What platforms does Trading Card Scanner support?
We have both a Mac and a Windows native application. Download the latest versions from tradingcardscanner.com.
If you have an Intel-based Mac (you can check by tapping on Apple icon -> About this Mac), you should download this version instead.
What scanner models does Trading Card Scanner support?
The two models that we have tested the most rigorously are the ones we consider the best in the hobby: the Ricoh FI-8170 and the Epson V600 flatbed. Trading Card Scanner will work with many other scanner models. One thing to keep in mind is that multi-function printer scanners sometimes load the wrong mode, like auto feed as the default in the application. It is incumbent upon you to check to see if your scanner can change the default in this scenario so that it uses the flatbed.
Does Trading Card Scanner send cards directly to CardDealer Pro or any other AI software?
No. Trading Card Scanner simply helps you image the cards and put them into a folder. All of the files will be there and you can open up the folder and upload those images to CardDealer Pro or your software of choice. All of the images will be numbered sequentially and labeled with front and back.
Is Card Dealer Pro required for Trading Card Scanner?
No. You are not required to use CardDealer Pro. Yes, the team behind this software built Trading Card Scanner, and we have gone to great lengths to make sure that it works well with our application, but you could certainly use the images for direct listing on eBay or other AI softwares.
What does Trading Card Scanner cost?
It is completely free.
Why did you make a completely free piece of software and why are you giving it away?
There were some challenging situations in the trading card market that we wanted to help solve. First and foremost, there are no good scanning applications for the Mac. Many of us are Mac users and wanted something that would work on our computers. Likewise, for folks that scan on flatbeds, especially slabs, having to go one at a time can be very frustrating. Trading Card Scanner makes this a little bit easier by allowing you to scan up to four cards at a time on a flatbed.
How do I configure TCS so I can have borders around my cards, so others can see the edges and corners?
Go to Settings > Export Preferences and select the option "Add black border around images."
My scanner is showing as being added, but it's not showing as "online"? How do I fix this?
Scanners can go to sleep or otherwise lose the driver connection to your computer. Try restarting the scanner, and unplugging it (from the outlet and computer) and then reconnecting everything. The dot should turn from red to green.
I'm scanning cards horizontally in penny sleeves. How do I rotate and correct this?
You can rotate or delete images in the batch by hovering over the image and tapping on the icons to do both functions.
Is there a way to bulk edit the images in TCS?
No, we don't currently support bulk editing or image post-processing in TCS.
What file formats are supported?
TCS exports images in JPG image format. All images are numbered sequentially with -front and -back appended. No other file formats or export options are supported.
Can Trading Card Scanner automatically crop my cards?
Yes, out of the box, TCS will auto crop images. If you want to manually crop or re-crop, you can do this when in a scanning mode by hovering over a card image and selecting the crop icon.
Tips for Scanning with an Autofeed Scanner
Turn off multifeed detection
Multifeed detection is not ideal for scanning trading cards, and this can be disabled at the device level.
Be sure to insert your cards the right direction
Different autofeed scanners require cards to be inserted differently. For example, the popular Ricoh (formerly Fujitsu) fi-8170 scanner requires cards to be inserted face down, top down. But other scanners are the opposite. Check to see what is the right orientation to insert your cards.
Reduce the scanner speed for penny sleeves and top loaders
Cards in sleeves can jam when going through the scanner too fast. For penny sleeves especially, we suggest reducing the speed at the device level, through settings. You may want to also consider feeding in the cards sideways, which will prevent the scanner from inadvertently grabbing or catching on to the sleeve.
Unplug, replug
If your autofeed scanner is having any issues or not scanning, try unplugging it from the computer. Next try restarting it. And failing that, quit and relaunch Trading Card Scanner.
Tips for Scanning with a Flatbed Scanner
Keep the lid open
While most use cases for a flatbed scanner have you closing the lid, for trading cards we suggest keeping the lid wide open. This generates a black background, which enhances the contrast with the cards and improves auto-cropping.
Scan multiple cards
A flatbed can typically accommodate 4 graded-card slabs or RAW cards. We suggest sticking to no more than 4 at a time to ensure optimal edge detection and cropping.
Scan front-and-back
When you scan with Trading Card Scanner configured for front-and-back, be sure to flip the cards in the exact same location as they were with the fronts. This enables the application to match the fronts and backs and retain them as individual card pairs.
Processing time
Some flatbed scanners take a minute to warm up. There can also be additional processing time as the cards are being cropped, rotated, and visualized. Give the application a minute while this processing is happening.
Unplug, replug
If your flatbed scanner is having any issues or not scanning, try unplugging it from the computer. Next try restarting it. And failing that, quit and relaunch Trading Card Scanner.
Troubleshooting Tips
My images are uploading in the wrong order into Card Dealer Pro
If you see the back image uploading as the front and the front as the back, or you see images out of order, make sure your files are named in sequential numerical order. For example:
TCS-00000003-back
TCS-00000003-front
TCS-00000004-back
etc...
Here is an example -
My scanner isn't getting detected on Trading Card Scanner.
First, make sure that you have the appropriate driver for your scanner installed. Go to the manufacturer's website and verify that you have a driver for the current operating system and device model that you are using.
Second, you may need to power cycle the device or your computer if you have just installed the driver.
Next, make sure that you are not running any other scanning software at the same time as Trading Card Scanner. These can lock up the drivers and prevent Trading Card Scanner from accessing the device.
How can I scan Chrome cards so they don't come out looking quite so dark?
Trading Card Scanner right now does not have settings that enable you to adjust the contrast, brightness, or other image attributes. This is a known limitation of the application.
If you are on a Windows computer, we suggest using Ricoh Paperstream Capture, which offers settings for all of these image attributes (and can be saved as a scanning profile).
On Mac, you can post-process images using an image editing software, though we suggest simply using the darker images when listing for sale on eBay, CollX, or other marketplaces. The darkness of the images should not affect AI image recognition in applications like Card Dealer Pro.
I'm on an older Mac or Windows computer and the application isn't loading.
Trading Card Scanner only supports the latest Mac and Windows models and operating systems. If your computer is more than 5 years old, it may not be supported.
The scanner isn't starting up when I click start scanning.
Make sure you don't have another scanner application like Image Capture running. These cause driver conflicts in the operating systems. Some users have reported that having two scanners plugged in simultaneously can cause similar conflicts. You may need to have only one scanner connected to your computer at a time.
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