From Zero to Full Custom Deck – Complete Design Process 🧪🃏

From Zero to Full Custom Deck – Complete Design Process 🧪🃏

From Zero to Full Custom Deck – Complete Design Process 🧪🃏

Have you ever dreamed of sitting down at the table with a fully custom Commander deck – every single card with your own art, your own theme, your own style?

In our “Building a deck – Full process” video, we show exactly how we go from blank idea → finished 100-card deck, step by step. In this article, I’ll walk through the main stages of that process so you can follow along more easily and use it as a reference when you start your own project.

👉 Watch the full video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAHZMHvLiBQ

1. Starting with an Idea – Choosing the Theme & Commander

Every great custom deck begins with a concept.

In the video, the first thing we do is decide:

  • Commander / Leader – the card that defines the colours and main strategy.

  • Theme – for example: plague swarm, cosmic dragons, city of thieves, horror carnival, etc.

  • Mood & style – dark fantasy, bright anime, chibi, retro, cyberpunk…

This step is crucial because it becomes the visual and mechanical “glue” for the entire deck. Once you lock it in, every card you design should support that fantasy.

💡 Tip: Choose a commander you already love to play. That way the deck will feel good on the table, not just look good.

2. Building the Decklist

Next, we assemble the full 100-card list.

In the video we cover how to:

  • Use sites like EDHREC/Moxfield as a starting point.

  • Decide which cards are core to the strategy (must-have) and which ones are flexible.

  • Keep a good balance between:

    • Ramp

    • Card draw

    • Removal

    • Win conditions

    • Lands & fixing

At this stage, we are still thinking like players, not designers. The goal is to end up with a list that would be strong even with normal, non-custom cards.

3. Planning the Visual Identity of the Deck

Once the list is ready, we move to the art direction.

In the video you’ll see how we:

  • Choose a primary colour palette (for example toxic greens, neon blues, golden highlights).

  • Decide what kind of environments we want (swamps, laboratories, temples, space, etc.).

  • Keep a consistent style across all cards so the deck looks like a true “set”.

This is where the project stops being “just a deck” and becomes more like a mini expansion of your own universe.

4. Preparing Templates and Files

To design over 100 cards efficiently, you need a solid technical base.

The process includes:

  • Setting up card frame templates with text boxes, title bars, icons and power/toughness.

  • Creating master files for:

    • Creatures

    • Instants/Sorceries

    • Artifacts & Enchantments

    • Lands

    • Tokens

  • Defining export settings (size, resolution, bleed) so everything prints perfectly later.

In the video we show how one good template can speed up the whole workflow and keep all cards consistent.

5. Designing the Main Creatures & Key Cards

We start with the most iconic cards:

  • The commander

  • Signature creatures

  • Important artifacts or spells

For each of these, we:

  1. Pick or generate an illustration that matches the theme.

  2. Place the art inside the frame and adjust the crop/composition.

  3. Add name, type line, rules text and flavour text.

  4. Double-check readability and visual impact.

By finishing these first, you immediately see the soul of the deck and can use them as a visual reference for the rest.

6. Batch Designing the Rest of the Deck

With the visual language defined, we move into batch work:

  • Group similar cards (removal spells, ramp, utility creatures, etc.).

  • Reuse layouts where possible to keep things fast and cohesive.

  • Maintain small variations so the deck doesn’t feel repetitive.

The video shows how to think in batches instead of single cards, which is the key to completing an entire deck without burning out.

7. Tokens & Lands – Finishing the Experience

A full custom deck isn’t complete without:

  • Tokens that match your theme (zombies, spirits, robots, insects, allies, etc.).

  • Lands that feel like locations from your universe.

We design these last so they reflect everything we’ve already built: same colours, atmosphere, and story. The result is a deck that looks like it came from a cohesive, official set – but it’s entirely yours.

8. Exporting, Printing and Sleeving

Finally, we prepare the deck for play:

  • Export all cards as high-resolution PNGs/JPGs.

Why This Full-Process Video Matters

Most tutorials show how to design one card.
This video and workflow show how to design a complete 100-card experience:

  • A thematic, powerful Commander deck

  • Fully customised visually

  • Playable and impressive on the table

  • Reproducible – you can repeat the same process for future decks

If your goal is to create commercial-quality custom decks for yourself, your friends, or even your own brand, this is the kind of pipeline you need.

Start Your Own Full Deck Project 🚀

Ready to build your own custom Commander deck from zero?

  1. Watch the full video breakdown:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAHZMHvLiBQ

  2. Use our Free PDF Tutorial Guide if you want a written reference for single-card design.

  3. Pick a commander, define a theme, and start with just 10–15 key cards.

  4. Expand to the full 100 cards once your style is locked in.

And if you create a deck inspired by this process, tag @elkoytcg – we love seeing new worlds come to life through custom cards. 💚🃏