This is a stupid question for me to ask after all these years, but I've been thinking about the terminology we casually use as card collectors, and I realized that I don't know what a printing plate actually is.

They are seeded as hits in premium card products. They are made of thin metal and have blank backs with labels sometimes. They are generally called 1/1s, but each card needs a set of four plates in different colors to be complete. The colors are usually called Black, Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. Some eBay sellers seem to be able to get complete printing plate sets, while others are just sold in individual colors.

Now my question is what, if anything, can you do with a printing plate set of all four colors? Are they just manufactured hits, or can you actually make the card? Is this like being able to print counterfeit money, or is it just a novelty?

Modern day card manufacturing and printing is very different than it used to be. I can remember back when Topps would publicly claim to destroy their printing plates after releasing their baseball cards to ensure no reprints. Of course, the print run was already more than anyone needed. And the way that cards were printed in sheets has also changed.

So what is the real story with these printing plates and do we have anyone on Card Talk who specializes in collecting them?

I think that card manufacturers realised that printing plates were/are another incentive for buying their product, some manufacturers even have available prints of the individual coloured cards. I certainly have seen these offered as part of a "master" set on Kickstarter projects. For some manufacturers by selling them off is a better alternative to destroying them. I certainly have a few that are part of a Kickstarter purchase either as singles or as a group of 4 but never more than that. With these plate being spread far and wide I cannot imagine anyone trying to compile some form of collection.

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Originally posted by JOHN LEVITT:
With these plate being spread far and wide I cannot imagine anyone trying to compile some form of collection.

No, me either, at best someone might like a printing plate from a particular card or even a title. I have pulled a couple myself, and I bought a complete set of four for a card I had.

But to be clear, they really are part of the printing process and not just more metal cards artificially created to manufacture another box hit?

I've never gone after printing plates and haven't received one in a lot nor have I held one. Similar to your question, would an actual printing plate fit in a card pack whether a 70's-80's card or one from a more recent decade?

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Originally posted by catskilleagle:
I've never gone after printing plates and haven't received one in a lot nor have I held one. Similar to your question, would an actual printing plate fit in a card pack whether a 70's-80's card or one from a more recent decade?

Yeah, I don't know, didn't you say once that one of your family members was involved in the printing business? Maybe they would have an idea about it.

These printing plates are made of very thin metal, almost less thickness than a credit card. They're the size of the card or a little smaller. Backs are blank, as it's only showing the front photo in whichever of the four colors you get. They all seem to be called 1/1s. Typically, they may go for $20 - $30 each and the complete set of four can run between $100 - $200.

I'm just trying to verify if they really are used or have a purpose in the manufacturing process? Or if what they are is akin to a manufactured patch card? I'm sure somebody knows the definitive answer.

I was involved in the printing process in my previous life, and yes the plates are all from a large aluminum sheet and cut up. They can be quite sharp so most companies round off the corners (don't want to bleed all over your collection.)It takes 4 plates to make one color card, and before they began inserting plates in packs, they would toss or recycle the uncut plates.

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Originally posted by Don Norton:
I was involved in the printing process in my previous life, and yes the plates are all from a large aluminum sheet and cut up. They can be quite sharp so most companies round off the corners (don't want to bleed all over your collection.)It takes 4 plates to make one color card, and before they began inserting plates in packs, they would toss or recycle the uncut plates.

Thanks so much for your answer, Don. I'm glad to hear that there is truth behind these printing plates. To pick up one on an important card would be a nice addition for a collector.

They are fairly hard to pull from packs, but some sellers do seem to always have full sets of four available, so there's an outlet somewhere. Figure four 1/1 plates for every card in a 100-card base set and its 400 printing plates with nothing else. Those must be really large sheets.

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Originally posted by Raven:
Figure four 1/1 plates for every card in a 100-card base set and its 400 printing plates with nothing else. Those must be really large sheets.

I would think that the printing plate sizes would match the uncut sheets of any set (mxn x4) that are relatively easier to find. 10x10 is the largest that I've ever seen for a set.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bassam Abdul-Baki,

I have a very good friend in the UK that has been trying to get as many of the Gotham printing plates from the 2 Cryptozoic sets. Over the years of helping him he has close to 300 plates from the 2 series. It seems like Cryptozoic only released 3 of each color into the back always holding back one. We have both tried to find out over the years but even the staff there do not know. This is his passion project. Some cards he has never seen a plate for and he does have 3 for many of them. I have a number of plates myself, it is a fun side quest in the hobby for the two of us.