As a gaming enthusiast, I love discovering new tabletop games. However, buying physical copies of every interesting game I come across can get expensive pretty quick.
So a few years ago, I started printing some of my favorite games at home. Not only has this saved me a ton of money, but it also allows me to customize and personalize the cards beyond what you can buy in stores.
In this step-by-step guide, as a professional custom game cards printing manufacturer, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to start printing high-quality game cards at home.
Should You Print Game Cards at Home?
Before jumping into the “how”, let’s first go over whether or not printing game cards at home is right for you.
Here are the main advantages of printing your own cards versus buying physical copies:
- It’s cheaper – Once you factor in materials and printer costs, you can print full card game decks for a fraction of what it would cost to buy them.
- Full customization – Modify card sizes, images, text – get as creative as you want.
- Print games that are hard to find – Get your hands on rare/out-of-print games.
- Test new game designs – Easily iterate on your own game prototypes before getting them professionally manufactured.
Of course, there are some downsides to mention as well: - Time investment – Designing cards and dialing in print settings takes time. As does cutting cards out by hand (if you don’t have access to an automated cutter).
- Print quality limitations – Home printers can’t match the print quality and durability of professional card manufacturing.
So if blinged-out pro-quality components are super important to you or if you don’t have much free time, then printing game cards at home might not make sense.
But for most hobby board gamers like myself, the upsides easily outweigh the downsides.
Alright, let’s talk specifics on how to get set up!
How to Print Game Cards at Home?
Step 1: Get Card Printing Supplies
To print game cards at home, you’ll first need to get your hands on a few basic supplies:
A Color Printer
Any consumer-grade color inkjet or laser printer will do here.
I use the Canon Pixma line of wireless inkjet photo printers myself. Though in the past, I’ve also used Epson and HP printers with great results.
The most important thing is that it can handle cardstock paper (more details in a sec).
Cardstock Paper
Plain paper might seem tempting for prototypes but don’t do it! You need rigid cardstock for game cards that will actually last through gameplay sessions.
There are a few factors to consider when selecting cardstock:
- Thickness – I recommend going with 14pt to 16pt thickness stock. This will have some rigidity while still being thin enough to not jam most consumer printers.
- Coating – You generally want paper with either a matte or linen finish. Avoid glossy finish as ink adherence tends to be poor.
- Material – Standard wood pulp-based cardstock works great. Though polyester-based stock will be more tear/water-resistant if needed.
- Brand – Trusted brands like Neenah, Hammermill, and International Paper are all good bets.
In a pinch, you can grab a pack from an office supply store. But I actually order all my cardstock online from ThePaperMillStore. The quality and cost per sheet are much better than what you’ll typically find locally.
Card Sleeves (Recommended)
No, card sleeves have nothing to do with printing cards!
But I wanted to call out that after printing cards, you 100% should double sleeve them in clear card protectors.
This prevents moisture damage during gameplay. And it means you don’t have to laminiate cards which can permanently fuse them together.
Dragon Shield and Ultra Pro make high-quality sleeves for standard poker card sizes.
Step 2: Design Your Cards
Alright – with supplies in hand, it’s time for the fun part. Let’s make some cards!
Choose Dimensions
The first design decision is what physical dimensions you want to print your cards at.
Standard poker card size is 2.5 x 3.5 inches. Though many modern board games use slightly larger cards.
Common card sizes include:
- Poker size – 2.5″ x 3.5″
- Bridge size – 2.25″ x 3.5″
- Tarot size – 2.75″ x 4.75″
- Mini Euro size – 1.75″ x 2.5″
Larger sizes are easier to print and handle. But they take up more table space.
I tend to stick to standard poker size unless a specific game calls for something different.
Create Your Design
Once dimensions are set, open up a graphic design app and start laying out your card fronts/backs.
Tools like Photoshop and Illustrator work great, though they have a learning curve.
Easier online options include Canva.com, Genial.ly, and nanDECK. Though functionality is more limited.
A few graphic design tips:
- Include 0.125″ bleed space around important card art. This is trimmed off after printing.
- Print fronts/backs as separate sheets or offset with a half card gap between pages.
- Center crucial text/iconography so it doesn’t get trimmed off on the edges during cutting.
- Print crop mark guides and cut lines lightly on sheets to ease post-print cutting.
Don’t get too caught up making things perfect from the start. Treat your first prototypes as rough drafts to playtest. You can always refine and re-print them later!
Step 3: Print + Cut Your Game Cards
Alright – your sheet of freshly designed cards is now sitting in the paper tray, ready to go!
Here are some tips for getting pristine prints:
- Choose best quality printer setting (may be called “photo quality” mode)
- Enable heavier paper setting in your printer dialog if available
- Always print from paper tray – avoid printing direct from manual feed
- Print one sheet at a time to avoid paper jams
- Give paper ample time to fully dry before handling/cutting
Once cards are printed, it’s time to cut them apart! Here are some options for that:
- Paper Cutter w/ Cardstock Blade – Fast and easy. Cuts through card cleanly.
- Utility Knife on Cutting Mat – More work but gets the job done!
- Paper Punch – For rounded edges but have to punch two sides separately.
- Scissors – A last resort. Risks jagged edges and sore hands!
And that’s it! Your printed cards are now ready to sleeve up and play.
Enjoy exploring all kinds of new and custom board games you can make on your own. Then when friends come over, break out your unique card collection and have a blast!
BONUS: Two Specialized Printing Techniques
Before we wrap up, I wanted to mention a couple additional techniques that produce even higher fidelity cards:
1. Double Sided Printing – This uses registration marks to perfectly line up card fronts and backs as the card passes through the printer twice. It’s finnicky though and printer dependent.
2. Professional Card Manufacturing – For more durable results or if selling games commercially, you can upload your design to a company like MakePlayingCards or PrinterStudio. Just know that base order quantities tend to start around 250-500 decks minimum.
So there you have it – everything you need to know to start printing high-quality game cards at home for personal use!
I’d love to hear if you end up giving this a try. And feel free to hit me up if any part of the process gives you trouble. Happy printing!