This post helps casual Magic players learn how to make custom Magic cards by using PrintMTG’s MTG Card Maker, so you can playtest ideas or build fun alt versions without wrestling with formatting.
TLDR
If you’re wondering how to make custom Magic cards, start by searching an existing card and letting the builder auto-fill the boring parts.
Pick a template (Modern, Vintage, Mystical Archives, etc.), then change anything: name, mana cost, type line, rules text, power/toughness, art, artist credit.
No formatting required: click icons to insert mana symbols and the tap symbol, and the layout updates live.
Upload art, then drag to move and scroll to zoom. Use the W/H fields if you want it pixel-perfect.
When it looks right in the live preview, you can order prints on PrintMTG (you do not need to become a part-time graphic designer).
If your current process involves Photoshop, five font files, and the emotional arc of “this was a mistake”… welcome. You’re in the right place.
Making a custom Magic card should feel like editing a decklist, not like filing taxes in InDesign. That’s the entire point of PrintMTG’s MTG Card Maker: you pick a frame, type what you want, drop in art, and the template handles the layout. No formatting required. No “why is this textbox drifting.” No sacrificial offering to the gods of kerning.
What “custom Magic cards” usually means (so you don’t overcomplicate it)
Most people making custom Magic: The Gathering cards fall into one of these buckets:
Alt-art re-skins: Same card text, different art and vibe (your Sol Ring is now a cursed waffle iron, as it should be).
Playtest versions: You’re tweaking numbers, wording, or costs to test a homebrew or cube idea.
Custom tokens/emblems: Something readable, consistent, and not a blurry screenshot from 2016.
Gift cards: A friend becomes a legendary creature. Friendship is temporary. Legendary status is forever.
The key is that “custom” doesn’t mean “from scratch and painful.” You can start from an existing card and edit from there, which is the fast lane.
The easiest framework: Good, Better, Best
Here’s a simple decision framework that keeps you from spending three hours on something that should take ten minutes.
If your goal is “I want a custom Magic card that looks clean and plays well,” Good and Better cover about 90% of use cases.
How to make custom Magic cards with PrintMTG’s MTG Card Maker
This is the practical, no-drama flow. It’s also the part where you realize you don’t need to manually align anything (a sentence that should not feel magical, but somehow does).
1) Start with an existing card (the lazy-smart move)
Use the Search MTG Cards field and pick the card you want as a base.
When you do, the card maker can auto-fill the core fields (name, mana cost, type line, rules text, artist, and art). Then you can overwrite literally anything.
This is the fastest way to get a professional-looking layout because the template is already doing the heavy lifting.
2) Choose your template and frame color
Pick a template that matches the vibe you want (Modern, Vintage, Box Topper, Mystical Archives, Full Art).
Then pick a frame color (Blue, Black, Gold, Land, Artifact, etc.).
This matters more than people think. A consistent frame style across your custom cards makes the whole deck feel intentional, not like a ransom note.
3) Edit the card details (no formatting required)
You’ll see dedicated fields for:
Card name
Mana cost
Type line
Rules text
Power / Toughness
Artist
Legal text (the tiny bottom line stuff)
You just type. The layout updates in real time. You do not need to paste in pre-formatted text, you do not need to guess line breaks, and you do not need to learn a markup language invented by a goblin who hates you.
4) Insert mana symbols with one click
Instead of hunting down mana symbol fonts or typing weird brackets, the editor gives you a click-to-insert symbol row (tap, W/U/B/R/G, colorless, X, phyrexian, snow, and numbers).
This is a small feature that saves a shocking amount of time, mostly because it eliminates the “why is my mana symbol a tofu box” problem.
5) Upload artwork, then position it like a normal person
Upload your artwork, then:
Drag to reposition
Scroll to zoom
Use the X/Y/W/H fields for precise control (translation: you can eyeball it, or you can be That Person and dial it in perfectly)
This makes re-skins and custom commanders ridiculously quick. Swap art, adjust crop, done.
6) Use the live preview like a sanity check
Before you call it finished, do the “arm’s length test”:
Can you read the name and mana cost easily?
Is rules text clear, or did you write a small novel?
Is the art cropped in a way that looks intentional (not “oops, I chopped off the character’s face”)?
Are power/toughness and type line clean and not cramped?
Live preview is where typos go to die. Which is good. Typos deserve it.
7) Print when you’re happy
Once your custom card looks right, you can move from “this is a cool idea” to “this is a physical card I can sleeve up” without exporting files or doing layout work.
That’s the core promise: design with templates, edit everything, no formatting required.
Magic: The Gathering custom card maker templates
Template choice is mostly about aesthetics, but aesthetics matter when you’re trying to keep a deck cohesive.
Here’s a quick cheat sheet:
Modern: Clean, current layout. Great default for readable customs and playtest cards.
Vintage: Classic vibe for old-border fans and nostalgia enjoyers.
Box Topper: Big, loud, showcase energy. Best when you want the card to feel “special.”
Mystical Archives: Stylized, ornate look. Great for spells, especially if you’re doing a themed set.
Full Art: When the art is the point and you want maximum image real estate.
If you’re building a batch (like 20 custom cards for a cube update), pick one template and stick to it. Consistency is what makes the final result feel premium.
Artwork and print clarity: the simple rules that matter
You do not need to become a print technician. But you do want to avoid the three common ways custom cards get ruined:
Use high-quality art
Bigger is better. Compressed images look fine on Discord and then fall apart when printed.
If you’re pulling reference images from card databases, note that high-quality full-card images are commonly available in a solid resolution range. For custom art, use the highest-res source you have.
Don’t overload the rules text
If your custom card needs 11 lines of text, consider one of these options:
tighten wording
use existing keyword phrasing where it makes sense
split it into two cards
accept that you are making a commander that is also a short story
Keep readability as the goal
Custom cards live on a table, not in a zoomed-in screenshot. Aim for:
strong contrast in the art area
no tiny text in busy backgrounds
a clean type line
Your future self, shuffling at 11:48 PM, will be grateful.
What happens after you design: why PrintMTG cards feel “real” in sleeves
Design is only half the battle. The other half is whether the card feels good when you shuffle.
PrintMTG’s process is built around that: black-core stock, UV satin finishing, and consistent cutting so a stack of proxies behaves like a normal deck instead of a slippery pile of regret.
The short version: you make the custom card, we handle the part that requires expensive machines and obsessive consistency.
FAQs
Can I start with an existing MTG card and just change the art?
Yes. That’s one of the fastest workflows: search a card, let it auto-fill, then swap art and edit whatever else you want.
Do I need to format mana symbols or learn special codes?
No. You can insert symbols by clicking them. No font installs, no formatting rituals.
What templates can I use for custom Magic cards?
You can choose from multiple template styles like Modern, Vintage, Box Topper, Mystical Archives, and Full Art.
How do I fix artwork that looks zoomed or off-center?
Drag to reposition, scroll to zoom, and use the W/H fields if you want precise control.
How long does printing take?
Most orders are produced in about 2 business days, then ship (transit time depends on the method you choose).