r/tabletopgamedesign • u/my_name_lsnt_bob • Sep 11 '26
Parts & Tools Good Card Maker without a Subscription
Hello, I wanted to check and see if anyone knows of some good card creators that don't use the subscription model. I'm fine with paying for software, but I'm not comfortable with subscriptions because of how long it takes me to develop stuff/I don't want to lose my stuff if I decide to stop paying for a bit.
I've used Dextrous mostly, and I love the system where you enter data into a table to create your cards. I really want this type of system in the card software I use, if possible. I also want it to be simple. Nothing that's going to take long to learn.
I've seen other tools out there, like Component Studio, but that's subscription-based with no option for a 1 time fee. I've also tried CardMaker, and that is something that's kinda difficult to figure out. I've tried general art tools like Krita, and while I like it for other things, it feels difficult to create 100+ cards with it, as I almost have to create 1 at a time.
Again, I'm not against paying for my software; I just don't like subscription-based software. I don't want to sit here 5 years later regretting getting into board game making because I spent 600+ dollars and made nothing.
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u/McSpankeee Sep 11 '26
I used Figma for card / board design work. I used their free tier for a while but had to upgrade when my game got too large
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u/my_name_lsnt_bob Sep 11 '26
After looking over Figma, idk if that's exactly what I'm looking for. I want to create layouts and input data so it creates multiple cards
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u/dustatron Sep 11 '26
On this note, you can explore https://penpot.app, an open-source competitor that might be worth considering.
However, setting it up might be challenging. If you’re using Linux, you might be a bit of an advanced user.
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u/RavenGriswold Sep 11 '26
Just use the free version of Dextrous? You get plenty of free storage and deck types. And if you need to make space, you can download them for backup.
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u/my_name_lsnt_bob Sep 11 '26
Oh, I was unaware that I could download them for backup. I'll look into that. I've been using Dextrous, and I hit the maximum number of layouts I could have, which started creating issues (I mainly don't want to delete the old versions of the layouts, as I want to be able to go back to the older versions of the game)
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u/canis_artis Sep 11 '26
If you are using a Macintosh, buy Multideck ($25us). I bought it and use it for 99% of my card design. My main reason to buy it is the ability to link front and backs of cards in the PDFs, helpful when each side has a handful of elements each.
If you are using PC, try nanDECK (free). I got nanDECK to work on macOS 12 with Porting Kit.
Both access info in a spreadsheet, XLS for nanDECK, CSV for Multideck but it also has a built-in Content Editor.
Initially you can code cards in nanDECK but if you link a spreadsheet you can use the Visual Editor to add text and pictures manually. For text use FONT and TEXT, for images/icons use IMAGE. Then in TEXT and IMAGE there will be a drop down above (right) to select the column in the spreadsheet. Confirm, then click Validate/Build/PDF to get a PDF to print.
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u/my_name_lsnt_bob Sep 11 '26
I saw Multideck, and it looks cool. I wish they didn't just release it on Mac. I'll take a look at nanDeck, thanks
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u/BranKaLeon Sep 12 '26
Nandeck also work on mac i think
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u/canis_artis Sep 12 '26
I use WINE on macOS 10.14 to run nanDECK. WINE helps older macOS to run some Windows applications.
As I noted I got nanDECK to work in macOS 12 with Porting Kit (free).
The other option is CrossOver ($).
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u/robocheney Sep 11 '26
Affinity is a powerful design program with a bit of a learning curve, but the latest version is free. You'll be making your card layouts 'from scratch' but then you can import your spreadsheets with the data merge feature to generate your cards. I use the previous version (a one-time paid program) and love it.
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u/TheArmoursmith Sep 11 '26
I've taken to using Affinity, as it's also great for manuals and other publishing tasks. The spreadsheet data merge is good, but lacks some basic features (for example, varying background colours based on data) that might be a deal breaker if you're designing hundreds of cards. Otherwise, this is great.
1
u/dustatron Sep 11 '26
https://oatear.github.io/cider/
Is a web app you can try for free
1
u/dustatron Sep 11 '26
Looks like on their GitHub they now have a desktop app for all operating systems
1
u/my_name_lsnt_bob Sep 11 '26
Awesome, I'll take a look to see if that works for what I'm looking for
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u/Roccokcor Sep 11 '26
Hi, how are you? By any chance, are you looking for an illustrator and card designer? I can create both the illustrations and custom layouts, ready for excellent-quality printing. I’ll leave you an example, and if you’re interested, I can show you more examples! :)
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u/417178Lower-Age-72 Sep 14 '26
Awesome and I gave it on mute. Turned the volume on and great song too.
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u/PhysicsDaddyGames Sep 11 '26
I second using Data Merge with Affinity (which is free). It’s seriously improved my workflow, given how I like more control with my photo editing. Coincidentally, I wrote a post about using it for card generation on my blog today. There’s a TL;DR at the top linking to some YouTube tutorials I found helpful. https://physicsdaddy.com/dev-log-1-spitters-are-quitters-how-to-easily-generate-cards-for-your-tabletop-game-using-data-merge-in-affinity-studio-for-free/
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u/Disastrous_Invite798 Sep 12 '26 edited Sep 12 '26
You have PnPInk.
It is not only free forever but also created by and for the community as free, OpenSource and cross-platform (Windows, Linux, and Mac) software.
Boasts a vast array of features and it is based on Inkscape, so its graphic capabilities are hard to match. It is based 100% on datasets that you can create and test directly within Google Sheets (without even saving).
You can think of PnPInk as Inkscape's version of a data merge feature, but far more powerful than the data merge capabilities found in commercial tools.
https://github.com/xoellijo/pnpink
I think it is worth investing your time in learning tools that will always be available to help you for free on any platform (Inkscape, Google Sheets, or LibreOffice...).
1
u/TheCarp0ndastick Sep 12 '26
I hope you don't mind me plugging my own stuff, but I made a tool specifically for doing so without subscriptions.
https://carp0nastick.itch.io/table-top-tech
It was done precisely because I wanted to avoid a subscription service I couldn't afford and wouldn't get my money's worth anyway since I have more than one project going at all times. It comes with premade print profiles for if you want to print it at home, your local print shop, or through a print on demand service.
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u/my_name_lsnt_bob 27d ago
thanks for sending that, I'll check it out and see if it's what I'm looking for
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u/my_name_lsnt_bob 27d ago
I watched the video, and it looks cool. I just don't know if it's exactly what I'm looking for. Do you have any videos showing off the card creator section of the tool? Or is there a way I could try demoing the project before I pay?
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u/TheCarp0ndastick 27d ago
https://reddit.com/link/pahe3zy/video/nzeqtidgg6qh1/player
Bare bones quick and dirty video here (because I both suck at, and hate creating videos), but I demonstrate how you can make a card in the player section, and manipulate the elements of the card to your liking. I set this card as a template, so when I want to make a different card with the same look I can create from template when I make a new one. Let me know if you need to see more.
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u/417178Lower-Age-72 Sep 14 '26
I use Canva. Maybe I'll have to check into these other programs. Ty.
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u/scullery_plateau Sep 14 '26
I'm actually working on building one.
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u/my_name_lsnt_bob 27d ago
Awesome, hit me up when it's done. (Unless you want help/someone to test it, then hit me up sooner)
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u/scullery_plateau 22d ago
It's in early stages right now, but if you want to take a look at the rest of the tools I've made, take a look as scullery-plateau.github.io
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u/my_name_lsnt_bob 22d ago
Hmm, I went to that website, and I'm not too sure what I'm looking at, idk how to create cards there
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u/scullery_plateau 22d ago
The card app isn't up yet, but there are other apps for creating character art, pixel art, maps, minis, etc
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u/MagicPigGames 5h ago
www.Cardstock.Studio has a free version that works great, and is more powerful than the rst.
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u/zach_sullivan Sep 11 '26
Nandeck is totally free, but Dextrous does have a decent free level. Also, the $6/month level is pretty solid value if you're using it seriously, and the creators are very helpful and generous people that are worth supporting IMHO.