AKC: Artist KEEPING Card. I made up this acronym to describe the cards that I do not plan to trade. I am keeping them.
ATC: Artist Trading Card.
Coloring Card: An ATC made from a coloring book page or an image that someone else drew (either HD or digital)
HD: Hand-drawn
HP: Hand-painted
Extra: Various items of ephemera, added to an envelope as a gift to the person with whom you have traded.
Hybrid: A card that is part digital, part hand-made. This is my own made-up term. I make two different types of hybrid cards.
For my "doodle card" series, I draw the images on my iPad, using Procreate.
I export the file as a black and white TIFF file, then bring it into Pages.
I print the images in ATC size, then color them with alcohol markers.
I use this technique several different ways. With photos, I bring the image into Procreate, make an outline drawing from the image by tracing selected portions onto a new layer.
I lighten this layer, print it in ATC size, then make an overdrawing with pen.
Pool Swap: a number of cards are made available, either in a large shallow box or in a binder. Particpants are instructed to "make one" and then "take one."
RAK: Act of Kindness: a card that is given away.
Rules: There are only two rules for an ATC: the size is 2.5" x 3.5" and the card is traded, not sold.
Swap: Scroll down to "Trade...vs...Swap...
In a swap, the two artists may never meet. At least one of the artists will be surprised (or may never know) who ended up with their card.
The most common type of swap is a hosted swap. These are popular on the web site ATCsForAll.com. Here's how it works:
The host announces a subject for the swap. As I write this on December 30, 2025, the following swaps are going on: "Trash to Treasure," "Wrong Colors Only," "Winter Wonderland Found Poetry," "Mushroom Swap," and "Kokeshi Dolls." The host announces the rules and due dates.
Artists join the swap, announcing their interest through a forum-style interface. Usually, an artist will make three cards to exchange and one card as an RAK for the host.
On the forum, artists may display the ATCs they have made, receive feedback, or just discuss various ATC topics. This is the most fun part!
Once the due date has arrived, the host decides who gets what cards in return and mails a set to each participant.
For a pool swap, a number of cards are made available, either in a large shallow box or in a binder. Particpants are instructed to "make one" and then "take one."
WIP: Work in progress