In which Martin shows you the equipment, materials, and steps required to quickly and easily produce laminated print and play game cards.
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PnP file used in this video: www.boardgamegeek.com/filepag...
Sir I am 13 years old and I make decent card games in my opinion out of notecards and now thanks to you I just have to save some money and I can make my cards look and feel really professional!! THANK YOU SO MUCH
The trumpet jedi You are most welcome! :)
Keep creating! I wish I had made some of the ideas I had when I was your age. Who knows it could lead to a career or a side hobby job for you.
You spoke (wrote) exactly as Tony Stark speaks in Iron man movies
The trumpet jedi use an iron to laminate them
good luck!!
I looked all over the internet for some kind of instruction like this. I am doing a card game for a school project and this video is going to be the reason that I get an A+:)
Glad to hear that my tutorial video is helpful to you. :)
“And then we’re gonna do that 130 more times then we’re done”
Yes, fantastic prospect, totally Zen. Times 4 for rounding the corners.
Hi Martin, thank you for creating this video showing everyone how to create their own laminated cards.
I LOVED this video. You didn’t miss any steps. Thank you!
Thanks Martin, been looking for a great corner cutter and your endorsement sells it after seeing all your quality work on the solo FB forums. Keep up the great work and I look forward to some other tutorials to get your quality :-D
It's like you have your own print shop at home. It looks so nice!
Thank you Martin for your video! I am very impressed with your instructions and technique and I'm so glad to have stumbled on it.
This is the "how to video" I was looking for on card stock lamination! Super Awesome Job Martin! Thank you so much for making a simple, easy, very well done video for us who are interested in laminating print and play games👍👍.
Thank you so much for taking the time to show us your beautiful tutorial I cannot wait to try your method!
You are welcome, thanks for watching! :)
Thank you for the in depth tutorial and timestamps 😊
Thanks Martin for these great tutorials! Makes me want to jump into PnP making immediately! Nicely done! Thanks!
Thank you! Glad that you found the tutorial helpful. :)
Hello, you have just changed my life. In a good way. Cant describe how much thankful am i.
Thank you for showing! I love playing cards but gonna be using your method for yoga asanas cards 🤩
thanks for actually answering the real questions!
Love this, I just picked up Fallout Wasteland Warfare and its RPG expansion book and it is a mini-card heavy system. Modephius provides PDFs of all of the cards made so far and I want to print common item cards like food and meds so I can give them to the players without worrying about them losing the originals.
That's how best tutorials in youtube are. This the simple tutorial I found that helped me to create my own card deck. Thank you so much. 👌👍
David Deutsch Jones Thanks, glad you found my tutorial useful! :)
This will give my fast action cards for my baseball games last much longer Thank you young man
Your videos are highly underrated! Thank You for the education!
Thank you!
that tutorial is a pure gold. Thank you
Nick Delono Thank you! :)
I wanted to say thank you for the info. I bought the exact same kit and was able to laminate my own fan-made player's boards for the game Th Grizzled Armistice. I used all your tips and it ended all very well.
You are most welcome! I'm so glad that my humble video enabled you to make your own PnP project. Thanks for letting me know! :)
Thanks so much. SPOT ON what I was wanting to know AND see!
Ben Burris You’re welcome, thanks for the kind words! :)
Ben Burris You’re welcome, thanks for the kind words! :)
You sir are truly an angel, this video has all the information I needed to produce my Lenormand deck!!!!! Thank you so much!!!!!!!
You're very welcome!
Thank you for the great tips on what equipment to buy and what techniques worked best for you, such as laminating each sheet twice.
obiwan4242 You’re welcome, thanks for watching, and I hope you find my videos useful. :)
Very cool! Thanks for sharing this technique!
Soul Dagger You’re welcome, thanks for watching! :)
Honestly this is amazing. I wish i had this tech available when i was in grade and middle school!
this is so helpful!! i’m making card games for family and friends as holiday presents this year and i couldn’t find a good tutorial that fits the supplies i have, i’m only 14 so i have to use what my family already has. thank you so much, this is such a good tutorial! :)
Thank you! Glad that my tutorial has been helpful to you. :)
Get yourself a Möbius + Ruppert roll cat.
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing these great tips.❤
Thanks for watching!
Yes! I have created game cards with my laminator. it's a great way to bond with them and make them last longer. great walkthrough!
Awesome! Thank you!
This is the greatest tutorial about card lamination on youtube. Thank you!
Thank you! :)
This is really helpful! I’m 13 years old and just made my first card game! I’m hoping the supplies I ordered will arrive soon. Can’t wait to try out this method!
Thanks for your kind words! Very glad that you found my tutorials helpful. :)
Great video Martin! If i need to make some pnp cards - now im ready!
Thanks for watching, and for your kind words! :)
Thank you, I’m not sure if I will do this but I have been really getting into card games recently so ya never know 😃
After searching all over, this is the best and most informative video I've found. Ordered all of these supplies and I'm excited to get started! Thanks for making this.
Thank you for your kind words! I am glad that my tutorial video has been helpful to you. :)
@@MartinGonzalvez Hi Martin. Javi0usly here again (using my other account). Just wanted to let you know that I plugged this video in our most recent upload. Thanks again for putting this tutorial together! It was super helpful. Here's the video if you're interested: kzhead.info/sun/l8Obiauti5ukn3A/bejne.html
Very awesome detailed video! You’ve answered my questions.
Thanks, glad it was helpful! :)
Excellent tutorial! I definitely want to give this method a go. : )
Thank you so much for this! I was looking for a way to make my own game tokens that would hold up to wear and tear.
Thank you! I think this is the best method I've seen.
Mikeala Weaver Thanks, glad you found this tutorial useful. :)
that Fiskars paper trimmer is a life saver! I have been struggling with scissors all this time. I think you made a really good video!
Thanks for your kind comment! Im glad that the Fiskars paper trimmer has improved your PnP experience. :)
Great tutorial. Super helpful. Thanks a ton.
You’re welcome! :)
This tooooo cool! I have some magic playing cards I want to make as a prototype and your tutorial really helps... thanks!
You’re most welcome! Happy to help. :)
I was surprised so many people in the comments never thought of doing this method. I thought of doing this and fortunately created my first deck 17 years ago when i was in Junior High. We have all the supplies and materials available in my mom's office at home back then until now. After cutting the cards and make round edges, i would make another run of laminating each cards one last time.
Thanks Loads For Making This Video, 1 Of The Best Videos I've Seen, Really Useful & Helpful, Loads Of Great Tips, Thanks Loads Again :)
Rachael Louise Gerrard You are most welcome, and thanks for the kind words! :)
Thank you for another great video!
Thanks for watching!
Fantastic! I hope there are no typos!
You should have some Amazon affiliate links. You are selling the heck out of their products. :)
Lol
thank you, this helps me with the cards I want to make
Nice video! That's the same laminator that we use. I also always run my PNP stuff through the laminator twice, I think it just helps the final product, and I'm glad I'm not alone in that. :D I'll need to check out that paper trimmer. I bought one a while ago, but it doesn't have a guide wire and I found my cuts to end up skewed. I still prefer and exacto knife, even to the rotary cutter because I found mine kept getting dull easily - I had to constantly press very hard. I do want to upgrade my corner cutter, and that's the one I was eyeing, so it was cool to see that in action. Also, thanks for showing off this re-theme. I know what I'm doing after vacation. :D
Geek City USA Thanks for watching, and for your kind words! :)
Would have never known that you could fuse the laminate better if done twice... without the laminate separating. Cool!
Hi, Martin! I am developing my own desk game, so I was looking long and hard for a method to create profesionally looking cards, tokens, etc. for fast development and really enjoyable playtesting. Regarding making cards I independently came to very similar method as you have. Except I use "double sided matt photo paper" (which is almost the same as regular cardstock), I print it with 6-ink EPSON tank system photo printer, then I feed it through a slightly better laminator with 4 rollers, so at first I laminate only once (with matt laminating pouches), then I cut the cards via print'n'cut feature on my silhouette cameo 4, and then I run my individual cards through laminator again to better fuse lamino to the paper, and to cure the edges which might be a little corrupted after cutting. I have not yet found any significant difference in quality after running cards though laminator the second time, but also nothing yet disproved that logic of mine, so I still rather follow through. Also if you ever need to make everlasting game plan tiles, I found the best method is to print the shape (even intricate ones) on 3D printer (I usually use white rPLA), then sand the top surface, clean it with IPA, and cover it with printable vinyl sticker (also printed then precisely cut on desktop cutter like Silhouette). Theese look really professional, last a lifetime, and overall are way better to play with than that pressed paper boards that comes with commercial games 😏 Of course, that whole equipment bundle would cost you just north of $1000 USD, but considering that laminator and inkjet printer you already have, you'll just need a desktop cutter ($199 USD for Silhouette portrait 3), and similarly priced 3D printer if you choose to make plastic tiles.
One thing I do is, after I cut all my laminated cards out and trim the corners if applicable, run them through the laminating machine a THIRD time (like you, I do two passes before cutting them out). I'm obsessed at getting a nicely glued lamination on the cards, as well.
I was thinking the same thing. Maybe I'm superstitious, but I have the feeling that another pass after the cutting does also "smoothen" the cut edges a bit. Idk or maybe this only happens when cutting with scissors: The edges feel a bit sharp and uneven...
Thank you! A few years ago some of my friends gave me a limited edition of The Witcher 3's (a popular videogame) second expansion, which included 2 decks from its ingame cardgame minigame. The other 2 decks accessible are on the limited edition of the first expansion, which are almost impossible to find, aren't sold or shipped to my counrty, and if they exist they are absurdly expensive (180USD or higher). Also there was a 5th deck that was never made in any physical format. I decided to use the layouts and symbols of my authentic 2 decks and the pictures from the minigame to make those 3 remaining decks, and after a long time working on it i found a guy who could make the cards, but he suddenly stopped responding me. I even borrowed him 2 cards as a reference for the calibration of his printers colours and he never gave them back. It makes me really happy to see that i can make the cards on my own, and that you even shared the exact products and how to buy them. For me it's critical to have good quality cards, because the ones i will make will be played right next to the originals and I want them to look just as good. I'm really grateful, Martin. Again, thank you. Ps: Just in case, i'm not trying to counterfeit the game or material from the limited edition. Doing the cards myself will be absurdly expensive to sell them (considering the amount of time invested in making the digital versions, printing, laminating and cutting). Also the game has an online and free upgraded version, which would also make this unprofitable. I just want to have fun with my friends with the wonderful gift they gave me from a franchise that i really love.
Gwent is the exact same reason I'm trying to print cards myself. You team yen or triss ?
@@abbasmogul7039 Uf, tough question. I was originally team Triss, but since I recently read the books I'm planning to play the game and go for Yennefer and see how it goes. As for the printable gwent decks, you can check these links to find the files of all the decks for printing. www.reddit.com/r/witcher/comments/3anq4q/complete_printable_gwent_decks_in_full_300_ppi_40/ www.reddit.com/r/gwent/comments/4rabye/another_guide_for_printing_gwent_cards_complete/ Regarding my own files... since I don´t have new files for Nilfgaard and Northern Realms I haven't shared them online. Also there are still errors I'm trying to polish. I hope the ones in the link are useful to you :)
@@LostieMJ thanks a lot I already started making them I'm with triss btw
You changed my life, thanks
For the better, I hope! :)
Awesome video!
Hi Martin, First of all thanks for all the tutorial. I too prefer the print and laminate method as you shown here. However, what I repeatedly failed to do is to perfectly align the double sided printing. I am curious of how did you manage to do that? Thanks again for your help and hopefully you see this question and willing to share your method. Cheers!
Nice tips. I may use some of these ideas to laminate my Strat-O-Matic cards.
Sports Man Z Thanks for watching! Glad that you like some of my tips. :)
Beautiful. I would love to make these for comic book covers. I need to find files though...
I really enjoy this method as well. I was surprised that you went for the medium corner with these vs the small corner on the paper only version. I’m assuming they are the same size so I’m curious why the change? Thank you for these videos.
Question: If you do double sided when you print, how do you feed the paper back into machine so the back of it is printed correctly ie: not upside down when you flip the card over etc? Also, do you put the paper back in the printer with the printed images/texts facing up so that when it goes back in the back is printed on the other side of the paper instead of on top of the side u already printed?
New to your channel. Is there a specific program for the double sided sheets, so they line up with the back? Appreciate the time you've gone through. Your explanations are great for us laymans.
Really good video, thank you
Must give this a try. Thanks.
You're welcome! :)
Hello Martin, it looks like you have a very nice printer that delivers very good quality prints with both sides. Can you share which model of printer you are using? Do you recommend something better or is that what you're using enough?
Hi Martin, Thanks for great tutorial. Can you tell me what youe printer is? I ask cause 110 lb is pretty thick paper so not all printers can handle them. Looking forward to receive an answer. Best regards
I have an important question: did you use a high precision printer? Because I'm a bit concerned with the alignment of the rear face with the front face. I'm planning the printing layout of my custom Clow Cards and I'm not sure if the digital precision will be maintained when it comes to actual print. Thanks.
Thanks Martin! I’m trying to make my own card sleeves. Like the $5 packs at trading card game stores. This helps me get closer to finding a solution
Much better then the old glue style. I've been using my laminator for my roll and writes. Now I have a new purpose.
Excellent video!
Thanks! :)
you are the custom card god my friend thanks!!!
Thanks for your kind words! :)
New subscriber. :) i used label paper 8.5 x11 white and cardstock for other side. Print them and apply a few layers of transparent aerosol barnish.
Hi there! I used to make PnP cards with a card stock core, with plain paper front and back, spray glued, with protective lacquer applied. I still use that technique for some builds, but nowadays I prefer to laminate my cards. :)
Awesome video. Thank you
Thanks! :)
Thank you for this!
My pleasure!
Great. Thank You very much. Just a tip: You can get non-glossy laminating pouches if thats what you prefer.
Thanks, I have tried them. They do not seem to adhere as well as the glossy ones, and they cost significantly more than the regular pouches. :)
@@MartinGonzalvez Thanks . That's good to know ( - haven't tried them the myself)
Nice video sir. Would be more helpful if you could share link for purchasing the supplies.
A great instructional video! Definitely using this method. May I know how you design artwork for your cards? For example, what programs do you use? If you can provide tips for complete beginners in digital artwork (like I have no idea how to use Photoshop, best I've done is use PowerPoint to make simplistic artwork and fonts) that would be much appreciated!
Thanks for your kind words, Rachel! The tools I use to compose cards and other components are all Mac-based. I use Multideck (sort of the Mac version of Nandeck, but easier to use) + Excel to specify layouts, I use Pixelmator (a Mac clone of Photoshop that does not require a subscription) to edit images, and I use Keynote (a Mac version of Powerpoint) to make icons, add shadows, outlines, make image masks, etc.
if you don’t have a laminator, an iron will work. just keep the temperature low enough.
How low of a setting? :)
May i ask how exactly i can do that?
This is not related but can i ask can i use normal paper instead of cardstock? Tks
van cass hey man could you please tell me how to do it?
I will just spend 20 bucks😂
Hey Martin! I just made my own mini tarot cards using your technique and it worked so well. Thanks so much for your tutorial!
That's what I'm trying to do. With mini ones, but they didn't stay together when I cut them
Thank You for the video. I don't know if to laugh or to weep for the 20 $ laminator. Some Years ago (well, MANY Years ago) I bought a GBC laminator, A3. It has seen little work, but the funny part is that its price was around 500 € .......
Best video ever!
great work. One Q: once you finish, does looks like the finish of the real box? I mean, those type of comercial boxes looks as if they have a final coating or thin film on top of the printing (sorry here, not an expert on this matter). Is that the case, did they apply a thin film after printing or can you get the same result with just top quality paper? thanks!!!
What size Amazon basic laminator machine is that? I notice Amazon basic laminator machine comes in 9 inch and 12 inches? Also, I know in another video you said you prefer scotch's laminator sheets the most but are the amazon basic laminator pouches that you use in this video still good?
12 inches, and I prefer Scotch but Amazon basics will do in a pinch.
Thanks so much, amazing tutorial. You have different tutorials for card. Is this the latest method you recommend?
Hi Diego -- yes, laminating PnP cards is my latest and favorite method to make PnP cards. I find it faster, cheaper and more convenient than other methods that I have tried. :)
Amazing!
Really nice video. Do you actually play with these cards? Since I have three questions about this method: 1. Aren't the cards a little too slippery? 2. Does cuttiing through plastic make the blade of the cutter dull really fast? My third question: when playing often, do the edges of the cards split apart time a little bit (i.e. the edges of paper and laminating material)? Thanks for answering, Michael.
Hi Michael, thanks for your comment and questions! Here are my responses: 1. Nope, I find the cards have just the right amount of slide vs. friction. 2. Not really. And replacement blades are cheap. I also use a kitchen knife sharpener to sharpen my current blades if need be. :) 3. With the method I show here in this video, using these materials, I have not experienced any splitting or delamination. I have experienced delamination with some other types of paper, or when i get fance and try to construct a card from a separate front and back, glue together, then laminate. But you should be fine as long as you stick to the method and materials i show in this video. Also, rounding the card corners helps to prevent delamination at the corners/edges. Thanks for watching! :)
Hey Martin! Thanks for the video. Very helpful!! Are your prints done with a laser printer or ink jet? I can't find any info about laminating with laser printer prints. Laser Toner is basically melted plastic dust. I was concerned there would be smudging of the laser prints through a hot laminator two times. Any suggestions or help with types of print ink/toner to use? Have you run into any problems with this and the laminator? Thanks so much!
Hi Robert, thanks for the kind words. I print in inkjet then laminate.
Good sir you just saved me on a big upcoming project I have. Do you happen to know the best program to make my own cards? It's for a college course and wanting to make it professional
how they re in long term use? peeling off? if it is can we re laminate to fix it ? thanks martin ^___^ great tut!!!!
Hello ! Thank you for that tutorial ! I had some questions though, I plan to make cards like your old tutorial, gluing two normal paper on the cardstock. Would it work to put normal paper through laminator then glue it on the cardstock ? Thank you in advance
Hi Deborah! I don't think gluing laminated paper to card stock backing is a good idea. I would recommend either sticking with the lamination method as shown here, or you could try a more advanced variant of the "three layers of paper/card stock core" method in my other video, that involves replacing the card stock core with a laminate core. More work, but the cards produced have a premium feel and look. It involves using two layer of 24 lb. linen paper for front/back, and a laminate sheet core. You glue the linen paper front/back to a single sheet of laminate, then you run that though the laminator to stiffen the core. Rachel Bruner explains the procedure in this video: kzhead.info/sun/d8uHetF5ooFnkoU/bejne.html
I need this tutorial to make my own playing cards. Thank you! BTW, do you know a PC software that helps me to place the cards inside the frame to print them at the desired dimension on the A4 sheet of paper?
Hi Martin. Thanks for a great tutorial. I am wondering on how to actually print on the same sheet on both sides. It seems your printer does a pretty good job with alignment. Is it that reliable? I have found that it is really difficult to get a good alignment with any printer. Does your printer autofeed the sheet to print on the other side?
Juan Francisco Torres Hello Juan! Yes, depending on the printer it can be a real challenge to align the front and back images duplex-printed to either side of a single sheet of card stock. After much trial and error, and many test prints, I have learned that my printer tends to print the card backs around 25 mm higher up the page than the card fronts. So before I duplex print the card fronts and backs, I first edit the PnP PDF in an image editor like Photoshop (actually Pixelmator, which is a Mac clone of Photoshop that requires no subscription) to lower the card backs on the page by about 25mm, then export the edited card backs to PDF and insert in the PnP PDF file. This way, when I duplex print the card fronts and backs, they line up almost perfectly. For the most part. On a home printer, you can almost always expect some level of variation/shift of the image position on a page from one printout to another. This is due to unavoidable variances in how each sheet is mechanically fed through the paper carriage system in the printer. You can mitigate the effect by editing the PnP file as I have described, but millimeter-level front/back registration will be virtually impossible on a home printer. There will always be some level of variance that I have learned to accept in exchange for the convenience of laminating my PnP cards. Hope this helps! :)
@@MartinGonzalvez thanks! It does help a lot. The trial and error in the printer will show those misalignments and can be corrected as you explain. Will use that method now!
Hey man, great videos. Can you please make a video on boxes? Like telescoping boxes and tuck boxes. And also, would cardboard paper do the trick for this? Thanks
Long Thanks for your comment! Sadly, making game boxes is not a skill that I currently possess. I would suggest you like for “Dining Table PnP”, that’s Jake Staines’ channel, he has tutorial videos on how to make game boxes (and many other PnP-related items).
Thanks for the quick response and the recommendation. I was wondering what weight of cardstock I should use. The card stock I am going to is is 80 lb.
@@long3974 Sounds good! If the cards end up feeling too thin, you can try using 5mil laminating pouches to increase the card thickness while using thinner paper.
Excellent presentation. I was wondering if you know where to get a template (.jpg?) to create -- meaning the artwork etc... -- the cards themselves?
Brandon Musler Thanks for your kind words! :) Nowadays I have created a number of PnP cards and pages from scratch. I generally make a new template in Photoshop or Pixelmator for each project. I size individual cards at poker size: 2.5 inches width by 3.5 inches height, 300 dpi. I size PnP pages at US Letter, 8.5 inches width by 11 inches height. I use rulers and guides to create a grid to make sure that my individual cards are properly aligned on the page. Finally I place 1 pixel horizontal and vertical cut lines. When I’m done I export such page to PDF. Repeat the process for each page until the PnP file is completed.
@@MartinGonzalvez is there a tutorial about designing the cards?
Jan De Buysser kzhead.info/sun/lrmqp92enHWggmw/bejne.html
Jan De Buysser Yes!
you should put the links to the items in the description so you get a commision. Good video anyways, it will help alot.
Thanks! :)
I love this video this is super cool thank you for making this super informative and helpful!!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the excellent video. What printer do you use to be to print on 110lb card stock with double-sided?
I made this video almost four years ago. Since then I’ve switched to printing to 65 lb card stock, as eventually I found 110 lb card stock to be too thick. Plus it damaged my old HP Officejet Pro 8015 printer. Now I have an HP Officejet Pro 9018 printer. I don’t ever print to card stock thicker than 65 lb.
How do these hold up, though? I often make and laminate dividers for my LCGs and even just the riffling through those when searching through my collection (never mind shuffling) causes the corners to start to peel over time.
I'd love an update on how durable these are. I've done this myself and the edges started to delaminate after some time, but this was with no prior research and my mums cheap laminator
Hello there Martin! That was exactly the kind of solution i was looking for!! The colors on your cards look so slick! What printer do you use?
Hello, thanks! Glad my video helped. I use an HP Officejet Pro 9018 printer. :)
@@MartinGonzalvez Thanks for the quick reply! :)
Even Better!
Great tutorial. A conversion useful for some: 110 pound paper is 160 gsm.
110 pound cardstock = 270-308 gsm. Source: altenew.com/pages/cardstock-sizes-and-paper-weights
@@MartinGonzalvez That's very curious. I used a converter, which gives about 1.5 gsm per pound. Looking closer, I see that that is for paper and there is a different conversion for "cover" stock, which would be consistent with the value you've found. When I take a look at the Walmart site, I find 110 lb cardstock paper at about the price you mention. I don't see any cover stock, but there are many pages of search results that I haven't gone through comprehensively. So now I'm really confused. How sure are you of the conversion? For comparison, the pack of index cards I have here would be at 170 gsm.
If you look very closely at the package on the Walmart site, they give the value in gsm! It's 199 gsm, and just barely readable in the image.
@@mijaba71 Don't know what to tell you. Every chart and guide I find online converts 110 pound card stock to around 270-310 gsm. There's a graphical chart at this link that I find illustrates the equivalents very well. www.cardstock-warehouse.com/pages/cardstock-paper-basis-weight-chart