Collecting basics4 min read
By House of Holos
Pokémon holo patterns and foil types
Holo, reverse holo and named foil patterns like cosmos, Poké Ball and Master Ball: where the foil sits, how to compare them and how to record each printing.
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A holo is a Pokémon card with a foil layer that catches the light, usually in the artwork. A reverse holo puts the foil around the artwork instead. Some cards add a named foil pattern, such as cosmos, Poké Ball or Master Ball. Normal, holo, reverse holo and patterned versions of one card number are separate printings.
What is a holo Pokémon card?
A holo (holofoil) card has a shiny, light-catching effect over the picture. Rarity decides whether a card is printed as a holo in its set, and the effect varies by era: older sets shine in the picture box, while modern full-art and illustration cards can shine across most of the face. The shine is a finish, not a statement about rarity on its own.
What is a reverse holo?
A reverse holo flips the usual layout: the foil sits on the card around the picture, and the artwork stays flat. Many sets print a reverse holo of cards that also have a normal version, and sometimes of cards that are holo in their regular form. How to tell one from the other by eye is in how to tell a reverse holo from a holo.
What are named foil patterns?
Beyond holo and reverse holo, some cards carry a foil with a repeating texture or design. Collectors use names like cosmos (or galaxy) holo and cracked ice holo for patterned foils that appear on promos and in some older sets, and Pokémon has used Poké Ball and Master Ball patterns on reverse-holo-style cards in recent sets. These names are partly collector shorthand, so the same pattern can go by more than one name.
House of Holos records a pattern only when the catalog lists it for that card. If your copy has a pattern the card’s printings do not show, keep a note instead of picking a different finish.
How do the types compare?
| Type | Where the foil is | Label in House of Holos |
|---|---|---|
| Normal / non-holo | Nowhere. Gloss or sleeve glare is not foil. | Normal |
| Holo | In the artwork; on some eras the border too | Holo |
| Reverse holo | Around the artwork, which stays flat | Reverse holo |
| Named pattern | A textured or patterned foil on a holo or reverse holo | The finish plus the pattern, like “Reverse holo, cosmos foil” |
| Metal | A metallic finish the catalog lists for a few cards | Metal |
Scroll sideways for the full comparison.
How do I tell them apart?
Start with where the foil is, tilt the card under steady light and compare the picture, the text area and the border separately. Then check the same set and collector number against the printings listed for that card. A shiny border alone does not make a card a reverse holo, and no foil effect tells you a card is authentic or what condition it is in.
How do these show up in a collection?
Each finish and pattern is its own printing of the same numbered card. Your tracker needs to keep them apart, because a normal copy does not fill a reverse-holo slot if your goal asks for both. What counts toward a master set explains how to decide which printings belong in your scope.
To see the printings of a real set, open the 151 card list, open a card and compare its listed printings with the one you hold. Add the matching printing and the number of copies; keep normal and reverse copies separate.