by Kurgan » March 23rd, 2022, 6:30 pm
Odanan is a regular here, so I'm sure he can answer about his customs.
It's true you don't have to professionally print cards, a regular printer will do the job just fine, but you're going for the extra level of quality, I can understand that. It may take some time, not just money to get exactly what you are looking for, and everyone has a different standard as to what makes it just right.
The size and style all depends upon personal preference and how you'll use them. I assume you're not planning to sell these online and try to fool someone into thinking they are official or vintage, but you're trying to match the set you already have. My desire was to make something that looked like real game cards, looked decent and most of all were going to be durable and functional at the table in actual play.
If you're doing that, you can measure the cards with a ruler or tape measure, check the "feel" of the surface in your hands, and read the descriptions on the site you're talking about. Others have quoted the actual measurements of the different editions (I've only ever had the US version so can't comment on the precise measurements of the EU editions).
I have used Makeplayingcards.com and boardgamesmaker.com (basically the same thing). Price goes down based on the number you order. Mine run about 50 cents a card using superior smooth (much smoother than the original cards), which is about 10x what it would cost just to print them at a copy shop and cut them out with scissors and slam them into sleeves or glue-stick them to cardstock. US game deck size is what I use (1 mm taller on the top than the NA cards). EU cards are a different, slightly smaller size, and I don't think there is an exact match on MPC/BGM. You can email them to get a quote for a custom size, but if you aren't ordering in bulk I think it ends up being very expensive so you may not want to do that.
When I was starting out making my cards, I went to the local retail store and bought a cheap pack of Bicycle playing cards. I felt them in my hands and tried to imagine how these would look with HeroQuest designs. I also compared the feel of the HeroQuest cards in my hand. Board games tend not to have the same level of "quality" of these playing cards. The HQ cards aren't meant to be shuffled or handled quite as much. Yes, you shuffle the treasure cards a few times, but most of the cards just sit on the table and then get flipped over later. So they don't necessarily need to be as durable as cards you'll be using to play dozens of hands of different games at the card table on game night. So 100% plastic is probably more than needed. The most basic, cheap level is probably the closest match on these printing service pages. But do you want to stop there or go further? If they're going right into sleeves and staying there, perhaps you don't need anything more or even the surface doesn't matter that much.
The template just takes time to get used to. I started out taking screen caps of the PDFs on the Inn and then cropping them into individual images and then dragging and dropping them. Later I just made my own images and dragged and dropped them, using trial and error to modify the borders until they looked "right" to me.
The 2021 official Remake cards are basically Poker size (wider and larger than the classic cards). The cards you print will never be a perfect match to the classic cards, which are three decades old, but you can get them to a level of closeness that you prefer.
You'll probably want to do some basic image editing (free with Paint.net or paintshop pro) to get them how you want them, or you will be restricted to what someone else has done. Some prefer Bridge size (taller and narrower than Poker size).
You will have to decide what you want. Do you want your cards to be rather thin, more like stiff paper or with a more plastic feeling surface? Do you want it to be gloss (shiny) so that fingerprints will show up on them (but be easier to clean off) like if they are being used by little kids or people who don't wash their hands? If they will be in sleeves, standard sleeves I believe are tending towards holding poker size cards (which are almost identical to customizable cards like Magic the Gathering and other customizable/collectible card games) meaning they will have some extra sleeve material on the sides, the top or both. The point of sleeves is to protect cards but also to make it easier to shuffle cards that are not exactly the same size.
"Linen" finish means it has little pock-marks or holes, a textured surface.. this makes them a little lighter and somewhat easier to shuffle (more slippery) which is liked by those doing card tricks, etc. The Remake cards have linen finish.
To use MakePlayingCards as an example, if you go through their little website program that sets up the cards, you can scroll down or look at the side bars and you can read what all their categories and terms mean. They explain it in detail and even show little videos with examples. Granted, until you hold it in your hands you may not really know what you want. They also let you order a very cheap sample pack of cards, so you can feel them and bend them in your hands for a few dollars (be prepared for long shipping times). I imagine other similar services have similar sample packs for cheap or even for free for first time buyers (not trying to sound like an ad just pointing that out).
The first set of cards I ordered was cool but all wrong for what I wanted. So I blew a little bit of cash before I learned what it was I wanted for custom cards. Your ideal may be different than mine. Good luck!
Edit: you said you never had the old edition. I guess the sky is the limit. If you want a custom size, you'll pay a lot more to get it precisely the exact size of the set you never had. Other printing sites exist, with similar prices, some are cheaper some more expensive, again it probably depends upon if you are getting a set for yourself or trying to mass print it (and why? it shouldn't be sold).
Another site often used I believe is printerstudio.com (?). Anybody else have any recommendations?
