop weirdly. If your art is built for borderless, a normal template can feel cramped.
Extended-art
Usually keeps the standard textbox and header structure, but pushes art wider. It’s subtle, which is why it’s easy to mess up. A “normal” template won’t look terrible… it’ll just look like you didn’t quite land the plane.
Retro frame (new cards in old style)
This is where people get sloppy. Retro frame is not the same as “vintage printing.” It’s a modern card dressed up in an old frame treatment. The vibe is old, but the context is modern. If you want the card to feel like it was actually printed back then, you may need different details than a modern retro treatment.
Set-specific special frames (Mystical Archive, box toppers, etc.)
These are their own beasts. If you’re trying to match one of these, don’t fight it. Just use the matching style template.
On mtg.cards, this is why categories like Modern, Vintage, Mystical Archives, and Box Topper exist. They’re not just “cool skins.” They’re different layout systems, and they solve different problems.
This is the core pain: you show someone your proxy and they go, “yeah… looks good.” But you can’t stop staring at it.
That usually happens because one of these details is wrong:
Magic typography is part of the card’s identity. If the title font is wrong, it reads like a fan card. If the rules text font is wrong, it reads like a PDF.
Even when people can’t name the font, they can feel the difference.
Magic frames have consistent margins and spacing rules. The title bar, mana cost, type line, and rules box have a rhythm. When you use the wrong MTG card template, that rhythm breaks.
The most common offenders:
This is the “authenticity corner.” If you’re matching a real printing, this needs to make sense.
People notice:
Even if your playgroup doesn’t care, you will care. Because you made the card, so you’re doomed to see it forever.
Some cards have extra frame elements layered on top of the base frame. Legendary crowns are a simple example. Other cards have special overlays.
If you’re copying a specific printing and you forget that overlay, the card can look naked. Like it forgot to put on shoes.
A solid trick here is to check the “frame” and “frame effects” style info in your reference source, then pick the MTG card template that matches that combination.
This one isn’t even the template’s fault, but it’s the thing you’ll blame anyway.
Old borders and modern borders crop art differently. Borderless crops differently again. Mystical Archive style frames are their own layout. If your art isn’t composed for the frame you chose, it will feel wrong no matter how perfect your text is.
So sometimes the right move is: change the frame to fit the art, not the other way around.
If you want a simple “don’t embarrass yourself in front of your own eyes” check, do this:
That last step matters more than people think. At full zoom, everything looks fine. At normal viewing size, the wrong template screams.
If you’re building a Commander deck to test lines, or you’re printing a cube for friends, “perfect replication” might be a waste of time.
In that case, pick one consistent MTG card template and stick to it. You’ll get a clean, readable deck that shuffles well and plays well. That’s the point.
And if you’re proxying specifically for testing decks, it’s worth reading Key tips for Deck Building in MTG because the best proxy in the world won’t fix a bad mana curve.
If you’re newer to proxies in general and you’re trying to figure out what “good” even means, Where to Get the Best MTG Proxy Cards is a decent baseline for expectations.
Choosing the right MTG card template is mostly about being honest about your goal.
If you’re matching a specific printing, use a reference and match the era plus the treatment. Modern vs vintage is only step one. Showcase frames and special overlays are where most “close enough” cards fall apart.
If you’re not matching anything, pick a consistent template and move on with your life. You’re here to play games, not argue with one pixel of padding for three hours. (Ask me how i know.)
