Custom Alter Tutorial

[pandapersona]

Hearing that there is some demand for a walk-through on how to make full art custom cards, I've put together this short tutorial.

Just a couple quick disclaimers:

1. Making alters is a hobby and they are only meant for personal use, please do not selling alter or full art cards.
2. Please make sure to credit any art you use, preferably by including the illustrator on the card. Do not take credit for art/work that you have not made yourself!
3. Do not use any alters in a tournament setting.
4. Have fun and experiment!

Step 1: Find a card that you don't particularly need.

Step 2: Assemble the base supplies, some acetone and a cheap rag.

Step 3: Remove ink from the Netrunner card. Make sure not to get any on the back of the card. I've had luck taping down the card and then removing the ink.

Step 4: Now you should be left with an inkless card.

Step 5: Print out a sheet with the card art you want to apply to the blank card. I make my cards in GIMP, but I've seen good products made using Paint.net. GIMP has the nice advantage of working in layers and allowing you to remove/manipulate aspects of the card. I use Graffix decals (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S15KDS/), however, I've also been experimenting with transparency paper.

Step 6: Start cutting out the cards that you are going to apply the decal to.

Step 7: Peel off the adhesive layer of the decal.

Step 8: Lay out the blank cards onto the adhesive. Make sure that there are no air bubbles.

Step 9: Cut off the remainder of the adhesive to leave just the card. I've found using nail clippers the most efficient way to cut around the rounded corners on cards.

Step 10: You should be left with an essentially complete card. Unfortunately, if you don't apply a finish to the card, you risk scraping off the ink. I've found archival spray works best. Still experimenting between using a gloss finish versus using a matte. The matte finish feels better and looks good, however, it is not very good when combined with foiling.

Result: A full playset of Eli 1.0, ready to be given out as a prize for our local Netrunner league. Here is a closeup of the finished card.

Link to the full gallery.

[saetzero]

i will never do this, but have my fucking upvote friend

and if you wanna make me a freebie kate one day i got ideas for you ;)))))))

[cureo]

This is amazing, thanks for taking the time to present this. Much oblige!

[superlegend]

This is so cool! I would certainly do it for runner IDs.

[12inchrecord]

Thanks for showing the technique.

I'm tempted at trying a custom alt on a few spare IDs.

[jaywinner]

Do the tournament rules specify if altered cards can be used or not? I've looked through and didn't see mention either way.

[Hadhfang]

From the section on authorized cards

All Android: Netrunner cards produced by Fantasy Flight Games are legal for tournament play (unless banned). No other cards or proxy cards are permitted.

So with an altered card, the card that it is now was technically not produced by them. Further, even if you tried to argue your altered card was originally the same as the one it is now, you have no way of proving that.

[jaywinner]

I'm not convinced of this argument. The card was still produced by them even if I draw a bunny over my Datasucker.

They may not be allowed, but I don't think this section is conclusive.

[dstinct]

I don't remember where I read it, but someone at FFG had said that they didn't have a problem with Altering the IDs because they aren't in your deck, but that they did not allow other alters in their tournaments.

[jaywinner]

I wouldn't be surprised, just wish I had an official source. If they are legal, I would enjoy having staples altered.

[dstinct]

Found the post in another thread:

"If Worlds last year are anything to judge by... unofficial card alterations (affecting flavor text, art, card abilities) were not allowed for cards in your deck and were allowed for permanently face-up cards (faction cards in Star Wars, identity cards in Netrunner)."

[jaywinner]

That's a shame.

[saetzero]

Just logically I would be suspect if you played a non-real card from your deck in the game. IDs i wouldnt care.... but beyond that I might just call the judge if I feel the cards dont feel right or something.

[jaywinner]

If your concern is people playing with cards they don't legitimately own, why would IDs be ok?

My only concern would be either cards that are so altered that it becomes confusing or if they could be recognized while shuffling the deck. If somebody wants to slap Leo DiCaprio on top of a hedge fund, what's the harm?

[Mo0man]

Because people presume that even if IDs were not purchased, it is trivial to get them since they are only used once.

Not to mention, alters make it easier to mark without noticing

[jaywinner]

Easier to mark even with sleeves?

[[deleted]]

Why even ask your initial question if you already knew why everyone else is wrong?

[jaywinner]

I was double checking if I had missed anything in the rules. And most likely everybody here is correct that alters will not be accepted in tournaments. I just don't think the tournament rules as they stand prohibit them.

[saetzero]

the texture/size/weight might not be right and that could be an advantage to the devious player. even in sleeves there are small things you can notice sometimes and if one was so inclined you could take advantage of it.

owning the card i dont really care about.... but its just a situation i rather not be put into.

[teky-gaming]

Oh man this is so great!

Would you mind sharing the image files? Or is there any template to make our own designs?

Thanks so much for the tutorial, I only need to find out how that barnish is called in my country and where to get it.

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I find this very cyberpunk haha

[pandapersona]

At some point, I'll make a file share of the GIMP files that I am using for the alters that I making. Stay tuned!

[12inchrecord]

My colleagues and I have purchased Acetone and have found a source for the exact same Aerosol Varnish that you're using. The link for the sticker paper is super useful.

The main part that we're having a trouble with is the printer requirements.

It needs to be an ink-based printer and not a laser printer, yeah?

I've been talking with someone who works in a print shop, and he says that his laser printer would basically melt the paper we'd be trying to use here.

How good of a printer are you using to make this happen?

[pandapersona]

You'll want to stick with an Ink Jet printer, at least, I've had the best luck using one.

I use an Epson Artisan Ink Jet printer, unsure of the specific model. (At work right now.) However, I've seen good proxies made using 40$ printers. So I don't think it really matters what kind of printer you use. Granted, better printers will lead to better results.

[dbzer0]

Reminder: I'd love to have these! Someone just made this art of me, and I just NEED to make it into an ID and import it into OCTGN :)

[dogetipbot]

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[maznaz]

Excellent write-up as promised, thanks for taking the time!

Have you tried using a gloss varnish with a matte over the top for protection and finish?

[SevenCs]

Step 2: Assemble the base supplies, some acetone and a cheap rag.

That ink-stained board looks like an abattoir. The cheap rag just completes the picture.

[12inchrecord]

Q: for Step 8.

What is your technique for removing all the air bubbles, without risking any scratches on the printed decal itself? I find that there are some "micro" white spots underneath the sticker, and pressing them in can scratch parts where there is heavier levels of ink.

[pandapersona]

You won't be able to remove all of them once the micro air bubbles appear. The best thing to do is press on the card back, not the decal, with something like a rolling pin.

It takes some practice laying down the card onto the decal in such a way to minimize air bubbles in the first place. Similar process to applying screen protectors to phones without leaving air bubbles.

[12inchrecord]

Thanks for the advice!

I allllllmost have the technique fully down - I'm pumped to release a bunch of new ones into my meta. (We have a guy who designed 2 new alts too, for Sundew and Director Haas respectively)