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Silver Card Talk Member
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quote:
Originally posted by Chris Cline:
I am doing cards for all the living voice actors from Disney movies


I hope you got one of Stan Freberg before he passed away.
 
Posts: 2295 | Location: Huntsville, AL United States | Registered: November 30, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of rwn410
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quote:
Originally posted by cheifbrody:
I know this is a boring question, but how do you set about making your own customised cards ?


I've never actually sent out any of the mock ups I've ever made through the mail, but fundamentally you just need a photo-editing programme - Photoshop, Photoimpression, Fotoflex etc. These aren't that expensive to legitimately get hold of contrary to what you may think, and I'd say they were well worth it. I'd recommend Photoshop (though only because I have to use it for general work and am biased), 'Photoshop Elements' is a lite version that is quite cheap and definitely more than capable of doing anything you'd ever want card wise. Adobe also had issues with the Photoshop 'CS2' version (quite old now but still perfectly capable of producing anything your imagination can design) and made it available to download for free on their own website - but they did that only out of necessity and they prefer if you morally opted not to. Additionally, you can download 30-day trials of Adobe products if you want to test them out - both Photoshop CC and Photoshop Elements are available to that's 60 days of free card designing to your heart's content!

Then you need to print them in some capacity - I can't say I've ever resolved that one beyond printing myself (and I think that's always worked out more than fine for the sketch card blanks I have made) but you can get some companies who will print custom playing cards, or most print companies should be able to trim regular print outs to the required size. Microsoft Publisher (or preferably Adobe InDesign) should be useful in making sure they print out at the correct sizes.

Then in theory you find some addresses through the internet/go to conventions and you should be good to go Big Grin I've been considering sending some custom X-Men cards to the set of Apocalypse, but I've read about success rates with the majority of actors on it and feel Ian McKellen would be the only one likely to respond (he has a fantastic reputation for it) so I'm thinking I will wait until he is filming something in the UK to make postage easier.

EDIT: Or Chris' post on the previous page is fairly thorough Wink I probably should have just read that first. Alas. Hope this is still useful!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: rwn410,
 
Posts: 398 | Location: UK | Registered: January 01, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by rwn410:
quote:
Originally posted by cheifbrody:
I know this is a boring question, but how do you set about making your own customised cards ?


I've never actually sent out any of the mock ups I've ever made through the mail, but fundamentally you just need a photo-editing programme - Photoshop, Photoimpression, Fotoflex etc. These aren't that expensive to legitimately get hold of contrary to what you may think, and I'd say they were well worth it. I'd recommend Photoshop (though only because I have to use it for general work and am biased), 'Photoshop Elements' is a lite version that is quite cheap and definitely more than capable of doing anything you'd ever want card wise. Adobe also had issues with the Photoshop 'CS2' version (quite old now but still perfectly capable of producing anything your imagination can design) and made it available to download for free on their own website - but they did that only out of necessity and they prefer if you morally opted not to. Additionally, you can download 30-day trials of Adobe products if you want to test them out - both Photoshop CC and Photoshop Elements are available to that's 60 days of free card designing to your heart's content!

Then you need to print them in some capacity - I can't say I've ever resolved that one beyond printing myself (and I think that's always worked out more than fine for the sketch card blanks I have made) but you can get some companies who will print custom playing cards, or most print companies should be able to trim regular print outs to the required size. Microsoft Publisher (or preferably Adobe InDesign) should be useful in making sure they print out at the correct sizes.

Then in theory you find some addresses through the internet/go to conventions and you should be good to go Big Grin I've been considering sending some custom X-Men cards to the set of Apocalypse, but I've read about success rates with the majority of actors on it and feel Ian McKellen would be the only one likely to respond (he has a fantastic reputation for it) so I'm thinking I will wait until he is filming something in the UK to make postage easier.

EDIT: Or Chris' post on the previous page is fairly thorough Wink I probably should have just read that first. Alas. Hope this is still useful!

Thanks for reply rwn410, I will look into this when new laptop is sorted, I went looking online and there are sites that will do it for you but a minimum order is 100 per card, yikes.

what's the quality like ?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cheifbrody,
 
Posts: 1212 | Location: u.k. | Registered: February 02, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I saw a film in March and loved it, (the first time maybe for
the wrong reason), I have now watched it 17/18 times and
would call it my favourite movie of all time, pipping All That
Jazz (my favourite for MANY years), everything is right,
some of the performances, the direction at points have
moments of genius, the editing, the period detail,
the period feel, the music score, the period songs,

I thought then just this once to try and make a autograph
collection in trading card style, the fact it is a British
film makes it slightly easier because 95% of the cast must
be in the U K

The big downside is, it has the most infuriating cast list
people with no lines are credited
people with lines are not credited
a member of the cast is built twice with 2 different names
a member of the cast in 3 parts is not credited
9 of the cast are built with the same credited name
people credited are hard to spot because they are in it
briefly in a distant shot
and some people in it there are no way of knowing who they
are unless you find someone with inside info
even IMDB have made mistakes with character names
 
Posts: 1212 | Location: u.k. | Registered: February 02, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Chris Cline:
ok here is wow i make my cards. I am doing cards for all the living voice actors from Disney movies and started working on Hercules yesterday so I will use that as my example.

So I am going to make a card for James Woods.

First here is the site I use

http://fotoflexer.com/

It is a free site and easy to get around in.

Next I need to find a background that I want to put my picture on. Using Google a found a nice background shot from the movie or if you want you can also get a screen shot off of a dvd.



Next I find a good picture of the tittle of the movie that I can cut out and place on the card.



Then I find a shot of James Woods from the film again you can use Google or a screen shot.



Now I am ready to begin.

1. Open up fotoflex and upload the background.
2. Upload the title picture. This will let you play with the sizing of the background. I have a standard inkworks auto card that I am using to try and make sure that the size is about the same. Just pull the edges to match the inkworks card and you should be fine. Once this is done you can start cutting out the title.
3. To cut out the title click on the title picture to bring it to the front and hit the tab that says Geek. This brings up a list of 7 differant ways you can play with the picture. What we are looking for is Smart Cutout. Click on it and it will up a new window with just the title picture in it. There are two buttons to use one is Keep and the other is Delete. When you use Keep it will make any area you want to keep in green. When you use Delete it will mark the area in red. You can re-size the picture or the brush to get in as tight as you want, but I find that just getting close is often good enough, you don't have to be precise because you can go back and fix things in the next step. Once you have the basic out line hit the button marked Predict Unknown Area. this should clean off anything in red and leave what was in green. Now you can use the Keep and Delete buttons at will to add or remove items back into the picture. If you cut off a small bit just hit Keep again and you can re-brush that bit of the picture back. Also this will allow you to clean up the edges by deleting things you missed. To clean up logo's I zoom in to 300% which lets you remove pixels and really make it look nice.
4.Once you have the title just as you want it hit OK and you will return to the main screen.
5.Now you can re-size and move the title to any where you want it.
6. To add a place for the star to sign hit the Decorate button then the Text button. This will place a text box which you can re-size and place where ever you want.



7.To add a picture of the actor in our case James Wood. You need to hit the Layers tab and then Add Images. This will drop the picture of James on the top of the stack so to say.

8. To cut out the star you need to go back to the Geek tab and now you can either use Smart Cutout like you did for the title or you can use Smart Scissors. Smart Scissors are great for picture will well defined edges. Click on the pic then hit Smart Scissors. You can now begin at any edge and "cut" around the picture you want to remove. You must go completely around the object and connect the "dots". Once that is done hit Create Cutout, and your star should be free of its background.
9. Now you can re-size and move the star to any place on the card.
10. The last step I do is to add another text box this time with the actors name and the part they played.
11. If at any point you need to move the layers around just hit the Layer key pick the picture you want to move and hit Pull Foreword or Push Back.This will let your picture of the star be up top of the signing area or however you want to do it.

My finished card for him looks like this:



Now as far as printing and what goes on the back that is up to you. I get mine printed from artcow. They have a set of 54 black cards that they will add pictures to and print up. Here is the link to the cards.

http://www.artscow.com/photo-g...-cards-rectangle-394

for these cards I am putting this picture and the back.



But you can do anything you want. I made a set of Supernatural Season Four cards which look like this:

Picture on the front:



and text on the back:



So there you go hopefully this helps I really am not that good at computers so I hope I didn't make this to hard to understand. If something is not clear just ask and I can try and help.


Chris, I followed these instructions, I got some cards back today and they are nearly perfect, can I ask 2 questions ?
when I go to artcow, I can't find where to make card horizontal, how did you do that ? and the cards I got back are rounded like playing cards, how do you get the sharp corners ?
 
Posts: 1212 | Location: u.k. | Registered: February 02, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I'm no pro at making my own customized cards... but I do have to create mockups and prototypes when dealing with licensers. And before I developed RRParksCARDS I was trying to create a customized set, just for fun, of Attack of The Crab Monsters (but due to Epson's truly awful customer service I wasn't able to track down a printer that prints on chipboard... transferred 4 times, finally full circle, with no one there able to speak or understand English clearly and so I gave up).

This will be just a basic 'primer' and I hope others chime in ... but since your question has gone unanswered for a MONTH am going to take a whack at it.

(1). Your digital files, part I: collecting images. Assuming you want to make a customized set of your favorite movie or tv show first stop would be to go to youtube and search for your movie. MANY movies and TV shows either have full episodes or good snippets of shows and movies (or you can pop a DVD player in your computer tower). Find and start watching and when you get to a scene you like, click pause. Enlarge the image to full screen and on your PC (perhaps works the same on a Mac) hold down the ALT and the PRINT SCREEN keys. Open a 'paint' type file on your computer and 'paste' your 'print screen' selection into the file you've created with 'paint'. You've now captured the image. Repeat this process until you have the card series you want ... you can often pick up nice lobby card and publicity photos on google/image/largestfirst.

2. Digital file, part II. You'll obtain the nicest quality when you get to printing your cards by sticking with at least 300 dpi. Create your basic card front and back templates at 300 dpi ... so for a 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 trading card you want a 'canvas' of 750 x 1050 file (2 1/2 x 300 dpi = 750, etc.). Copy your templates 40 x if you want a 40 card set... but consider sticking to 18, 27, 36, 45... a number divisible by 9 as that's how many cards will fit on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of photo paper AND a typical 9 pocket page. Once you have all your card fronts and backs designed as 750 x 1050 files create 2 more paint files... a front 'blank' and a back 'blank'... this will allow you to set up your printing file so that cards actually print the correct size. Do this by creating a file in your paint program measuring 2550 x 3300 dpi (8 1/2 x 300 and 11 x 300dpi). Make TEENSY little marks in all four corners (so that your printer, when you go to print 'full size no margins' reads those tiny marks and will print the size you want without defaulting to a smaller version). Put your digital cards into that 2550 x 3300 file. You can play around with spacing, adjust your margins and gutters, etc. after you print out the first file of 9 cards. You might want to make all your gutter black (like the original Outer Limits... or current Chronicles of The Three Stooges... yea, that's a pitch :-) or perhaps blue, red, yellow, green, orange if you're creating your own retro style Star Wars set.... Play around with spacing until you end up with what you want.

Printing/hardcopies: Naturally, plenty of different photo papers around from high end to low, glossy or matt. I'd suggest going with very thin photo paper because when it comes time to stick your front printout to the back printout you don't want it too too thick of a card (unless you DO want it a super thick card). So, printout your 8 1/2 x 11 glossy. They, at Office Depot or stationery store pick up some cardstock or flannel or fancy cardstock type paper and make that your 'back'. This will give your a glossy (or matt) photo front and a 'newsback' feel for the back of your cards but with YOU deciding exactly what texture/feel/look the backs will have. Resume paper could look pretty darn cool. Print out the back file. You now have a front printout and a back printout. Make sure each of your front 9 cards on that printout matches the back 9 cards on the back printout (meaning the upper left 'front' printout is the upper right 'back' printout.

Making the cards: Okay, you've got your fronts and back printed out and they look really fun. So who do you stick them together so they can be cut into cards? You don't want to spray the sheets' backs as that's a messy thing and could cause your inks to bleed... and gluestick would be tough because by the time you finished gluesticking everything half of it would be dried out already. So, there's a product that's intended for cell phone and electronics repair that works great. It is a double sticky film called 3M 468MP 200MP adhesive. And I've found the best place to get it is ebay. Comes is a large array of sizes (none of which is affordable at 8 1/2 x 11 but that's okay... you can get smaller sizes and just custom trim them as you need to cover the 8 1/2 x 11 sheets). When you acquire your double sticky 3M 468MP material you peel off the backings and stick to the backside of your photo paper (don't overlap double sticky sheets on the back... leave a tiny tiny gap between becaue overlapping just wrecks it when you try peeling up). Remove the backings so you now have a super sticky backside of the photo paper. Carefully, starting at one corner, lay on your card stock back printout. Try and get it right the first time as you do NOT want to have to try and separate the two sheets. If it gets a little offcenter it just means your final customized cards will be a little off center. Well this is 'art'...doesn't have to be perfect. Once your backs and fronts are all attached to each other take either a plastic spoon... thick marking pen... something smooth, rigid and curved (I use sharpie pen caps) and burnish the whole thing to get rid of any air bubbles (you'll hear them pop and snap like tiny balloons as you do this).

Cutting: My favorite chopper is the X-Acto table cutter. Relatively inexpensive at about $40 or so it has a 'stop' feature that allows you to set up precisely how long you want the cut and the blade is pretty darn nice. For my business I use 5 different paper choppers...but the X-Acto is my favorite for small projects. Cut out your cards. You now have glossy front / newsback texture back 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 trading cards that you designed. The backs read how you want them (or perhaps you were a little lazy and your cards are puzzle backs :-) and they'll fit beautifully in your 9 pocket pages and look really professional (after a few test runs). Best of all you can have trading card sets of something YOU like even if no publisher is ever going to publish it. Maybe you like Glenda Farrel's 1930s films TORCHIE... or perhaps you want to create the ultimate customized Star Wars trading card series with scenes YOU pick... this process will give you credible and fun cards (or ACEOs).

One final comment... the 468MP is VERY sticky... no easy second chances on placement... so be prepared until you get used to using it to have to reprint your fronts and backs. And the edges of your cards will have a little 'tack' to them (just from that small 'edge of card' thickness where the sticky isn't covered by photo or cardstock paper). Although I've not tried this I'd suggest, if that tacky edge bothers you, to simply dust or 'edge dip' the card into some talc powder and then wipe your card clean. The talc would stick to your card edges but not the surface of the card.

Am a big fan of customized cards... so hopefully other fans will chime in with their own ideas and such. The more info the better.

Have fun!
Richard
RRParksCARDS

PS. Sorry for the spelling errors... I can't figure out a spell check in this message window...

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Richard Parks
www.RRParksCARDS.com
 
Posts: 87 | Location: Nevada | Registered: July 14, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Oops... in my post I said "your question has gone unanswered for a month" but that's because I was having a 'senior moment' and didn't realize I was on page ONE of the thread... quite a few others posted in the last month. So ignore my comment... I was on the wrong page :-)

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Richard Parks
www.RRParksCARDS.com
 
Posts: 87 | Location: Nevada | Registered: July 14, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
2. Digital file, part II. You'll obtain the nicest quality when you get to printing your cards by sticking with at least 300 dpi. Create your basic card front and back templates at 300 dpi ... so for a 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 trading card you want a 'canvas' of 750 x 1050 file (2 1/2 x 300 dpi = 750, etc.).

What does this mean for those of us who do not speak spy ? I got this when I try to make cards, I collect images and put them to actual trading card size, then when I go the site to create them I get a yellow exclamation saying, try 300 ?
 
Posts: 1212 | Location: u.k. | Registered: February 02, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by cheifbrody:
quote:
2. Digital file, part II. You'll obtain the nicest quality when you get to printing your cards by sticking with at least 300 dpi. Create your basic card front and back templates at 300 dpi ... so for a 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 trading card you want a 'canvas' of 750 x 1050 file (2 1/2 x 300 dpi = 750, etc.).

What does this mean for those of us who do not speak spy ? I got this when I try to make cards, I collect images and put them to actual trading card size, then when I go the site to create them I get a yellow exclamation saying, try 300 ?


.........
'Speak Spy' ... heh heh. Sorry about that. A 'canvas' is the actual size of the paint file you're working on... on my program the size is indicated at the bottom of the screen (such as something that looks like 2134 x 3432 or whatever. Those indicate the dots per inch (dpi). So when you drop your artwork into your canvas you adjust the canvas size to 750 (tall) by 1050 (long). As for 'going to a site', when I do my custom cards here ... or when I'm designing the Stooges or other horror trading cards for publishing... I don't go to any site. Isn't needed... your paint program (no matter how basic) should provide you all the tools you need to create really nice looking trading cards without any help from some 'site' (am sure those who go to the site enjoy it and that's fine... but if you want NCIE looking cards... and 'low tech' easy... your paint program (or photoshop) is all you need. Perhaps I'm not being clear ... feel free to contact me on my website so I can try and help via emails or even a phone chat.
RRParksCARDS.com

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Posts: 87 | Location: Nevada | Registered: July 14, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Thanks for all your tips on making cards at home. Thumb Up
I'm seriously considering making a set of cards of my ancestors for the family. A family tree in trading cards. (When I get the time) But your tips and stage by stage guide make it very simple.
Thanks again! Clap
 
Posts: 457 | Location: UK | Registered: March 13, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Hedgehog Witch:
Thanks for all your tips on making cards at home. Thumb Up
I'm seriously considering making a set of cards of my ancestors for the family. A family tree in trading cards. (When I get the time) But your tips and stage by stage guide make it very simple.
Thanks again! Clap


What a Great Idea!

Good Luck with that... Thumb Up

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"When you are out numbered and the situation is hopeless, you have no option... You Must Attack!"
 
Posts: 1595 | Location: USA | Registered: August 21, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post



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I have ideas for groupings in the family too...the shoe makers, the pub landlords and the World War One soldiers etc. And with all the birth/marriage/death info on the backs. Maybe places that were special to the family too. Coats of arms. Gravestones. The list is endless...

It's a big project, but I hope to take it on one day in the near future, with this guide as a huge help.
I've even considered facsimile autograph cards for the instances where I have a signature or example of an ancestor's writing.

No stopping me having the ideas...it's getting around to trying it all that will take time. Smile
 
Posts: 457 | Location: UK | Registered: March 13, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Hedgehog Witch:
I have ideas for groupings in the family too...the shoe makers, the pub landlords and the World War One soldiers etc. And with all the birth/marriage/death info on the backs. Maybe places that were special to the family too. Coats of arms. Gravestones. The list is endless...

It's a big project, but I hope to take it on one day in the near future, with this guide as a huge help.
I've even considered facsimile autograph cards for the instances where I have a signature or example of an ancestor's writing.

No stopping me having the ideas...it's getting around to trying it all that will take time. Smile


Good idea, just make sure mother doesn't throw them out.
 
Posts: 1212 | Location: u.k. | Registered: February 02, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Last part of the cycle

I didn't think it through ?

followed instruction's, went to fotoflexer, had a lot of fun designing own cards, went to artcow, they printed the cards, they came back in less than 2 week and are pretty good, but now, how do you set about getting care of addresses to ask for autographs ? a lot of the people I want have their own website, you can send messages but send me your address I don't think would be replied to, what's the best way ?
 
Posts: 1212 | Location: u.k. | Registered: February 02, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by cheifbrody:
how do you set about getting care of addresses to ask for autographs ? a lot of the people I want have their own website, you can send messages but send me your address I don't think would be replied to, what's the best way ?

Let me Google that for you.
 
Posts: 2295 | Location: Huntsville, AL United States | Registered: November 30, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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For me the problem is getting them printed, I'm not keen on using playing cards with the rounded edges but my printer is definitely not up to the job of printing high res quality images.
 
Posts: 1512 | Location: Australia | Registered: October 23, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Bill Mullins:
quote:
Originally posted by cheifbrody:
how do you set about getting care of addresses to ask for autographs ? a lot of the people I want have their own website, you can send messages but send me your address I don't think would be replied to, what's the best way ?

Let me Google that for you.


This is great (if it works or not) Thumb Up
 
Posts: 1212 | Location: u.k. | Registered: February 02, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Juelle Lou:
For me the problem is getting them printed, I'm not keen on using playing cards with the rounded edges but my printer is definitely not up to the job of printing high res quality images.

I agree, going for a card set it really wouldn't work using playing card style, but I have excepted that they look ok for a auto set.
 
Posts: 1212 | Location: u.k. | Registered: February 02, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by cheifbrody:
quote:
Originally posted by Juelle Lou:
For me the problem is getting them printed, I'm not keen on using playing cards with the rounded edges but my printer is definitely not up to the job of printing high res quality images.

I agree, going for a card set it really wouldn't work using playing card style, but I have excepted that they look ok for a auto set.


This outfit prints custom playing cards, but in an offline email, they said they could leave them cut square-cornered instead of rounded. They do good work -- I've had them make some playing cards for me for my magic hobby.
 
Posts: 2295 | Location: Huntsville, AL United States | Registered: November 30, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Bill Mullins:
This outfit prints custom playing cards, but in an offline email, they said they could leave them cut square-cornered instead of rounded. They do good work -- I've had them make some playing cards for me for my magic hobby.


Thank you for the link Bill very helpful, I did a bit of looking around on their website and facebook page and it seems that it would be very likely that they would not print cards with images of licensed material which is a shame.

Has anyone dealt with MyTradingCards.com lately?

I have been working on a huge 'The Princess Bride' set including a base set of a 162 cards Eek Big Grin which I desperately want to get printed, but I really don't want rounded corners.
 
Posts: 1512 | Location: Australia | Registered: October 23, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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