What are Artist Trading Cards?

Each ATC should be exactly 3.5 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide. This is the same size as a standard trading card such as a baseball card  and many playing cards. Lots of collectable and gaming cards such as Pokémon cards are this size too.

Most are rectangular but some artists do experiment with arched tops, folding flaps and pockets etc.

The ATC is supposed to be a trading card and so should have a little thickness to it. Even the fabric ones are not too flimsy.

Some artists like to include things that fold or swing out of the card. These can include little flaps and doors, “waterfall card” effects, limbs on paper doll cards and fabric, ribbon and thread “tails”.

A general rule of thumb is that the finished card must be able to slip into a clear plastic card protector (exactly the same ones that are used by baseball and other trading card collectors).  A lot of ATC creators and collectors store all their cards in these little sleeves for protection.

Obviously if you make the cards to keep for yourself then you can break
those rules as much as you wish!

Generally an ATC should never be sold, only traded or given away. In practice many artists have embraced the small format as being ideal for affordable examples of their work. When sold the piece is called an ACEO, not an ATC (but they are otherwise the same thing). ACEO stands for “Art Cards, Editions and Originals“.

Collecting ACEOs is becoming very popular with art lovers on a budget or with little space to display larger pieces of art.
This meet up is FREE.  If you would like to learn just come on by.  If you want to trade or create please bring Adhesives and products with you.
ATC's To Trade if you have them