TLDR
- Fastest path from idea to table-ready cards: PrintMTG. The online MTG Card Maker is clean, beginner-friendly, and you can print what you design without juggling five tools and a prayer.
- Best mobile card-making experience: Artificer. If you want to design on your phone like a responsible adult who definitely isn’t doing it during a meeting, this is the move.
- Best desktop “make a whole set” tool: Magic Set Editor (MSE). Old-school, a little clunky, still great for batch work and custom mechanics.
- Best “browse-and-print” workflow for real decks: ProxyMTG. Simple ordering, good for full lists and quick deck upgrades.
- If you want maximum control and don’t mind extra steps: MakePlayingCards (MPC). Powerful, but the process is more DIY than most people expect.
You want custom MTG proxies. Maybe because your deck idea is spicy. Maybe because “$80 for a single card” is not the vibe. Either way, the hard part is not deciding to proxy.
The hard part is picking the right workflow, because the internet offers you:
- tools that are genuinely helpful, and
- tools that feel like they were designed to punish you for having hobbies.
This guide breaks down the best websites and apps for designing custom MTG proxies and printing them cleanly, with real tradeoffs, so you can spend more time actually playing Magic.
What “best” means for MTG proxy sites
Before we rank anything, you need to decide what kind of proxy person you are:
1) Are you designing custom cards, or just printing existing ones?
- Designing custom cards: you need templates, frames, symbol support, and clean exports.
- Printing existing cards: you need a good decklist workflow and print quality that won’t look like it came from a 2009 office printer.
2) Are you printing a few cards, or an entire deck/cube?
- A handful of cards: almost any workflow works.
- A full Commander deck or cube: workflow matters more than “features,” because you will hate your life if it’s tedious.
3) How picky are you about feel?
If you care about proxies feeling like real cards in sleeves, you’re looking for:
- black/blue core stock (for stiffness and light-blocking),
- consistent cut sizing,
- a finish that shuffles nicely (not sticky, not paper-raw).
If you do not care, congratulations on your inner peace.
Best tools for designing custom MTG proxies
1) PrintMTG Card Maker (best all-in-one web tool)
Best for: designing custom cards quickly, with a smooth path to printing
PrintMTG’s card maker is what happens when someone actually sat down and thought, “What if this didn’t feel like filing insurance paperwork?”
Why it’s good
- Live preview while you edit, so you’re not exporting 14 times to discover your text box is eating the rules text.
- Templates and frame options that make your card look “real enough on the table” without trying to be a counterfeit.
- Art upload + positioning controls (drag to reposition, zoom, adjust sizing) so your art doesn’t end up awkwardly cropped like a cursed Facebook banner.
- Search-to-fill options can speed up the boring stuff, and then you can override anything you want.
What you give up
- If you’re trying to build a massive custom set with deep templating automation, MSE still has advantages.
- You’re in a web editor, not Photoshop. That’s a feature for most people, but power users will notice.
Use it when
You want to design a custom card, make it look clean, and print it without building a mini production pipeline.
2) Artificer (best mobile app for custom MTG proxies)
Best for: designing proxies on iOS/Android, fast, with a phone-first workflow
Artificer is for the person who gets an idea and wants it out of their brain immediately. It’s mobile-first, which means it’s genuinely convenient, and also means you will occasionally wish you had a bigger screen when doing fine alignment work.
Why it’s good
- Mobile-native UX. You can make a card on the couch, on a bus, or in between rounds.
- Easy exporting and sharing. Great for quick iteration, meme cards, custom commanders, and tokens.
- There’s also a web presence for viewing/downloading from a computer, which helps if your printer setup is desktop-based.
What you give up
- Precision layout work is harder on a phone. That’s physics, not a flaw.
- If you need batch production or deep template control, MSE wins.
Use it when
You want speed, convenience, and you’re okay with “good enough” layout control for most custom designs.
3) Magic Set Editor (MSE) (best for batch desktop design)
Best for: building lots of custom cards, custom mechanics, or full custom sets
MSE is a classic. It’s been around forever, and it feels like it. But it’s still one of the fastest ways to crank out a lot of custom cards with consistent formatting.
Why it’s good
- Batch-friendly workflow. Great for making whole sets, cube packages, or a custom “commander product” worth of cards.
- Community templates and resources exist, and you can go deep if you want.
- Exports are straightforward once you’ve got it set up.
What you give up
- The UI is not modern. It works, but it’s not pretty.
- Setup can take some fiddling, especially if you’re adding templates or newer frame styles.
Use it when
You’re making a lot of cards and consistency matters more than sleek UX.
Honorable mentions (design)
If you want more web-based designers (especially for quick mockups), these are worth a look:
- MTG.Design: simple browser-based custom cards from basically any device.
- Card Conjurer: web-based custom card creator with lots of template flexibility.
- MtgCardsmith / other web editors: variable quality, but some people like the UI and frame libraries.
These are solid options when you want a quick web editor and don’t need printing baked into the same workflow.
Best websites for printing MTG proxies
1) PrintMTG (best for printing + clean workflow)
Best for: decklists, custom cards, and consistent table-ready proxies without DIY fatigue
PrintMTG is a print-on-demand service built around the idea that most people want proxies to be:
- easy to order, and
- nice enough to shuffle without feeling like they’re made of regret.
Why it’s good
- Decklist-first ordering (paste/upload, pick versions, done).
- Premium black-core stock and a protective finish designed for durability and shuffle feel.
- A clear path from design → print, especially if you’re using their card maker.
What you give up
- If you want absolute control over every manufacturing variable, MPC is still the DIY sandbox king.
Use it when
You want high quality with low friction, especially for full decks and custom designs.
2) ProxyMTG (best “browse and order” printing experience)
Best for: browsing a card database, ordering proxies quickly, and printing full decks without overthinking it
ProxyMTG is great when you want the “I just want the cards” experience. Browse, select, print. It’s especially good for players who don’t want to manage files, exports, or formatting.
Why it’s good
- Built for finding cards and printing proxies on demand
- Friendly for full deck orders
- Clear, simple flow
What you give up
- It’s not a deep design suite. It’s primarily an ordering and printing workflow.
Use it when
You’re printing existing cards for decks, cubes, or big upgrades, and you want it to be painless.
3) MakePlayingCards (MPC) (best for maximum control, most steps)
Best for: people who want total control over files and don’t mind a more involved process
MPC is not an MTG proxy site, it’s a custom card manufacturer that happens to be useful for proxies. This is where you go when you want to manage everything, file prep, card backs, sizing, exports, the whole thing.
Why it’s good
- Material options including well-known black-core stocks like S33.
- You can print basically anything you can format correctly.
What you give up
- The workflow is more manual. If you hate fiddly processes, you will become a different person. Not necessarily better.
Use it when
You want maximum control and don’t mind doing more setup work.
4) PrintingProxies (mixed bag, depends what you value)
Best for: people who like their specific offering and have had good experiences
Okay, story time. We tried PrintingProxies and, in our experience, it did not land. “Hotdog water” is unfairly mean to hotdogs. But here’s the more useful takeaway:
PrintingProxies has a lot of happy customers, and it also has a trail of mixed experiences depending on who you ask and what they ordered. Some people praise speed and quality. Others report delivery or service issues. That’s not a verdict, it’s a warning label.
Use it when
You’ve checked recent reviews, you’re comfortable with the risk, and the offering matches what you want.
Quick decision framework (pick your path)
If you want the shortest route to great results:
- Design + print with minimal hassle: PrintMTG
- Print full decks by browsing and ordering: ProxyMTG
- Design on your phone: Artificer
- Design a whole custom set on desktop: MSE
- Absolute control, max DIY energy: MPC
File prep tips that make every print look better
No matter where you print, these are the boring details that keep your cards from looking cursed:
- Use high-resolution art. Blurry images do not become crisp just because you believe in them.
- Mind text size. If your rules text is tiny on screen, it will be tiny in real life. Test readability early.
- Export clean files. PNG is usually safe for single cards. PDF can be better for sheets and layouts depending on the platform.
- Don’t crowd the edges. Keep important text and symbols away from the border so minor cut variance doesn’t clip your card name into “Sol Ri”.
- Order a small test batch first if you’re using a new workflow, especially for custom art and custom frames.
FAQs
What’s the easiest way to design and print custom MTG proxies?
If you want one tool that takes you from “idea” to “printed card,” a web-based editor tied to printing is the easiest route. PrintMTG’s card maker is a strong example of that style of workflow.
Is Magic Set Editor still worth using in 2026?
Yes, especially if you’re building a lot of custom cards at once. It’s not modern, but it’s still efficient for batch creation.
What’s the best option if I only want to print a deck quickly?
A decklist-first printing site is your friend. PrintMTG and ProxyMTG are built around that style of ordering, which cuts out a ton of manual steps.
Can I design proxies on my phone?
Yes. Artificer is the cleanest mobile-first option, and it’s available on both iOS and Android.
What’s the best choice if I’m super picky and want full control?
MPC is the “you control everything” option. It’s powerful, but it asks more effort from you in exchange.