Make a Pokémon Card
Pokemon is a Trading Card Game (TCG) made for entertainment purposes. Pokémon cards are fun collectable cards that you can buy or trade with your friends. Making Pokémon cards is illegal if the purpose is to sell them for profit. However, if you want to make a card for fun, like creating a card of yourself or your cute cat, you can use a simple online creator or learn how to use an image creating software. If you intend on playing with your fake card, there are several different things to keep in mind such as balancing out damage, energy requirements, health, and weakness.
Contents
Steps
Creating a Card Online
- Search for a Pokémon card maker site. Search keywords “Pokemon card maker” and you should find many online generators. Two popular sites are mypokecard.com or pokecard.net
- Find an image for your Pokémon card. If you’re going for realism, search for an animated image with the same characteristics as real Pokemon, like sharp edges and bold colors. If you want a funny card or something unique, you can use a photo of yourself or scary animal. Once you’ve chosen your image, upload it onto the site.
- Choose an image that goes with the type of Pokémon that you’re creating. For example, you might choose a water or fire type, in which case you should make sure the image you choose fits the type. So if you have a photo of a animal shooting water from its mouth, don`t choose fire type.
- Choose an evolution stage. The evolution stage is similar to giving your Pokemon’s age. If it's basic then it’s a kid, if it’s stage 1 then it’s a teen, and if it’s stage 2 then it is a adult.
- Select the name for your Pokemon. If choosing a name is difficult, think about what your Pokémon represents. Is it funny? Is it powerful? Is it scary? You can name it after its move like “Firebreather” or “Lightning Strike”
- Fill in special characteristics. Each Pokémon has a set of special characteristics and a card maker site will prompt you with what to fill out. This is what makes up your Pokémon and should be fun. Think about the type moves and and weaknesses your card should have. Put in its attacks, fill out the author statement, and the weaknesses of the Pokemon.
Designing Functional Characteristics
- Put the Pokemon's name at the very top. It’s important to come up with a name that represents your Pokémon well. Use the official Pokémon font that can be found using a quick online search.
- Place your Pokemon’s HP number at the top right corner. The stronger your Pokémon is, the higher the HP level. You can also be hit more often with a high HP number.
- How much health your Pokémon will have depends on its type. For example, water types tend to have high health. Additionally, Stage 1 or Stage 2 evolutions will have more health than previous evolutions.
- List your pokemon’s moves below the image. Below the Pokemon’s image, add 2 or 3 types of attacks. When attacking your opponent, you need to develop a strategy so choose your moves wisely.
- As with health, the damage your attacks do is based on the Pokémon's type and evolutionary stage. Different types also have different effects (ie. electric types often have coin flips in their attacks, and fire types commonly make you detach energy to attack).
- For example, when attacking, you could say, "Quick Attack, hit!" If your opponent does not say dodge before you say hit, than your opponent loses however many damage counters the move has.
- Sometimes, if a Pokémon is very weak to a type of pokemon, you can retreat. Other times, when your opponent is very weak to a certain type of pokemon, and the move has a boost in attack.
- Keep in mind that you can also use potions, trainer cards and supporter cards together with your moves. Those cards count as one turn.
- Place the damage counters next to the attacks. Directly to the right, create how many damage counters the attack move has. Whenever attacking, make sure to check for special conditions. Next to the attacks will be the damage it produces and under will also be either the status it changes to (ex.sleep poison stunned), or instructions to flip a coin to do more damage, depending on heads or tails. On the left side will be the attacks attribute.
- Attack attributes often put the defending Pokémon to sleep or continue to deal damage.
- Before starting a battle, always make sure to check weakness and resistance.
- Create a small line going across for the Pokedex number. The Pokedex number is the order assigned by the International Pokédex. It gives a brief history and characteristics of your Pokemon
- Give the type of Pokémon under the image. For example, mushroom pokemon, tiny mouse pokemon, or destruction Pokémon are all valid types. Also, include the height and weight below the image to help distinguish your type.
- Indicate how rare and important your card is. When trading and selling cards, you can find out if it is rare, when you look at the bottom right corner. There will be either a circle meaning not rare, a rhombus meaning uncommon, a star meaning rare, and a shining star meaning very rare.
- Place a card number near the bottom left. You will find two numbers that indicate how rare a card is. The higher the number the better. If you find a card that looks something like this, (109\108) that means that you have a rare card.
- Write a character description at the very bottom of your card. Pokémon cards will list something about the pokemon. For example, "Because it is very proud, it hates accepting food from people. Its thick fur guards it from stuns. The illustrator weakness resistance and retreat cost should also located at the bottom of your card.
- Emphasize texture. Some cards are rare Holofoil or collectable cards, and usually have a shiny texture. So if you decide to mimic this feature, use glossy material. There are several different types of cards. There are full Art Cards, Holofoils, Reverse Holos, and Old School cards.
- Old School cards are older cards. They often have different art styles, or red HP. If you are not sure, check the bottom of the card for the date. You cannot buy these cards in stores.
Creating a Realistic Physical Card
- Separate an authentic Pokemon card. Pokemon cards are 2 separate cards glued together, a front and a back. Remove them, and keep the back for later.
- Scan a real card to create an image file. Upload the file to an image editor, preferably one that can support layers, such as Paintshop pro, GIMP 2 or Photoshop.
- Download an image creating software. There are many image creating software that allow you to both create and edit. Some must be purchased, like Photoshop, and some are free, like GIMP.
- There are also websites that specifically cater to creating Pokemon imagery. If you use a website, simply follow the directions given.
- Obtain all of the components of a real Pokemon card and combine them using the software. Search keywords like “Pokemon Card Resources” or simply use a real card as your template. Recreate the Pokémon card template using the tools of the image software.
- Recreate the border, edit your Pokémon picture, write text for HP, moveset, and any other things that are necessary to get an authentic look.
- Edit your text. When creating your text it is important to choose the right fonts as they appear on official cards. Search for Pokémon fonts online but keep in mind that some sites may require you to purchase their fonts.
- Save your work! Choose a file name that’s easy to remember and file type. Go to the top menu and click 'export' to export the card to a pdf and save it as a JPEG or PNG.
- Resize your image. Open the PDF file with a Word Processor (ex. Microsoft Word) and resize it to match that of an authentic card (6.3 in width and 8.8 cm in height). Once you've resized it, remember the pixels of the card that you printed, so you can make a back.
- Print out the card. Make sure to use high quality color ink for best results. You should also consider the cardboard you are going to use. White cardstock works well.
- Keep in mind the texture of the card.
- Cut it to the precise shape and glue on the back of the card. Be careful not to create jagged or slanted edges. Use the back of the card that you saved to ensure that the size matches up. Glue it to the back of an existing card for rigidity. Apply a transparent tape on the cards to give it a glossy feel
- Glue it on with a strong glue such as rubber cement.
- Use the back of an existing card that you preferably do not care for such as a weak double.
Tips
- For realism, look up Japanese names, and put one as the illustrator,.
- Use fake cards to make memes, show your friends or use as forum weapons.
- Make sure that your Pokémon's weakness and resistance work with its health, so that it's not too easy or too hard to KO.
- Other effects like Poké-body, Poké-power and Abilities should work with the Pokémon's types and evolution. This is also true for additional effects with the Pokémon's attacks (ie. poison type Pokémon have effects which poison the opponent, and higher stage evolutions have more powerful effects).
Warnings
- Don't be unreasonable. Your Pokémon shouldn't have more than 2 attacks, have high attack power, high hp, or abilities that are unfair. For example, don’t create an ability that lets your Pokémon attack twice in one turn or regenerate 20 hp each turn. Good Pokémon cards should have reasonable hp ( e.g. 50-100 hp) have two attacks, have attacks that other Pokémon have, and have a good picture of itself. It should also have a cool name and a type, a retreat cost, weakness, move types and energy required to make that move.
- Do not make a fake Pokémon card for the purpose of sales. This is against the law.
Things You'll Need
- Color printer
- Computer
- Glue
- Scissors
- Tape
- White Card Stock
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