How to Print Playing Cards Double Sided?

Playing card games are a beloved pastime for many people. Being able to create and print high quality, customized decks of cards at home opens up exciting possibilities for game design and personalization. However, properly formatting cards to print double sided can be tricky.

In this guide, as a professional custom playing card printing manufacturer, I’ll walk through a simple method to prepare playing card image files so the fronts and backs align correctly.

How to Print Playing Cards Double Sided?

What You Need

To print double sided playing cards at home, you’ll need:

• A color printer capable of double sided printing
• Cardstock paper or heavier printable paper
• Image editing software like Photoshop, GIMP, or Illustrator
• Playing card images formatted correctly (more on this below)

Formatting Card Images

The key to properly aligned double sided printed playing cards is getting the card images set up correctly before printing.

Here’s how:

1. Set up your document size. Create a new 8.5″ x 11″ landscape oriented document at 300dpi. This is standard US letter size paper.
2. Add guide lines. Use the line tool to add vertical and horizontal guide lines to visually separate the cards. Make columns approximately 2.5″ wide and rows 3.5″ tall to accommodate standard poker sized cards.
3. Build your sheet. Drag and drop the front face images into the first 4 columns on the left. Then copy and paste those 4 columns and horizontally flip them to create the matching card backs in the 4 columns on the right.
4. Refine alignments. Use the guide lines to visually inspect and refine alignments so fronts and backs will match up. Zoom way in if needed to perfect it.
5. Add cutting lines. Use borders and crop marks so you can easily trim the sheet after printing.

Once the sheet is fully designed, you’re ready to save and print!

Printing Double Sided Cards

With your image file ready, the last step is printing. Just a few quick pro tips:

• Print a test sheet first on normal paper to confirm alignments are correct before using the card stock.
• If colors seem dark or muted, try changing printer settings to “photo paper” and highest quality.
• Allow ink to fully dry before handling printed sheets to avoid smudging.

After printing and trimming, you’ll have professional quality playing cards with perfectly aligned fronts and backs!

Alternative Options

Printing cards yourself takes some effort but gives maximum customization. However, there are easier options available too:

• Order custom decks from professional online card printers
• Use clear card sleeves to pair single sided prints with filler cards
• Laminate printed cards for durability

So explore all the possibilities and figure out the best solution for your specific card printing needs! With the right tools and techniques, you can produce amazing cards right from home.