PSA-Style TCG Card Enclosure

Why I made this?

Grading every card isn't always practical.
It can be expensive, take a long time, and sometimes I simply want to display a card I like without sending it away.

I originally created this project for my sons. They wanted their favorite Pokémon cards to have the same presentation and presence as a professionally graded slab, but grading every card didn't make sense.

So I designed a PSA-style adapter for a standard magnetic card holder. It combines an easily available card holder with a 3D-printed enclosure, creating the look and feel of a graded slab while keeping the card removable and accessible.

The goal wasn't to replace professional grading.
It was to create a simple, affordable way to display the cards we personally value.

How I made this?

01 — Measuring the Original

I started by measuring an original PSA slab to understand its proportions, overall size, and visual balance.

The goal was to make the final design feel as close as possible to a real graded slab, rather than simply creating a generic card holder.

02 — Working Around FDM Limitations

One of the biggest challenges was transparency. Current FDM 3D printing cannot easily reproduce the perfectly clear look of an injection-molded plastic slab.

Instead of printing the entire case, I decided to use an existing magnetic card holder for the transparent center and design a 3D-printed outer adapter around it.

For the printed parts, I used translucent clear PETG to keep the overall appearance as light and transparent as possible.

03 — Testing Different Card Holders

I also wanted the design to work with more than one specific magnetic card holder.

I selected two popular holders currently available on the market and measured both. Although their overall dimensions were very similar, their thickness and hinge positions were slightly different.

These small differences became important design constraints.

04 — Designing for a Universal Fit

Instead of creating a separate adapter for each holder, I adjusted the internal geometry so that both products could fit into the same overall design.

This allowed the adapter to maintain the look and proportions of a PSA-style slab while remaining compatible with different magnetic card holders.

The final design was shaped not only by appearance, but also by the limitations of FDM printing and the real-world variation of existing products.

Purchase link for two different magnetic holder tested

220CT Magnetic Case (Amazon) -thiner affordable look
HYARUAT Magnetic Card Holder (Amazon) -thicker premium look

How to Make It

To make your own PSA-style display slab, you only need a few basic parts.

What You’ll Need

1. A compatible magnetic card holder
The model is designed to work with the two holder types I tested during development. Choose the version that matches the holder you plan to use.

2. Translucent clear PETG or PLA
For the closest look to a clear slab, I recommend using a translucent or clear filament. PETG works especially well for its slightly glossy, glass-like appearance.

3. Your favorite card
Choose a card you want to give a more finished, collectible presentation. It doesn’t need to be rare or valuable — the idea is simply to make a card you personally like feel more special.

Top Label

(✓0.2mm nozzle)

Top label is the where all the information of the card goes in to. For best label quality, a 0.2mm nozzle is highly recommended. A standard 0.4mm nozzle may not produce fine text details cleanly.

Customize the top label with your own card information, including:
• Card name
• Series
• Serial number
• Grade
• Or any custom text you want