Removing cards from sleeves just to scan them is tedious, time-consuming, and risks damaging valuable cards with every insertion and removal. Lotus Scan is designed to read Magic cards directly through protective sleeves, including penny sleeves, Dragon Shield clear sleeves, KMC Perfect Fits, and other transparent or semi-transparent options. The AI-powered recognition engine compensates for the slight haze, glare, and texture that sleeves introduce. This lets you catalog an entire sleeved deck or binder without touching a single card.

Why Sleeved Cards Needs a Specialized Scanner

Serious MTG collectors sleeve their valuable cards for protection, and repeatedly unsleeving and resleeving introduces wear to both the cards and the sleeves themselves. For players with tournament-ready decks in premium sleeves, the process of unsleeving an entire 100-card Commander deck just for scanning is a dealbreaker. A scanner that reliably reads through sleeves respects both your time and the condition of your cards, which directly impacts their value.

Key Features to Look For

Tips for Sleeved Cards

1. 1Clear sleeves provide the best scan results; heavily frosted or matte sleeves may reduce accuracy
2. 2Ensure the sleeve is clean and free of smudges before scanning for the fastest recognition
3. 3Position the card so the sleeve seam is at the bottom or side, not across the card name or art
4. 4For double-sleeved cards, make sure there is no air bubble trapped between the inner and outer sleeve
5. 5Art sleeves and fully opaque back sleeves are fine as long as the card face is visible through the front