Print Playing Cards: 7 Quick Steps for Beginners

Have you ever wanted to design and print your own custom playing cards? As an avid tabletop game enthusiast, I constantly dream up new card game ideas that I want to test out with friends. And printing playing cards at home lets me rapidly create prototypes to playtest all my wildest ideas.

In this straightforward guide, I'll walk you through everything you need to know to start printing high-quality playing cards in your own home. With just a basic consumer printer and some cardstock, you'll be shuffling homemade decks in no time!

Step 1: Pick Out Cardstock Paper

The first thing you'll need is a pack of high-quality cardstock. I recommend going with 16pt to 28pt thickness stock for rigidity. You'll also want paper with either a matte or linen finish to adhere ink properly.

Some good affordable options are Neenah's Classic and Bright White cardstock lines. Or if you want more durable waterproof paper, try International Paper's Accent Opaque.

As far as brands, really any office supply manufacturer like Staples or Office Depot will carry basic cardstock that gets the job done. But I actually order most of my supplies from specialty shops like Gobook Printing. Their selection and cost per sheet can't be beat!

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Step 2: Find Card Sizes + Templates

Now it's time to start designing. But first you'll want to decide on what physical dimensions you need your cards to be.

Standard poker sized playing cards measure 2.5 x 3.5 inches. Though many newer games use slightly larger cards, like 2.75 x 3.5 inches.

Luckily there are tons of free card templates already made for standard dimensions:

Using a template gives you perfectly sized cut lines, borders, and bleeds. Making the layout a breeze!

My templates of choice are from Inked Gaming. But templated.com and templatemaker.nl work great too.

Step 3: Design Card Faces + Backs

Now open up Photoshop, InDesign, or even Microsoft Word... and start designing your cards!

Focus first on laying out eye catching card fronts. Use a program's preloaded shapes, custom images, stylish text to make them truly unique.

If this is your first time, don’t worry about making anything super fancy. Print some basic numbered cards to test the process out before going all out!

Oh and don’t forget to design card backs as well. For prototypes, a single colored back works fine. But get creative if you want to impress your playtesters!

Step 4: Print Onto Your Cardstock

Your designs are all set! Place your cardstock into your printer’s tray and print away.

A few quick printing tips:

• Always enable "heavy" paper setting if your printer has that option. This helps grip the card firmly.
• For best results, choose "photo paper" quality mode and highest dpi setting.
• Print fronts and backs as separate sheets to avoid alignment issues.
• Consider using crop lines and print multiple small cards per sheet to save paper.

The only other thing I'll call out is that wounderful MTC Kitchen printers specially designed for card printing do exist. But they tend to cost $2,000+!

Step 5: Cut Out Your Playing Cards

Now take your printed sheets over to a cutting area. For perfectly rounded corners, a corner rounder punch is clutch. An old-fashioned paper trimmer works great too.

And while scissors can technically get the job done, your hand will thank you if you pickup a dedicated cardstock cutter like the Swingline Paper Trimmer. Their specialty blades slice through card cleanly in one smooth motion.

Make sure to work on a protected surface since cardstock dulls blades quicker than normal paper. I suggest a self healing cutting mat for easy cleanup of paper dust and debris.

Oh and be sure to use a metal ruler or edge guide when trimming! This helps create perfect cuts every time. No jagged edges from a shaky hand allowed!

Step 6: Create Card Backs (Optional)

I mentioned earlier that a single color card back works fine for prototypes. But if you really want to take your printed playing cards to the next level, consider using decorative backs.

Sure you can design backs directly in Photoshop as we did with card faces. But for intricate geometric patterns or unique textural looks, consider specialty services like MakePlayingCards.com.

They offer literally hundreds of stylish card back designs to choose from. Your freshly printed cards will look oh so professional!

Just upload your card faces and they'll handle printing, cutting, and even packaging. It isn't cheap but it’s worth it for that casino quality feel.

Step 7: Sleeve Your Playing Cards

Alright last step before play testing! Take those cards and pop them into protective sleeves. This prevents scuffs, stains, and damage during gameplay shuffling.

Any standard sized poker or card game sleeves will do the trick. I’m fond of Dragon Shield and Ultra Pro as they offer crystal clear glossy fronts to really make your designs shine!

And there we have it – your own custom deck printed and prepped for its big debut! Now grab some friends, make some snacks, and enjoy hours of fun with your homemade playing cards!

The creative possibilities with homemade card printing are endless. And I hope my quick guide gave you everything you need to start experimenting. If you’re looking for professional custom game card printing services, GobookPrinting is here to help. For more information or assistance, feel free to reach out to us anytime.