Top 5 Features to Look for in an MTG Custom Card Maker

Creating custom Magic: The Gathering cards is a fantastic way to express your creativity, whether you're designing a custom Cube, making playtest cards, or just having fun with friends. But with so many tools available, how do you choose the best one? Here are the top 5 features you should look for in an MTG custom card maker.

1. High-Resolution Renders

One of the biggest disappointments for card creators is spending hours designing the perfect card, only to have it print out blurry or pixelated.

• Why it matters: Standard screen resolution (72 DPI) looks great on a monitor but terrible on paper.
• What to look for: A card maker that supports at least 300 DPI (dots per inch) exports. Even better are tools that offer upscaling or "print quality" downloads, ensuring your text is crisp and your art looks stunning.

2. Intuitive & Flexible Design Interface

You shouldn't need a degree in graphic design to make a convincing Magic card. The best tools offer a "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) interface.

• Ease of Use: Drag-and-drop mechanics, easy mana symbol insertion (like typing
  
  for a tap symbol), and automatic text resizing are must-haves.
• Flexibility: While helpful defaults are great, you also want the ability to tweak things manually. Can you adjust the font size if you have a lot of rules text? Can you crop your art exactly how you want?

3. Comprehensive Frame Options

Magic's aesthetic has evolved over 30 years. A top-tier card maker needs to respect that history while embracing the new.

• Variety: Look for support for the classic Old Border, the standard Modern Border, and the newer M15 frames.
• Special Frames: Does it support Planeswalkers, Sagas, Adventures, or Mutate frames? What about full-art textless promos or the "showcase" frames from recent sets like Kaldheim or Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty?

4. Accurate Fonts and Syntax

Nothing gives away a fake or custom card faster than the wrong font.

• Authenticity: The tool should use the correct font families (like Beleren for modern headings, MPlantin for text).
• Syntax Support: It should automatically handle italicized flavor text, bold keywords, and the distinct line separating rules from flavor text. It should also correctly render mana symbols and set expansions.

5. Easy Save and Edit Functions

Creative projects are rarely finished in one sitting.

• Local Storage: The ability to save your work to your browser's local storage is essential for quick edits.
• Import/Export: Being able to export your card data (as JSON or a similar format) and share it with others—or import it back later—is a huge plus for collaboration and backing up your collection.

Conclusion

Finding the right tool can make the difference between a frustrating experience and a creative breakthrough. TCGCustom is built with these pillars in mind, offering high-quality rendering, a user-friendly interface, and a wide array of options to help you bring your Magic: The Gathering ideas to life. Start designing today and see where your imagination takes you!