Printed Binders
A Pokemon binder has two jobs: keep the cards mint and show the set off. Portal TCG printed binders are zip binders in five sizes, 4 pocket, 4 pocket toploader, 9 pocket, 12 pocket and 9 pocket toploader, and every printed design is designed by hand and printed to order in Plymouth. Pick a plain COVRD binder from £24.99, a Standard Printed Binder matched to a set from £44.99, or a Premium Printed Binder built around one chase card from £54.99.
Which Pokemon card binder is right for you?
Which size? Every printed Portal binder comes in five sizes: 4 pocket, 4 pocket toploader, 9 pocket, 12 pocket and 9 pocket toploader. The 9 pocket has 20 double-sided pages, three cards across, 360 cards in total. Twelve pocket fits more per page, but 9 pocket is the layout our master set checklists and placeholder cards are built around, so a set reads in number order from the first page to the last.
Zip or strap? A full-edge zip seals out dust and keeps the pages flat when the binder is on a shelf. Strap binders are cheaper and quicker to open, but they leave the page edges open. All Portal binders are zip.
Blank or printed? A COVRD blank in black, white, steel blue or blush pink does the protecting for £24.99. Our Standard Printed Binder wraps the set's art across the front, back and spine from £44.99. The Premium Printed Binder puts one card, such as the Mega Darkrai ex Special Illustration Rare from Pitch Black, across the whole binder from £54.99. We build on COVRD binders as standard, and use Vault X or Mint Keeper if COVRD is out of stock.
Side loading or top loading? Our pockets are side loading, so cards slide in from the edge and cannot fall out when the binder stands upright.
Built for master sets
Add the matching master set checklist for £3.99 from the dropdown on any printed binder. Or start the set in one go with a Master Set Bundle, or a Collector's Bundle that adds sealed packs.
Want a custom Pokemon binder?
Personalised and custom printed Pokemon binders are next. Join the custom binder waitlist and you will hear first when your own design can go to print.
Every binder is padded fabric, acid free and PVC free. Sleeve your cards, one per pocket, and store the binder upright out of direct sunlight. Collect better.
Pokemon binder questions
Is a 9 pocket or 12 pocket binder better for Pokemon cards?
Neither protects a card better. A 9 pocket page holds three cards across and reads a numbered set in order, which is why set binders and checklists are built around it. A 12 pocket page holds four across and suits bulk and trade binders. For a master set, 9 pocket.
Will a full master set fit in one binder?
A 20 page 9 pocket binder holds 360 sleeved cards. Most current master sets fit in one. The largest do not. Ascended Heroes has 651 cards in full, counting its energy reverses, and chasing all of them is a two binder set, even at 12 pocket. Working from our 473 card checklist, with each reverse holo sleeved behind its base card, it comes to about 295 pockets and fits one 9 pocket binder. Pitch Black is 194 and fits in one with room. Every set page lists the main set, with secrets and master set counts, so check before you buy.
Do zip binders damage or trap moisture around cards?
No. A full edge zip keeps dust and light out and stops the binder opening in a bag. It is not airtight, so it does not trap moisture. Damage in binders comes from ring pressure, top loading pockets, over filling and damp rooms, not from the zip.
Are side loading binders better?
Yes for anything you carry or store upright. A side loading pocket opens towards the spine, so a card cannot slide out when the binder is tipped. Every Portal binder is side loading.
Are ring binders bad for Pokemon cards?
O ring binders press into the cards nearest the spine every time the binder is closed or stacked, which causes ring marks and dents. Portal binders have bound pages and no rings. Keep ring binders for bulk and trades.
Do I need to sleeve cards inside a binder?
Yes, one sleeved card per pocket. The pocket protects the card from dust and handling, and the sleeve protects the card from the pocket.
Is the printed design a sticker or a slip cover?
Neither. The design is printed across the whole binder, front, back and spine, by hand and to order in Plymouth. Every design is illustrated by real collectors, never generated.
How long does a printed binder take to arrive?
Made to order: printed for you, so it takes a little longer to leave us. Ordering books your place in the print queue.
What size is a Portal binder?
Portal printed binders come in five sizes: 4 pocket, 4 pocket toploader, 9 pocket, 12 pocket and 9 pocket toploader. The 9 pocket is built on the COVRD 9 pocket zip binder: 350 mm tall, 260 mm wide and 30 to 45 mm deep, with 20 double sided pages, an internal pocket of 68 by 97 mm and room for 360 sleeved cards.
