A white 3D-printed Spirit Guide, embossed with the PRISM wordmark, held in front of a fanned stack of Magic: The Gathering cards

Tools and Supplies

Paint Pens

The pen you use matters. Different sleeve materials react differently to different inks. Always test on a spare sleeve before committing.

Avoid black markers. Black is nearly invisible on most sleeve backs. The only time black works is on white-bordered sleeves. For everything else, pick a color with contrast.
Recommended

Uni Posca Paint Pens

The standard choice for most PRISM users. Water-based acrylic that dries opaque and stays put.

  • PC-1M (extra fine) recommended
  • Wide color range
  • Touch-dry in about a minute
  • Does not smear once dry
Alternative

Oil-Based Paint Pens

A good option for glossy sleeves where water-based pens struggle to stick.

  • Extra fine or fine point
  • More limited color selection
  • Takes longer to dry
  • Strong odor when wet
Budget

Acrylic Paint Pen Sets

Budget sets from Amazon work in a pinch. Quality varies by brand.

  • Often includes 24+ colors
  • Inconsistent flow
  • May need multiple coats
  • Good for trying the system cheaply
Precision

Pentel Matte Hop Gel Pens

Heavy pigment makes these surprisingly visible on sleeves. They produce the cleanest, thinnest lines of any option here.

  • Fewer color options
  • More expensive
  • Easy to wipe off if you make a mistake
  • Can rub off on frequently moved cards
Whichever pen you pick, let the marks dry for 2 to 3 minutes before you sleeve the card. Touch-dry is not sleeve-ready. Wet paint transfers to the outer sleeve and to the card face. See Run a marking session. Avoid brush-tip pens that are too flexible if possible. They make it hard to keep your lines consistent, even with the Spirit Guide.

Sleeve Recommendations

Most Perfect Fit inners work well. We recommend:

  • Dragon Shield Perfect Fit Inners
  • KMC Perfect Hards
  • Mlikero Perfect Fit Inners (budget option)

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Double-sleeving: Mark the Perfect Fit inner on the card-face side. The marks are subtle, and you do not feel them through the outer sleeve.

PRISM Spirit Guide

The Spirit Guide is an alignment tool that holds your sleeve in place with guides for each slot. It makes marking faster, more consistent, and lets you work one-handed with its magnetic hold.

It comes to Kickstarter first, then to the PRISM store. Any straight edge works until then.

Storage and Organization

Once you share cards across decks, a good storage system saves time at the table.

For smaller collections (8-10 decks), the GameGenic Lair 600+ works well and has room for tokens, dice, and extras. For larger pools, the Ultimate Guard Arkhive 1000+ gives you more space. Avoid boxes with too many built-in dividers. How you divide your PRISM in storage depends on how your cards overlap across decks, so flexibility matters.

Store your Pool copies in one central box. Organize by stripe grouping (Pool copies first, then by color) or by card type. Pull from that box when you build a deck for the night, then return everything afterwards.

Your sleeves are waiting.

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