How to Make Game Cards Online in 5 Simple Steps

Have you ever wanted to design your own custom deck of cards for a card game you created? Maybe a unique set of playing cards as a gift for a gamer friend? Or perhaps a fun deck of cards for your family game night?

Making customized game cards is easier today than ever thanks to online card making tools. In this post, as a professional custom game cards printing manufacturer, I’ll walk you through a simple 5 step process to design and print game cards from the comfort of your home.

Why Make Custom Game Cards Online?

Here are just a few of the reasons you may want to create custom cards online:

• Make a card game you invented real – Bring your game idea to life with actual cards and components. Easy to iterate new versions too.
• Create unique gifts for gamers – Design a one-of-a-kind card deck as a gift for your favorite board game lover. Way more meaningful than just buying a game.
• Save money – Believe it or not, getting cards printed yourself is very affordable these days. No need to hire a graphic designer and printer.
• Launch a card game business – Validate your game idea by making a prototype deck to playtest. Soft launch by printing small batches as needed.

So if any of those reasons resonate with you, read on!

How to Make Game Cards Online

Step 1: Choose an Online Card Making Tool

The first step is finding software to actually design your cards. Here are some top options:

NanDECK – Extremely powerful card generating software. The learning curve is steep but it handles just about any card layout you can think of.

Inkscape – Open source vector graphics editor similar to Illustrator. Very versatile for all kinds of card and game component design.

Card Creator – Web-based card maker from PrinterStudio. More user-friendly but less advanced features than NanDECK. Nice templates though!

Photoshop – Industry standard image editing software. Overkill for basic card design but great if you want full creative control.

I recommend starting out with Card Creator. It has an intuitive drag-and-drop designer and nice templates to base your cards off of.

Step 2: Setup Your Card Template

Every deck of cards needs a template – a layout to display card information like title, images, icons, stats, text or whatever else.

Here are tips for laying out eye-catching game cards:

• Feature one major graphic that grabs attention
• Use a clean, readable font like Arial or Helvetica
• Leave adequate whitespace – don’t clutter the design!
• Include relevant card stats like cost, health, speed, etc
• Show abilities or actions players can take with the card

Spend time planning this template out. It lays the foundation for your cards to have a consistent look and feel. Expect the templating stage to involve lots of iteration to get it just right!

Step 3: Add Graphics and Text to Your Cards

This is where the fun really starts! Pour your creative ideas into making each card visually stunning and informative.

Regarding images and graphics:

• Show something representative of that card like a character portrait or scene
• Use high resolution raster images (PNG, JPG) for best print quality
• Vector images (SVG) also print nicely and scale to any size

On the text front:

• Feature prominent, easy to read card titles
• Use concise flavor text to bring your game world to life
• Include clear explanations of any abilities or stats

Aim for text brevity but don’t sacrifice clarity just to save space. Cramming tons of tiny text onto a card won’t be readable or enjoyable.

Step 4: Print Your Cards

This last step is super easy thanks to on demand printing services like PrinterStudio. Turnaround time can be as little as 2 business days!

When ordering your deck here are some options worth considering:

• Print a few test copies first to check quality
• Upgrade card thickness for better durability
• Add polish, foil or holographic finishes for some “wow” factor
• Request a tuck box or custom sleeve for the full package

Note that ordering even 50 basic cards only costs $10-15 total. Very affordable to print a small batch for playtesting or giving personal gifts.

Step 5: Playtest Your Cards!

Alright, with freshly printed cards in hand it’s go time! Call over some friends or family to be your first card testers.

Here are some tips to get quality feedback:

• Explain any special rules needed to play with your cards
• Have testers play for at least a full session
• Ask pointed questions about specific cards and mechanics
• Find out what cards they liked, disliked and why

Expect lots of imbalanced combos, unclear text and rookie design mistakes at this stage. But don’t get discouraged! Use the feedback to tweak your cards for the next iteration.

Rinse and repeat the playtesting process until you have a super fun deck that’s ready to manufacture in large quantities.

Start Designing Your Own Cards Today!

Creating customized game cards is very rewarding whether you want to bring an imaginative new game to life or craft special gifts for fellow card enthusiasts.

With online tools like Card Creator, stunning card designs with professional printing quality are more accessible than ever before. All it takes is a spark of inspiration and creativity on your part.

So try your hand at card game design using this simple 5 step blueprint:

1. Choose software
2. Setup your template
3. Add graphics and text
4. Print test cards
5. Playtest and refine

Your next hit card game could be just a few clicks away. I hope you’ll use this guide to start brainstorming ideas and turning them into real decks you can hold in your hands and play with friends!

Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips for designing cards online yourself. I’d be thrilled to see what custom decks you come up with.