How I make print at home cards, minis, and player aids

Interested in cards? Check out my dedicated blog. Streamlining initiative? Check out this one.

I spend a LOT of time making resources to enhance my TTRPG and D&D games at home. From character journals to spell tomes, custom TTRPG cards, and even custom paper minis, I love how I can make quality, custom creations easily with my own hands! (yeah, maybe my real life class is the Artificer!)

A selection of DanDMadeEasy print at home creations - you can find free resources here, and other resources in the DanDMadeEasy store (use code BLOG10 for a 10% discount). Custom cards are coming soon on Kickstarter.

In this blog, I share what I use to make my creations, and why.

I've used almost everything on the list below myself, or it's a direct equivalent to something I do use. If I don't use it myself, I let you know why I recommend it.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases.

• Printing

  • Printer - Canon Maxify GX6050 (US - similar model) - ink tank printers like my Prisma have great print quality and are really economical - I've printed hundreds upon hundreds of full color pages, and only had to buy a single additional bottle of black ink for about £20! After about 18 months using Prisma as my main printer rather than my old HP Deskjet 2542, I think I'm close to paying off the upfront cost of the new printer in lower ink costs!

  • Paper/Card

    • Make sure you get the right paper size, and make sure you check your printer's specifications for max thickness!

    • I use 250 gsm for cards and custom paper minis, and 160 gsm for journals and trackers

    • A4

      • 250 gsm - I buy in bulk from House of Card & Paper - I'm sure better quality options are out there, but I print a lot!

      • 160 gsm - I buy in bulk from House of Card & Paper - I'm sure better quality options are out there, but I print a lot! I've linked the 50 pages version, I get 250 at a time.

    • Letter - sorry, I don't understand US card weights! 250 gsm is about 3 times as thick as standard office paper, and 160 gsm is about twice as thick

• Cutting

  • My trusty old pair of scissors never fails - I'm sure you have a pair lying around!

  • Paper trimmer - Amazon Basics 3 in 1 laminator (sadly, this is A4 size only). I use paper trimmers to save time, but I often use scissors for more precision with smaller items like cards or paper minis. If you want to primarily use a trimmer, I recommend getting one with a very clear guide marker that shows where the cut will take place. I've tried a few and they've never quite hit the mark for me, so I mostly rely on my scissors for the final cuts.

  • Modeling knife for GM screen hangers, card minis, pyramid towers and tents - I got my knife ages ago from I don't know where. Here's one that looks very much like mine.

• Laminating (trackers and cards)

  • Make sure you get tools for the right paper size!

  • Laminator - I use the Amazon Basics 3 in 1 laminator, which is full of functionality - as well as being a laminator, it includes a paper trimmer, hole punch and corner cutter! Sadly, a Letter version isn't available, but but an Amazon Basics Letter Laminator is available.

  • Matte laminating pouches - for a real professional quality, much better for photos and videos, and so much better for cards than glossy pouches! You can even add text in pencil over matte laminate!

    • A4: I use Deskit A4 Matt Laminating Pouches. I was originally using Fellowes Matt Finish pouches, which may be slightly better quality and are cheaper per pack, but they're far more expensive per pouch.

    • Letter: Scotch pouches have generally great reviews (untested - I don't have a Letter size laminator or card)

  • Glossy laminating pouches - cheaper than matte pouches

    • A4: I use these as they're cheap - more premium versions are available, but if you want to increase quality, why not use matt pouches instead...

    • Letter: The Amazon Basics pouches are cheap and have great reviews - more premium versions are available, but if you want to increase quality, why not use matt pouches instead...

• Extra stuff for cards

  • Corner cutter - I have a few, one I got as part of the Amazon Basics 3 in 1 laminator (A4 size only), a cheap one, and a more expensive Sunstar Kadomaru Pro. The latter two have a few sizes. I find the cheap one the most reliable to use.

  • Holo effect

    • You can use holographic adhesive laminate to add a holo effect after you laminate your cards - I've used these ones. I'll update this as I try more - I'm currently eying these and will try them, as I like the broken glass effect.

  • My favorite card sleeves

    • Vault X exact fit for single sleeving - I got a 500 pack, because I'm going to be making a lot of cards!

    • Optionally, Vault X soft for double sleeving or an easier fit - I got a 1000 pack, because above ;)

  • Deck boxes

    • My favorite deck box - Vault X Exo-Tec - magnetic lid, water resistant, looks and feels awesome and comes in different colors. I got the Electric Green version first because my Druid Dzunnun is getting a lot of attention at the moment. Toploading or sideloading versions are available. I went with toploading.

    • Great bulk option - Rayvol 5 Card Deck Box - 5 boxes in different colors, with 10 dividers total, so great if you have different sessions/campaigns!

  • Card Binders

    • My favorite 4 pocket binder - I use a Vault X 4 Pocket Zip Binder to store cards and other creations I use for my games in one place (I designed everything to fit in a standard card binder). I used to use a version with a strap, which is cheaper, but I don't want my creations to get wet, so I've paid for the added protection.

    • My favorite 9 pocket binder - Vault X Exo-Tec 9 Pocket Zip Binder - water resistant, comes in different colors - I use this as a campaign book for my regular D&D games (work in progress)

    • I'm not a big fan of 12 pocket binders - I feel they're too wide

• Booklet Binding (character journal and spell tome)

  • There are some options here - I use comb binding, which is the nicest effect, but the most expensive. Spiral binding is a good low cost option. You can also just use string if you want!

  • Comb binding

    • Comb binding machine - I use a Peach Personal Binding Machine PB200-09, but it's no longer available at time of writing. The cheapest alternative I see is the Amazon Basics Comb Binding Machine.

    • Binding combs - I got a set of Rayson mixed sized combs - I've used every size, too! You're not likely to make as many journals and tomes as me, though, so I'd recommend you get a set of 10 mm 21 ring combs.

  • Click binding spines

    • I used Rayson 12 mm 34 ring spines

    • I'm not sure if US alternatives have the same distance between rings, so I'd be reticent to recommend using this method if you're in the US

  • Spiral binding

    • I use these spiral combs

• Gluing

  • Trusty old Pritt stick - I don't use it for much, just to assemble my WIP custom deck boxes, and an option to assemble my custom paper minis.

A decent size selection of my current toolkit

So that's my current toolkit. I'll update this list as it expands or changes. If you find any great options that aren't on this list, please let me know via my website or Discord. Sharing is caring!

Until next time, happy crafting!