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I’m an artist trading card “newbie.” I know that the only “official” rule is the size of the card, but are there any other guidelines?
As you mentioned, the only official rule for Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) is the size. But, there are a number of generally accepted conventions.
ATCs are always traded and never sold. ATC purists believe this is the essence of the phenomenon. Trading is about meeting other artists and sharing art without money being exchanged. Artist trading cards are about connecting with other artists, not with art collectors or commercial art galleries.
As the popularity of artist trading cards has grown, so has the interest of collectors. As a result, some artists choose to sell cards. Cards that are sold are not called ATCs, they are called Art Card Editions and Originals (ACEOs).
Art should be original, limited edition or series. In the spirit of trading, art should be original, one-of-a-kind or in very small limited editions. Sets of ATCs that are based on a theme are called a series.
Most artists include information on the back of their ATCs. In general, the following information is included on the back of the card: name, contact information (email or address), title of piece, and number if it is part of an edition or series.
Card should not be too thick. It should be relatively flat so that it can be mailed or stored in a trading card sleeve. This is a requirement for many but not all trading groups.
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