Making Your Own Playing Cards and Other Games
Have you ever thought about how the characters of your favorite show would match up nicely to the suites on a deck of cards? There are plenty of reasons to make your own playing cards. Maybe you and your honey love to play games; in that instance, personalized card decks would make a fitting wedding favor. There are also plenty of fun games that you can get inexpensively online and print for yourself, like the now-infamous Cards Against Humanity as well as other Kickstarter-started games. You can even create your own trading cards, tarot cards, or tabletop gaming cards for those looking for a way to add extra excitement to your usual routine.
Whether you want to make them for fun or as a way to make some money, creative playing card decks are a great way to incorporate things you love into daily life in a fun way. If you’re looking to make your own playing cards — or any other card game — keep these tips in mind for a better result.
Choosing Better Materials
We’ve all got that one deck of cards that has seen better days. Maybe it’s a set of playing cards that have been dog-eared and creased from years of use, or maybe your Uno deck was chomped on by a curious pet. Whatever the case, it makes it a lot harder to play a fair game when everyone in the family knows the tooth-marked card is the Joker. If you want to create your own playing cards, it’s important to think about the materials and function as well as the design.
Cardstock
What do you intend to make your cards from? Cardstock is a good starting point. It’s about the right thickness, and it will provide better durability than plain printer paper. Better still, it can be run through your printer at home, making it really easy to design and print your own customized card deck. Of course, if your family and friends like to get a little rowdy when the cards come out, it’s important to consider more durable alternatives. Cardstock will barely last a game or two for anything wilder than playing Go Fish — and let’s face it, if young kids are playing, they’ll wreck cardstock cards pretty quickly even when playing a calmer game.
Lamination
Lamination is also an easy option that means you could print your cards at home. Just print them off, cut them out, and laminate each card individually to get the waterproofing and durability help. Of course, that may mean you need to go out and buy a laminator, but it is a simple enough at-home option. Just prepare yourself for a lot of cutting! And, well, you should also prepare yourself for cards that last barely longer than cardstock. As laminated papers are creased and worn, the protective plastic coating will begin to peel away from the paper. The end result is cards that look foggy and are hard to clearly see.
Professional Printing
This is a common option for artists looking to create and sell multiple sets of playing cards, or who want to create and sell their own unique card games. Individuals can make use of this option too, but it may be more cost prohibitive than you want to delve into. Professional printing opens up more options when it comes to materials. This is how you can get custom-printed projects with detailed designs and a clear, thin plastic coating to protect the cards. The upside is a more durable products and they’ll do the cutting for you. The downside is the cost. Even with bulk order discounts, the cost for better materials will add up quickly. It’s also not generally a cost-effective option for those who only want to print one or two decks.
Waterproof Paper
TerraSlate waterproof paper offers a more durable and cost-effective option for creating your own playing cards and trading cards. All of our waterproof paper products are grease-, chemical-, and solvent-resistant, making them great for game nights with family and friends. Whether you’re hosting poker or bunco, you don’t need to worry about spills and greasy snacks wrecking your custom cards. Our waterproof paper is also rip-proof and colorfast so you don’t have to worry about your designs fading or wearing away — you can rely on the design staying clear and bright after hundreds of rounds of gameplay.
The biggest reason TerraSlate waterproof paper is a great option for creating your own card deck is because we make it easy to get great products using your at-home laser printer. All of our products are colorfast and waterproof straight from the printer — no special coatings or finishing processes needed. Better still, printing and cutting out cards won’t impact the waterproof benefits at all, unlike lamination and other materials. You could easily play cards in the middle of a swimming pool if you wanted; all you need is a floating tabletop!
When it comes to making your own cards, our waterproof paper makes it simple to create custom projects that are incredibly durable. If you’re planning to sell a deck of tarot cards with your artwork on them, or any other custom card project, our waterproof paper gives you an inexpensive way to provide a detailed, high-quality product.
See how easy it can be to print your own cards and other custom projects. Explore the full features and benefits of TerraSlate waterproof paper projects, and then shop our full range of products online to choose your adventure!
Please note that we do not print playing cards in-house but we can sell you the paper to print them at home on your own laser printer or copy machine.
This article was co-authored by Nicole Bolin . Nicole Bolin is a Crafting Specialist and the CEO of Stencil, a DIY Craft Studio in Phoenix, Arizona. Nicole specializes in interior design and various craft and DIY projects. Nicole holds a Certificate in Interior Design from the New York Institute of Art and Design. She opened Stencil in 2017 to teach others to create DIY projects that fit their home and lifestyle. This article has been viewed 123,156 times.
Article Summary
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Making your own playing cards is fun and easy. To get started, create the designs you want on the front of each card. You can either do this using digital art software, or draw the designs by hand and scan or photograph them. Another option is to use photos on your cards, or download pre-existing designs from the web. Don’t forget to choose an image for the backs of the cards, too. Once you’ve created or chosen your images, use a graphic design program to format the designs the way you want. For example, use your software to set the printing dimensions of each card and add details such as the numbers and suit symbols. When you’re completely satisfied with your designs, print them out on cardstock. Depending on how big you make the cards, you can generally fit about 9 card designs on a standard-size piece of printable cardstock. Next, turn the page over and print it out again with the card back designs on the other side. You may need to experiment with how you orient the page in your printer to make sure that the backs and fronts line up properly when you print them out. If you’re satisfied with how the printed cards turned out, use a ruler to draw cutting lines between the cards. Carefully cut out the cards using a paper cutter or a sharp utility knife. Put the finishing touch on your cards by rounding the corners with a special corner-rounding tool, which you can buy in a scrapbooking or arts and crafts store.
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