#but I didn't wanna make another paper texture one lol | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

yumgrapejuice · 2 years

Note

heyo I love your dsmp cards!!!!

I've wanted to make my own cards (for a different fandom) for forever but I always got stuck on how to actually print/make them?

do you have any advice/resources you would be willing to share?

ty!!!

hi!! thank you so much, i'm glad you like them!!

and yes of course!! this was my first time making playing cards and boy oh boy did i not anticipate how many troubles there could be haha.

first, i made these entirely by hand (here's a tiktok with a few clips of the process) because 1) i wanted them to be wholly handmade, and 2) it was more cost-effective for a dozen decks than ordering them to be made online. however, it does take a lot of time and energy, so if you don't have that and want to make just one deck for yourself, you can check out this website (from the recommendations i've seen, best options would be linen for cardstock with a BETA playing card finish).

but if you want them to be handmade, well!

1) you'll wanna choose your paper. you can definitely make cards with regular plain paper, but for a nicer touch it's recommended to get textured paper, most commonly linen. i didn't have that in my area, so i went with a close enough alternative (just a bit rougher).

then, the gsm thing is a LIE. maybe i'm just an idiot and don't understand paper, but they say that standard bicycle cards are 280 gsm, and that thickness is kinda what you wanna go for. short story, but okay, i ordered some 90 gsm paper, which, if you would fold it, would make it 180, right? okay, then i got some black 120 gsm cardstock. ok, should be 300 gsm, right? only slightly thicker. NO. what i got when i glued it all together was basically cardboard. at least thrice as thick. i don't understand paper

if you look it up online, they'll recommend that you do use cardstock for the core so that you couldn't see through the card. and they'll recommend you use dark paper, like black. what they don't tell you is that, well, the black will show through because you're using thin white paper. same with any other color. so do keep that mind.

after many attempts and frustrations, i decided to forgo the card core part. instead, i got 120 gsm textured paper and used it plainly. sure, the designs are slightly see through, but since my back is dark, it's not much of an issue. but, again, something to keep in mind.

another thing - when i used thinner cardstock with thin white paper, the cards felt flimsier than when i used just thicker white paper without the card core, even though the thickness of the cards were the same in both attempts. dunno why, but, yeah. if you can figure out the gsm part, though, you can go ahead and do that haha

2) making the layout. this is an example of how i made it for printing:

you'll want one side to have the faces and the other the backs because you're gonna be folding the paper. use as high resolution file for this as you can. if you want the template that i made, i can send it to you :D

3) printing! oh my god, use a GOOD printer. your pictures are gonna be small and you want them to look SHARP. plus, if you're gonna be using textured paper, that can make a worse printer choke (trust me lol). i can't give specific recommendations because i rented a printer out, though i am planning on getting a personal one soon. regardless, this is the part that made me cry almost lol. and printing services (the ones that i asked, at least, and i asked a lot, though in could be different in your area) don't accept your own paper, so. gotta do it yourself somehow haha.

you'll also probably need to play around with color adjustments, too. and, of course, print not in standard, but high quality lol

4) if you want your cards to be glossy, you'll need to spray them with acrylic lacquer (i used varnish but i'm not sure what the difference is). i used Motip Clear Varnish and it worked fine, so any acrylic clear varnish or lacquer should work. NOT!!! water based under any circumstances (ow). this will also protect your ink!!

some tips for spraying: shake it up really well, at least for a minute. make sure to keep your finger away from the spray because if even a little bit catches, it'll start to spit droplets, which will immediately ruin the cards. after you're done, turn it upside and spray for 2 secs so it doesn't clog up. you'll probably need way more than one layer, so don't be afraid to use as many as you need. do it in a well-ventilated area. and, most importantly, USE!! A!! RESPIRATOR!! i know they're expensive, but the fumes from the spray could seriously damage your brain, so don't cheap out here x))

5) glueing. pretty straightforward, you'll wanna spray the outside with good quality glue (i used 3M Super 77, very very good) and then fold the two halves together lol

tip: i made a very light cut with an exacto knife along the folding line so you can then fold it very precisely.

6) cutting!! again, pretty straightforward, but my one tip, especially if you're gonna make more than one deck is to get a paper guillotine. a good one. you can definitely cut them out with scissors or an exacto knife, but it'll go much quicker, be more precise, and your arms will thank you x))

7) corners. entirely optional, but if you wanna get that nice playing card look, a corner cutter is a must lol. there are many options out there, but some may not cut through the card well enough since it's gonna be thicker than regular paper. i used We R Memory keepers crop-a-dile (the one with the yellow handles!!! one end should have 3/8 inch radius). reliable, but. uh. expensive haha

and that was pretty much my process :D basically, if you'll wanna make handmade cards, don't cheap out on the materials... learn from my mistakes...... and get that damn respirator

i used this video for a good portion of the process, but it didn't warn me of a lot of things, so warning you now lol.

some other things: if you're physically fit, this shouldn't be an issue, but i'm not, and i did have issues :)) spraying takes a lot of effort if you're doing a lot of it, as well as cutting. so do keep that in mind lol.

ALSO!! i sprayed a few layers and then let it harden (the varnish i used hardens very quickly) before spraying again, however, in the mean time, dust can set on the surface of your paper. so if you spray in stages, be sure to wipe the paper off before doing so, otherwise you'll get dust trapped in your cards :))) i wouldnt know though haha definitely not

and i think that's pretty much it? if you have any questions or anything, feel free to dm me!!:D and good luck with your cards!! i'd love to see them if you do end up making them :OO

#ask #long post #can u tell i was kinda hyperfixated lol..... still am really into this oh my god i love talking about card making

0 notes