How to Make Tarot Cards: A Complete Guide From Concept to Finished Deck

People make their own tarot cards for many reasons: to create a deck that reflects their personal symbols, to explore a meaningful artistic theme, to give a thoughtful handmade gift, or to develop a product they may eventually sell. If you are searching for how to make tarot cards, the most important first step is to decide what you want the finished deck to do and who will use it. Whether you want to make your own tarot cards by hand or order a professionally printed deck, the same planning principles apply.

This guide explains how to make your own tarot deck from start to finish. You will learn how to plan your deck, understand or reinterpret traditional card meanings, choose a production method, gather materials, prepare CMYK or RGB print files, design and protect each card, compare home printing with EzraCard print-on-demand and professional printing, avoid common mistakes, handle copyright questions, and begin using or consecrating your finished deck. A final selling section and FAQ will help you decide what to do next.

1. Tarot Deck Basics You Need to Know First

Before you begin designing, it helps to understand what a conventional tarot deck contains. This structure gives you a useful framework, even if you later create a highly personal system.

1.1 What's Inside a Standard Tarot Deck

A traditional tarot deck has 78 cards:

• 22 Major Arcana cards, numbered from 0 to 21
• 56 Minor Arcana cards, divided into four suits

The Minor Arcana has four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Each suit contains 14 cards: Ace through 10, plus the Page, Knight, Queen, and King.

You can follow this 78-card structure exactly, modify the names and imagery, or create a different number of cards. The right choice depends on whether you want a recognizable tarot system or a completely original one.

1.2 Tarot vs. Oracle Decks — What's the Difference

The main difference between tarot and oracle decks is structure.

A tarot deck normally follows the fixed 78-card system and uses a traditional framework of Major and Minor Arcana meanings. Readers who know the Rider-Waite-Smith system can usually understand the basic role of a new tarot deck.

An oracle deck has no required number of cards, suits, or sequence. It can contain any number of cards, and its theme and meanings are entirely flexible.

If you want to learn a recognizable divination system or make a deck that other tarot readers can use, choose tarot. If you want maximum freedom for personal symbolism and artistic expression, an oracle deck may be a better fit.

1.3 Standard Tarot Card Size & File Specs

A common tarot card size is 2.75 × 4.75 inches, or approximately 70 × 120 millimeters. Some printers offer slightly different dimensions, so always check their template before designing.

For digital files, work at 300 DPI so the printed images remain sharp. Add a bleed area—often about 0.125 inches on each side—so small cutting variations do not leave white edges. Keep important text and symbols inside the safe area, away from the trim line.

1.4 CMYK/RGB and Print-Ready File Settings

RGB is the color mode used by screens, while CMYK is commonly used for commercial printing. Ask EzraCard which color profile your order requires before exporting. Do not convert blindly at the end of the project: colors can shift, especially bright greens, blues, and neons. Make a test conversion, compare it with a printed proof, and adjust the artwork if necessary.

Build each card at 300 DPI with the printer’s bleed added to every side. For a 2.75 × 4.75-inch finished card and a 0.125-inch bleed, the working canvas is typically 3 × 5 inches. Keep titles, numbers, and faces inside the safe area. Export in the file type EzraCard requests, such as a high-quality PDF, PNG, or TIFF; embed fonts or convert display text to outlines when the workflow requires it. Name every file consistently and keep front and back artwork in clearly labeled folders so you and the printer can identify each card easily.

1.5 A 22-Card Major Arcana Starter Deck

You do not have to begin with all 78 cards. A useful first milestone is a 22-card Major Arcana starter deck. It lets you test your theme, color palette, typography, card-back symmetry, and reading style before committing to the Minor Arcana.

This is a simplified starter deck, not a complete standard tarot deck. Once the 22 cards feel coherent, you can expand the same visual system into Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. It is also a practical way to make a first proof and collect feedback without paying to print 78 finished cards immediately.

2. Step 1: Plan Your Deck Before You Start

A clear plan prevents you from redesigning dozens of cards later. Spend time deciding what the deck is for, what it should communicate, and how you will produce it.

2.1 Set Your Intention

Ask yourself:

• Why do I want to make this deck?
• Is it for personal use, study, or meditation?
• Am I making a gift?
• Do I hope to publish or sell it?
• Who is the intended reader?

Your answer to “why” affects nearly every later decision. A private deck can use highly personal references, while a commercial deck needs consistent production files, clear instructions, legal permissions, and a realistic budget.

Write your intention in one or two sentences. For example: “I am creating a nature-based tarot deck for beginners who want gentle, practical readings.” This statement becomes a filter whenever you make a design or production choice.

2.2 Choose a Theme & Art Style

Your theme might focus on animals, plants, mythology, astrology, local landscapes, family history, dreams, or minimalist geometric symbols. You can also build the deck around a personal life experience, such as healing, travel, or major transitions.

Choose an art style that you can maintain across all 78 cards. Possible styles include watercolor, ink drawing, collage, digital painting, photography, linocut, or simple iconography. A consistent visual language is more important than technical complexity.

Create a small style guide before you begin. Note your color palette, line quality, border treatment, typography, image shape, and the emotional tone you want the deck to convey.

2.3 Personal Use, Gift, or Eventually Selling? Decide Your Track Early

For a purely personal deck, you can be experimental. You may use unusual card sizes, handwritten labels, or inexpensive materials.

A gift deck requires more attention to durability, presentation, and the recipient’s ability to understand the symbols. A deck you intend to sell requires print-ready files, consistent dimensions, packaging, pricing, customer instructions, and permission for every third-party image, font, or text element.

If you plan to sell your deck, pay particular attention to Section 10: Copyright & Legal Considerations.

Personal-use path

Keep the first version flexible: test a smaller 22-card Major Arcana deck or another manageable set, use inexpensive paper or home printing, and change the size, labels, or artwork whenever the reading experience suggests an improvement. Your main checkpoints are clear meanings, comfortable handling, and a deck that feels useful to you. Packaging, a guidebook, and professional finishing can wait until the system works.

Commercial-sales path

Lock the product before polishing every card. For a recognizable tarot deck, decide whether you will follow the 78-card structure or clearly explain any changes; then fix the card size, stock, finish, corner treatment, packaging, and guidebook requirements. Build print-ready files with consistent names and folders, secure commercial permission for every outside asset, order a physical proof, and calculate printing, packaging, shipping, taxes, platform fees, and margin before choosing a production quantity. Use Section 10 and Section 8 as your review points.

3. Step 2: Learn (or Reinterpret) the Card Meanings

The artwork will be stronger when every visual decision has a clear relationship to the card’s meaning.

3.1 Study Traditional Meanings

The Rider-Waite-Smith system is a practical starting point because it is widely recognized and has abundant beginner resources. Study the Major Arcana, the four suits, the numbers one through ten, and the court cards.

Before making the cards, spend time learning what each card traditionally represents. Early study helps you create a coherent visual story rather than isolated images.

3.2 Follow Tradition or Create Your Own System

Follow the traditional system. Keeping the 78-card structure and familiar themes makes your deck easier to learn and allows other readers to use it. You can still change the setting, characters, clothing, colors, and cultural references.

Create a completely original system. This gives you maximum personal expression, but you must define the purpose and meaning of every card yourself and may need a guidebook.

If you want other people to read with your deck, retain the basic tarot structure. If the deck is only for you, you can change as much as you like.

3.3 Build a Simple Card Meaning Reference Sheet

Create a table before you start:

Complete one row for every card. Add symbols, color ideas, emotional tone, and reference images if useful. This sheet becomes a working checklist and prevents you from forgetting what a card should express halfway through the illustration. You can keep it in a spreadsheet, Notion page, or printable PDF.

4. Step 3: Choose Your Card-Making Method

There is no single correct way to make tarot cards. Choose the method that matches your skills, available time, budget, and intended use.

4.1 Hand-Painted / Drawn

Make a pencil sketch, add ink or paint, let the artwork dry, and scan or photograph it if you plan to print copies. This method suits artists who want an original, tactile result, although creating 78 finished illustrations can take weeks or months.

4.2 Collage

Collect magazine pages, your own photographs, or licensed printed images; sort them by card meaning; arrange and glue the pieces; then seal the surface with Mod Podge or another suitable medium. Collage is accessible to beginners and offers rich textures.

4.3 Digital Design

Create a document at 2.75 × 4.75 inches plus bleed, work at 300 DPI or higher, draw or assemble the artwork in Procreate, Photoshop, Canva, or another program, and export according to the printer’s requirements. Digital files are easy to revise, duplicate, test, and publish.

4.4 Photography

Photograph objects, people, or places that represent each card, then crop and edit the images and add titles digitally. This method suits photographers who want a documentary, cinematic, or location-based deck.

4.5 Simple Symbol / Minimalist

Use one central symbol, shape, or word on each card, combined with the card name. Minimalism is useful for a first deck because it reduces production time and makes the system easy to read.

4.6 Method Comparison Table

5. Step 4: Gather Your Materials

5.1 Card Stock & Paper Options

Use pre-cut blank tarot cards, heavy card stock around 300–400 GSM, watercolor paper for wet media, or index cards for inexpensive prototypes. Pre-cut blanks save time, while watercolor paper is excellent for painting but may need scanning and professional printing for a uniform final deck.

5.2 Art Supplies by Method

Hand-drawn cards need pencils, erasers, pens, paints, brushes, rulers, and a scanner or camera. Collage requires scissors, a craft knife, cutting mat, acid-free glue, printed materials, and sealant. Digital work requires a tablet or computer, stylus, software, and a reliable backup system. Photography requires a camera or phone, lighting, props, backgrounds, and editing software. Minimalist cards need a layout program, a licensed font, and original symbols.

5.3 Digital Tools & Software

Popular options include Procreate, Photoshop, Canva, and GIMP. An iPad with a stylus is convenient for drawing, while a computer and drawing tablet provide a larger workspace. Choose equipment that supports a consistent workflow.

5.4 Optional Finishing Supplies

Consider clear sealing spray, laminating film, a corner rounder, a storage box, a drawstring bag, dividers, and a small guidebook. Test every finishing product on one sample first.

6. How to Make Tarot Cards: Design Each Card

6.1 Sketch & Layout First

Begin with thumbnail sketches. Test the focal point, title, border, and major symbols before committing to a full-size card. Create a master template with fixed guides for bleed, safe zone, title, number, and artwork, then duplicate it for every card.

6.2 Add Symbolism & Keep a Consistent Style

Use your meaning sheet to choose symbols intentionally. Keep your color palette, line weight, border width, typography, and level of detail consistent so the deck feels like one collection.

6.3 Case Study: From Theme to Finished Deck

The most convincing way to explain deck creation is to follow one real project through four visible checkpoints. Use the same deck throughout this case study and pair each checkpoint with one process image, a short caption, and a specific lesson for the reader.

1. Theme and audience. Show the mood board, references, and one-sentence brief. Explain what the deck is about, who it is for, and which visual choices support that intention.
2. Sketches and system. Show thumbnail sketches or a card-planning sheet. Point out how the border, title position, symbols, palette, and typography were tested before full-size artwork began.
3. One finished card. Show one card from sketch to final artwork. Explain the meaning behind its main symbol, what changed during revision, and how the file was prepared for print.
4. The complete deck. Show the cards laid out as a group or in a printed proof. Discuss consistency across the set, any cards that needed reworking, and what you checked before ordering the final run.

For every image, write descriptive alt text and a caption that says what changed or what the reader should notice. A four-image sequence is more useful than four polished product shots because it demonstrates the decisions behind the finished deck.

6.4 Design the Card Back

The card back must be symmetrical. A clear top and bottom can reveal whether a card is upright or reversed. Use radial, mirror, or rotational symmetry and inspect the design from different angles.

6.5 Don't Forget: Title Card, Guidebook, and a Few Blank Cards

Alongside the 78 primary cards, include a title or introduction card, a short instruction card, and one or two blank spare cards. A guidebook can explain meanings, spreads, symbolism, and your intended approach.

6.6 Create the Card Box and Guidebook

Download EzraCard’s tuck-box or packaging template before creating the box artwork. Keep important text away from fold lines, glue flaps, and trim edges. Put the deck title on the front, a short description or sample card on the back, and the deck name on the sides so it remains identifiable when stored on a shelf. If you plan to sell the deck, leave space for required product information, an ISBN or barcode if applicable, and your copyright notice.

A practical guidebook can be a small printed booklet or a downloadable PDF. Include an introduction to your theme, how to shuffle and draw, a short explanation of your system, one entry for every card, upright and reversed meanings if you use reversals, two or three spreads, and your contact or copyright information. Draft the guidebook while you design the cards so the written meanings and images stay aligned.

7. Step 6: Finish & Protect Your Cards

7.1 Sealing & Lamination

A clear finishing spray protects hand-painted or collage surfaces while preserving a paper-like feel. Lamination provides stronger protection against moisture and abrasion but may add thickness, glare, or stiffness. Test either option before applying it to the full deck.

7.2 Corner Rounding

Rounded corners make cards more comfortable to hold and shuffle and give them a professional appearance. A manual corner rounder is sufficient for a small batch, but rounding is optional for a personal prototype.

7.3 Numbering & Labeling

Number the Major Arcana from 0 to 21. Label each Minor Arcana card with its suit and number or court rank so the deck is easy to study, organize, and reference.

8. DIY at Home vs. Print-on-Demand vs. Professional Printing — Real Cost & Time Comparison

8.1 Printing at Home

Home printing offers immediate results, low setup costs, and one-prototype flexibility. It is useful for testing colors, order, and readability, but paper handling, color reproduction, and cutting precision may be limited. It is best for personal use and early prototypes.

8.2 Print-on-Demand (POD) Services

Print-on-demand services let you order one deck or a small batch without storing inventory. Many offer templates, rounded corners, tuck boxes, and paper finishes.

8.3 Professional Bulk/Offset Printing

Bulk or offset printing offers the lowest unit price at larger quantities and the most polished production options. Minimum orders are often 500 decks or more, so this route suits formal launches, retail releases, or crowdfunding campaigns after the design has been validated.

8.4 Quick Comparison Table

The EzraCard prices below use one consistent reference configuration: a 78-card tarot deck at 70 × 120 mm (2.76 × 4.72 in), on 300gsm Smooth Blue Core cardstock, with Round R3.5 corners, Matte finish, No Lamination, No Finishing, Shrink-wrapped packaging (no box), and no booklet. Prices are per deck in USD and exclude shipping and tax. A different corner radius, special finishing, a guide sheet, a booklet, or a box will change the quote — confirm the live configuration with EzraCard before ordering.

9. Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Forgetting bleed and safe areas. Important text or artwork may be cut off near the trim edge.
2. Making an asymmetrical card back. A directional back can reveal whether a card is upright or reversed.
3. Using low-resolution images. Files below 300 DPI may look soft or pixelated.
4. Allowing the visual style to drift. Constantly changing borders, colors, and typography can make the deck feel disconnected.
5. Skipping a small proof. Check color, dimensions, and cutting before ordering all 78 cards.
6. Underestimating the time required. Set weekly targets, such as three to five cards, to maintain momentum.
7. Using unlicensed images or fonts. A private prototype can become a legal problem when you sell it.
8. Ignoring physical handling. Cards that are too thick, slippery, or poorly rounded may be difficult to shuffle.

10. Copyright & Legal Considerations

10.1 Using Your Own Original Art

Original artwork is generally the safest basis for a deck. In many jurisdictions, copyright protection begins automatically when you create and record an original work. Keep dated source files, sketches, and working documents.

10.2 Using Stock Images, Fonts & AI-Generated Art

Some CC0 and royalty-free assets permit commercial use, but “free to download” does not always mean “free to print and sell.” Read and save each license. Fonts have licenses too; a font may be free for personal use but require payment for a commercial deck or packaging.

AI-generated imagery has an evolving and disputed copyright status. If you plan to sell, check the rules in your market, review the tool’s terms, and consider adding substantial original human-created elements. When in doubt, seek qualified legal advice.

10.3 If You Plan to Sell Your Deck

You may consider registering your work with the official copyright office in your country, although rules differ by jurisdiction. For every outside image, text, symbol, or font, confirm that permission covers commercial use, printing, merchandise, and resale. This information is general guidance, not legal advice.

11. Test, Consecrate & Start Using Your Deck

11.1 Do a Test Print / Proof Run

Print one complete sample before ordering multiple decks. Check the dimensions, bleed, safe areas, color, contrast, spelling, front-and-back alignment, cutting, corners, shuffle feel, and card thickness.

11.2 Consecration Ritual (Optional)

Consecration is personal and optional. You can cleanse the deck with smoke, moonlight, sound, or another preferred method; set up a quiet ritual space; hold the deck near your heart; say your intention aloud; leave it under the full moon if that practice resonates; and perform a first reading in which the deck introduces itself.

11.3 Break In Your Deck — First Reading Questions

• What is your most important quality?
• What can you teach me?
• How should I work with you?
• What kind of questions do you answer best?
• What should I understand before using you with others?

Record the answers in a journal. Your relationship with the deck will become part of its interpretation system.

12. Thinking About Selling Your Deck?

Before setting a price, calculate materials, design time, proofing, printing, packaging, shipping, platform fees, taxes, and customer service. Your time is part of the product cost.

For per-unit costs at different order sizes, see the EzraCard price comparison table in Section 8.4 — your margin at each tier depends on the price you sell at and the platform fees you pay.

Platforms such as Etsy can provide access to buyers, while a personal website gives you more control over branding and customer information. Consider a small batch or preorder so you can test demand before investing in inventory. Before listing the deck, review Section 10 and confirm that every component is cleared for commercial use.

13. Frequently Asked Questions

How many cards are in a tarot deck?

A standard tarot deck contains 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards divided among four suits. A custom deck can use a different number if you define its structure clearly.

Can I make a tarot deck if I'm not an artist?

Yes. Use collage, photography, simple symbols, or digital templates. Clear concepts, consistent design, and meaningful symbolism matter more than advanced drawing skills.

How long does it take to make a full 78-card tarot deck?

The timeline ranges from a few weeks for a minimalist digital deck to several months for detailed hand-painted artwork. Your method and available hours each week make the biggest difference.

Can I legally sell a tarot deck I made myself?

Usually, you can sell original work, but you must have permission for every outside image, font, quotation, and design element. Check commercial licenses and local copyright rules first.

What's the standard size for tarot cards?

A common tarot size is 2.75 × 4.75 inches, or about 70 × 120 millimeters. Confirm exact dimensions, bleed, and file format with your printer.

What's the difference between a tarot deck and an oracle deck?

Tarot decks generally use a fixed 78-card structure and established meanings. Oracle decks have no required number of cards or standardized system.

Do I need to memorize all the card meanings before I start?

No, but research the meanings before designing. A reference sheet lets you work confidently without memorizing every interpretation in advance.

14. Conclusion / Key Takeaways

Making your own tarot deck involves six broad stages: plan your purpose and theme, study or define the card meanings, choose a production method, gather materials, design every card consistently, and finish the deck for safe handling. Test a single proof before committing to a larger print run, and review copyright permissions if you may sell the result.

There is no requirement to begin with perfect artwork or expensive equipment. Start with a clear intention, create a manageable schedule, and let the deck develop one card at a time. If 78 cards feels like too much to start, build the 22-card Major Arcana starter deck from Section 1.5 first, run a single test print from Section 11.1, and only scale up to the full deck once that proof feels right.