ACEO Card Size Guide

Every ACEO (and ATC) shares one fixed rule: the finished piece is exactly the size of a standard trading card. That's the entire size requirement — the medium, subject, and style are wide open.

Common materials and surfaces

• •Bristol board or heavy cardstock, cut to size — the most common base for painted and drawn ACEOs
• •Watercolor paper, for pieces done in watercolor or gouache
• •Wood or chipboard, for a sturdier, mixed-media base
• •Digital art, printed to size on cardstock or sold as a numbered edition print
• •Collage, using found paper, fabric, or mixed materials built up to the same footprint

Storage and display

Because the size matches a standard trading card exactly, ACEOs fit directly into gear made for card collecting: rigid top-loaders and penny sleeves for individual pieces, and standard 9-pocket binder pages for a growing collection. For display, card-sized frames or small floating shelves let you swap pieces in and out easily.

Shipping an ACEO safely usually means a rigid mailer or cardboard backing plus a protective sleeve — full details are in our buying and selling guide.