How to make a Card Game / Tarot Deck
You can watch a tutorial about how to download templates for your game here: https://youtu.be/VggD1_mTlmY
You can watch a tutorial about how to design images using our templates here: https://youtu.be/8IDecwxMakY
You can watch a tutorial about how to load your images into a game here: https://youtu.be/fFQcLH5yTiE
You can watch a tutorial about how to order your game here: https://youtu.be/ual0FnfQcMI
We currently offer three card material types:
Standard cards
Clear cards
Foil cards
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Selecting a card size for the deck
When you click on an item, it will take you to that product's page. There, you can download the template for that card.
You can watch a tutorial about how to download templates for your game here: https://youtu.be/VggD1_mTlmY
Info You Must Know to Use our Templates/ Site
You can watch a tutorial about how to design images using our templates here: https://youtu.be/8IDecwxMakY
When designing images for our cards, you will want all important information to fall within the blue dotted "Safe Zone" line. All information between the blue dotted safe zone and the red cut line (where we will cut out the item) is not guaranteed to be printed. Everything outside the red cut line is the bleed zone. You will need to create the background of your image so that it fills the bleed zone.
Here are examples of cards that have full bleed beyond the red cut line and where all the important information is within the blue dotted safe zone. If drift of 1/8" were to occur, then it would not be as noticeable compared to a card that has uniform borders. Borders will exaggerate any drift that can occur during printing and cutting.
Cards of the same type/shape/size within one game copy will not be an any particular order or sorted by deck when packaged. If you are creating decks within one game that must arrive separated, please use our embedded games option.
Cost of the cards
The Items Per Sheet is how many cards are printed on one sheet at a time. This number can vary depending on the size of the cards. While you are not required to use the entire sheet, we will use the whole sheet for your order.
You always pay for the full sheet for all components, because we can't process part of a sheet. We don't send you the blanks because generally, people don't want blank components in their games, especially when selling them.
Example: If your game contained 25 poker cards, you would be charged for two sheets, because this would use 18 cards from the first sheet and 7 cards from the second sheet.
Selecting a box
A 20-page booklet takes up the thickness of 4 cards in a box.
You can see all our box options here.
Each box has a total card limit in the description of the box.
You will want to download a box template that works for your deck.
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Meanings Booklet/Document
When selecting a booklet, you will want to make sure it will fit in the box you selected.
If you choose a Document {8.5 x 11 in}, it will be folded to fit into any box you select. In a tuck box, a 1-page folded document takes up the space of 9 cards.
Booklets come in a variety of sizes and page limitations:
- Jumbo Booklet {8 x 10 in}-Max Page Count 40 pages
- Large Booklet {5 x 8 in}- Max Page Count 20 pages
- Medium Booklet {3.5 x 5 in}-Max Page Count 20 pages
- Small Booklet {2.5 x 3.5 in}- Max Page Count 20 pages
- Tall Booklet {4.5 x 8 in}- Max Page Count 40 pages
- Tarot Booklet {2.75 x 4.75 in}- Max Page Count 40 pages
- Digest Perfect Bound Book (8.39 x 5.38 in)- Minimum page count 40- Maximum page count- 200
- Letter Perfect Bound Book (8.51 x 11 in)- Minimum page count 40- Maximum page count- 200
When you load pages into the booklet, the first page you load will be the cover and page 1. Every image you load is a page. A 20-page booklet means you are able to load 20 images, with the first image and last image becoming the front and back of the booklet.
Booklets are printed in sets of 4 pages at a time. If the number of pages you load is not divisible by 4, then you will have blank pages in the booklet.
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Estimating the Cost of the Deck
The best way to find the cost of your game would be to build a quote in our system. You can find more information about how to do this at https://help.thegamecrafter.com/article/23-game-costs
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Making the Images Using the Templates
You can see our list of recommended image editing programs here: https://help.thegamecrafter.com/article/31-design-tools
You will want to open the template directly into the editing program, then design on top of the template using layers. That way, the base image size will be correct.
When finished, export each image in either PNG (recommended) or JPG format. We are not able to accept any other file types.
Note that every image file must have a unique name before you upload it. If you upload more than one file that has the same name, the newest file uploaded will replace the last file uploaded with the same name automatically. For example, if you had two images named Card A.png, then when you uploaded the second file with that name, the first file would be replaced (rather than having two separate cards created from these images). Instead, you'd want to name your image files something like Card A1.png and Card A2.png when creating them.
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Loading Images Into the Deck
We use the term "game" for the place where you will load your images.
Think of a "game" more like a basket where you tell our system what you wish to have sent to you. What you add to that game does not need to be a full game--you can just add 1 card and we will send you that 1 card if you order the game.
You can watch a tutorial about how to load your images into a game here: https://youtu.be/fFQcLH5yTiE
First, you will need to make an account on our site or log into your account.
You will click on "Make" at the top of the screen, then select "Games."
There you will see the option to Add a Game at the bottom of the screen.
Clicking on the "Create Game" button after you name the game will take you to the edit area of the new game you've created.
You will see four main sections/tabs:
Make: This is where you will select components for your game and load your images.
Sell: This is where you will load images for your shop page, set the MSRP for the game, and publish your game for sale.
Test: This is where you can purchase an art test or sanity test for your game, or enter it into a contest.
Crowd Sale: This section is for creating and applying for a crowd sale for your game.
To create your deck, click on "Add Custom Component" at the right of the screen.
Here, you can click on a component type, search by keyword, etc. Click on "Cards," then on "Add to Game" next to the card size you wish to use.
You can upload your deck back image by either clicking on the box in the Back section to select an image to upload, or dragging and dropping your image there. Note: If you do not upload a deck back image, then our system will automatically assign one of your unique card back images as the deck back image. This will be used for the thumbnail on your Shop page, as well as for any card in the set for which you do not upload a unique back image.
Next, to upload cards to the deck, you can either click on the the box in the Cards section to select images to upload, or drag and drop your image(s) there. Note that we recommend limiting the number of images you upload to batches of 25 or less.
You can determine whether each card in your deck will use the deck back image you've uploaded, or its own unique back image, through the setting in the "Back From" field.
When you select "Card" instead of the default setting of "Deck," you'll then see a field where you can upload a unique card back image.
To proof the images in your deck, you can click on the Proof All button.
If the image follows our template, you can click on the green Approve button. Then you will be taken to the next image that needs approval.
You can watch a tutorial about how to design images using our templates here: https://youtu.be/8IDecwxMakY
Ordering the Game
You can learn about placing your first order, as well as issues new designers often encounter, here: https://help.thegamecrafter.com/article/429-how-to-order-your-game
To buy a copy of your game, you will need to add it to your cart. When you are editing your game, you will find the green Add To Cart button near the top right of the screen.
You can also add a game to your cart from the My Games screen, by clicking the drop-down arrow next to the Edit button and selecting "Buy" from the list.
Here is a step by step tutorial of how to order your game after you have loaded all your images and proofed them: https://youtu.be/ual0FnfQcMI
After you add the game to your cart, you can click on the shopping cart in the top right of your screen to go through the checkout process.
Note: We have a standard waiting period of three days between your first order of your own, custom-printed game and when you will be able to place a second order. After the three-day waiting period, the system will no longer show you as a first-time customer and will lift the restriction.
There is also a limit of $250 on your first order of your own, custom-printed game.
These limits are in place for your protection. We strongly encourage game designers to review the printed copies of their games for any errors or omissions prior to publishing, or ordering multiple copies of a game.