
When a card has been cast and is on the stack waiting to resolve, the game refers to it as a "spell." When a card is on the battlefield, the game refers to it as a " permanent," or simply by its type or subtype. Tokens are never considered cards, even if cards are used to represent them. Rules Ī card is only referred to as a "card" by game rules or effects when in a player's hand, library, graveyard, exile, or command zones. Non-foil cards (including the blue adhesive "core") are fully recyclable. The cards are non-toxic and completely safe for normal use and foreseeable abuse for children 8 years and older. Magic cards pass global toy safety regulations for heavy metals and other hazardous chemicals. They're also made of different cardstock than gameplay cards, not having the opaque layer in the middle. Rules inserts and tokens lack these, so they are not technically cards. Official Magic cards always have a Magic card front and a Magic card back, unless they are double-faced cards or meld cards. Foil cards have an extra layer on the card that highlights certain parts of the artwork over others, the "white under-print plate", or "WUP." A print coating - a very thin, clear protective finish - is applied over the top of printed materials. The corners of the card are cut with a radius of 1/8 inch (3 mm). The card stock allows the cards to be handled and shuffled without losing their "bounce", or bendability.

Magic cards, like regular playing cards, are made from two layers of cardboard joined together by an opaque blue adhesive, so that they're opaque even seen in direct sunlight. Non-foil cards are approximately 0.012 inches (0.305 mm) thick. Official Magic cards conform to a specific style on their two faces, whereas other card-like objects like token cards are technically not Magic cards at all. As a game entity, cards exist in most zones of play, but theoretically not the battlefield or stack.

The word card can refer to an individual physical or digital card, or the identity of a card by name without having a specific instance of it in mind. In Magic: The Gathering, a card is the standard component of the game, and one of its resources.
