PrintMTG is usually the easier starting point for an ordinary Magic: The Gathering decklist. MakePlayingCards (MPC) is the more configurable choice when you want to control a larger custom-card manufacturing project. Neither is a universal winner on every combination of card stock, finish, shipping destination, or price.
The useful distinction is the work each service expects you to do. PrintMTG is built around finding Magic cards, choosing printings, and ordering playable proxy cards. MPC is a custom playing-card manufacturer. If you already have finished artwork for every face and back, MPC’s flexibility can be valuable. If you have a Commander list and want a relatively short path to physical cards, a specialized Magic workflow has an obvious appeal.
PrintMTG, MPC, and MPCfill are three different things
These names are frequently used as though they describe one service. They do not.
| Service | What it does | Most natural use |
|---|---|---|
| PrintMTG | MTG-focused card selection, decklist ordering, and custom Magic-style design | Commander decks, Cube changes, specific printings, quick proxy testing |
| MakePlayingCards (MPC) | Manufactures configurable custom playing-card decks | Artwork-ready projects, unusual backs, material selection, custom packaging |
| MPCfill / MPC Autofill | Community artwork selection and automated ordering workflow connected to MPC | Players comfortable choosing community renders and using an additional tool |
MPCfill isn’t a separate printer. It organizes an artwork-and-ordering workflow around MakePlayingCards. That workflow can reduce some of MPC’s manual image work, so a fair comparison should not assume every MPC customer personally uploads a hundred card fronts from scratch.
For many players, the decision is whether they want a Magic-specific storefront or a general-purpose production setup. Both approaches can yield physical cards for casual decks.
Ordering a Commander deck: where the workflows differ
With PrintMTG, the published process begins by pasting or uploading a decklist. You select the printings and quantities, review the order, and check out. This is convenient when you know the card names but haven’t assembled production artwork for each slot.
MPC’s published workflow starts with a card product and its configuration. You choose the card size, stock, finishing options, fronts, backs, and quantity, then review the final project. A player using MPCfill can automate much of the art preparation, but that still introduces a second system and the need to inspect its selected images.
Neither system can infer every creative decision for you. If you care about a particular frame, alternate art, language, or printing, examine the preview card by card. “I uploaded the right decklist” is not the same as “I ordered the right hundred images.”
For an existing list that just needs testing, PrintMTG’s decklist-first flow is simpler. For a small independently designed game or a deck with many deliberately unique reverse sides, MPC’s product-level choices may be more useful.
Printing materials, finish, and card backs
PrintMTG currently advertises standard Magic-style sizing, S33 German black-core card stock, a smooth finished surface, and precision cutting. Its proxy cards are intended to look clear and consistent in sleeves while using backs that are not presented as official Magic cards. These are company specifications, not independent measurements from this article.
MPC publishes a broader material menu for its custom game cards, including blue-core and black-core stocks, smooth and linen options, and customized backs. Its game-card size menu includes 63 × 88 mm, the standard dimension used for Magic-size cards. Available stock and finish combinations depend on the specific product selected.
There is a tradeoff here. More choices are useful if you understand how each combination changes stiffness, surface feel, and price. They are less useful if you just want to sleeve a Commander deck and play on Friday.
Do not infer print superiority from materials alone. A black-core label does not demonstrate that two vendors use identical printers, ink settings, coating, color management, or cutting tolerances. A responsible print-quality verdict requires buying matched cards from both services and inspecting them under comparable conditions. We have not performed that test for this article.
What about price for 100 MTG proxy cards?
PrintMTG publishes quantity-based per-card pricing. As checked in October 2026, its public page lists $0.55 per card for 100–199 cards. That makes the listed card subtotal for a 100-card order $55, before any applicable shipping and taxes. Smaller orders use higher tiers, so it is important to compare the intended quantity rather than rely on a headline minimum.
MPC’s total cannot responsibly be reduced to one universal per-card number. You need to choose an actual product, count, material, finish, packaging arrangement, and delivery destination. The final price may be attractive for some bulk configurations and less attractive for others.
To compare properly, build both carts on the same day and check:
- The same number of physical cards, including the commander, tokens, and any extra faces you plan to print.
- The closest available stock and surface finish.
- Comparable print quality expectations and artwork preparation costs.
- Shipping, duties where applicable, and taxes at checkout.
- The realistic turnaround and the remedy if the order contains a production defect.
The cheapest initial card subtotal is not necessarily the cheapest usable deck. An order that requires an extra evening of artwork cleanup has a cost too, even when that cost isn’t on the receipt.
Prices and production options change. Verify the final totals at PrintMTG and MakePlayingCards before deciding; the amounts above are not a guaranteed future quote.
Which service is better for custom artwork?
It depends on what you mean by custom.
If you want to change artwork, set a Magic-style frame, or make a unique playtest card, PrintMTG provides an MTG Card Maker alongside its standard decklist route. That is useful when the project still needs design work.
If you already have production-ready fronts and backs—or you are producing a different card game entirely—MPC’s broader card-product catalog is a more natural starting point. It gives you options for packaging, card sizes, and materials outside the normal Magic proxy workflow.
The warning is the same for either service: check the final art at final print size. Make sure the rules text is readable, no important detail sits inside the trim area, and the reverse sides are assigned as intended. A pretty image on a phone screen can become a surprisingly small paragraph on a physical card.
Which one should Commander and Cube players choose?
For a single Commander deck, I would start with PrintMTG if ease of ordering and matching card names to set printings are the primary goals. If you already maintain an MPCfill project and like its artwork choices, there may be no good reason to abandon that workflow.
For a Cube, especially one that changes regularly, assess the cost and effort of reprints. Frequent changes reward a service that makes choosing card versions and reordering painless. A large, stable Cube prepared as a finished artwork package may benefit from MPC’s broader production options.
For original game design or unusual card backs, MPC deserves serious consideration because customization is the actual project rather than a secondary detail.
For a handful of expensive staples to test, you may not need a full-deck manufacturer at all. ProxyKing’s individual card catalog is a different buying path, useful when you want specific singles or curated sets rather than a complete custom print project.
What about sanctioned play?
Printed cards from either service are not official Magic cards. The official distinction matters: Wizards-sanctioned events require authentic Magic cards, apart from narrowly defined judge-issued replacements in particular tournament circumstances. Casual playtest cards, private Cube drafts, and unsanctioned proxy-friendly groups are a different environment. See Wizards’ proxy policy and our ProxyKing proxy-use guidance before assuming that a printed deck is permitted at a store event.
Frequently asked questions
Is MPCfill the same as MakePlayingCards?
No. MPCfill (MPC Autofill) helps with artwork selection and automated ordering; MakePlayingCards manufactures the physical decks. They are distinct parts of the process.
Does a black-core card automatically mean better print quality?
No. Core stock affects construction and handling, but sharpness, color, coating, and cutting also matter. Check comparable physical samples or documented tests before declaring a quality winner.
Is MPC cheaper than PrintMTG?
It can be for some configurations, but not universally. Compare the final delivered cost for the same number of cards and the closest practical stock, finish, and shipping choices. Published starting prices alone are not comparable.
Which should I choose if I don’t have print files?
A Magic-specific decklist and card-selection flow generally creates less preparation work. If you’re already comfortable using MPCfill, its artwork-and-ordering workflow can also simplify an MPC order.
The verdict
Use PrintMTG when you want a straightforward MTG decklist-to-cards workflow. Use MPC when the project benefits from extra control over manufacturing choices, and consider MPCfill if you want community-render selection and don’t mind the extra tooling. For both, inspect your order and compare its final delivered price. The right answer is the workflow that gets the correct cards onto your table without unnecessary friction.