Acrylic Paint and Non-Toxic Varnish: Why We Chose Them

On a DeckSmith deck box, what your fingers touch isn't plastic. It's a layer of acrylic paint applied by hand, then a non-toxic varnish. Two quiet materials, chosen for one simple reason: a deck box lives in hands, bags and on tables, not in a display case.

Short answer: our deck boxes are 3D printed in premium PLA, then fully hand-painted in acrylic, with raised details brought out by drybrushing, and sealed with a non-toxic varnish. The acrylic creates the look; the varnish makes it last.

Why acrylic

A paint built for layering

Acrylic is a water-based paint that dries fast and layers cleanly. That's exactly what the Inksmith finish needs: a base tone, then successive passes that build up highlights and shadows without lifting the layer underneath.

Drybrushing, the heart of the look

The character of our boxes comes from drybrushing, a technique miniature painters know well. You load the brush with very little paint, wipe almost all of it off, then sweep it across the edges. The raised areas catch the color while the recesses stay dark. Engravings, medallions, metallic accents: everything that stands proud lights up.

That takes a paint that grips on the very first pass of a nearly dry brush, and acrylic does it naturally. To see how this plays out on sculpted relief, our article on 3D medallions breaks down how the light is worked.

Why not another paint

Enamel and oil-based paints rely on solvents, dry slowly and don't lend themselves to fine drybrush work. Spray paint covers fast and evenly, which is precisely the problem: it flattens relief instead of revealing it. Acrylic lets the hand decide every nuance.

Varnish, the layer you don't see

It takes the hits instead of the paint

Paint on its own wears where it's touched. The varnish absorbs everyday friction: the thumb that pops the lid, the bottom of the bag, the playmat. It locks in the drybrushing and keeps the contrast readable over time.

Why non-toxic

A deck box isn't a shelf ornament. You hold it every game, set it right next to your cards, slide it across the table. It also goes to league with kids, as we cover in our guide to supporting your child at Pokémon league. For something handled that often, a non-toxic varnish is the only sensible choice.

The Inksmith palette

The paint goes onto a box whose base color you pick from eleven options, Starlight effects included. For the paint itself, the Forge offers ten Inksmith shades: gold, silver, blue, sky blue, yellow, crimson red, flash green, flash pink, black and white. Gold and silver make relief glow like old metal; the flash shades add a brighter punch. Everything combines in the Forge with a live preview.

Choosing a base? Our article on Starlight finishes shows how the glittered material plays with the paint.

What the hand changes

A color laid down by drybrushing is never quite the same twice. No two DeckSmith deck boxes are strictly identical: how loaded the brush is, the angle of the stroke, the extra pass on one edge all shift the light. That's the promise of a one-of-a-kind piece.

That freedom comes with a safeguard. Every piece is photographed before shipping, and if the box you receive doesn't match your configuration preview, we repaint or remake it at our cost. Hand painting can also add a few days to the 5 to 10 business days of production.

How the paint ages, and how to care for it

After hundreds of games, the most-handled edges may soften slightly. On a finish designed from the start to look weathered and vintage, that wear works with the object, not against it.

Beyond that, three rules are enough:

• Clean dry, or nearly: a microfiber cloth, barely damp if needed, then dry immediately.
• No solvents: rubbing alcohol, acetone, disinfecting wipes and household sprays attack the varnish, then the paint.
• Avoid heat and direct sun: a closed car, a sunny windowsill, a radiator.

How the shell itself behaves is covered in our article on premium PLA and durability, and the full process in how our 3D printed deck boxes are made.

FAQ: paint and varnish

What paint is used on DeckSmith deck boxes?

Acrylic paint, applied entirely by hand in our workshop in France. Raised details, engravings and highlights are brought out by drybrushing, then the whole box is sealed with a non-toxic varnish.

What does the varnish do on a painted deck box?

The varnish takes the friction so the paint doesn't have to: hands, the bottom of a bag, the playmat. It locks in the drybrushing and keeps the colors crisp game after game.

Why a non-toxic varnish?

A deck box is handled every game, passed around the table and often carried by young players at league. A non-toxic finish is the obvious choice for something held that often.

How do I clean a hand-painted deck box?

A dry or barely damp microfiber cloth, then dry it right away. Never use rubbing alcohol, acetone, disinfecting wipes or household cleaners: those solvents eat into the varnish and then the paint.

Pick your colors in the Forge

Build the box the brush will bring to life. 3D printed, hand-painted and varnished in our workshop in France, starting at €27, from an independent studio with over 1,500 sales and a 4.9/5 rating across 319 verified Etsy reviews.

• Design yours in the Forge, with a live preview.
• Discover the custom deck box and its Inksmith finish.
• Read reviews from players who received theirs.