Export Options & Validation

Intermediate · 10 min read

Overview

When your design is ready, Chitmunk gives you six export formats to choose from, each suited to a different destination:

• PNG images: lossless, ideal for print-on-demand services.
• JPEG images: compressed, smaller files for digital use.
• WebP images: modern format with excellent compression.
• PDF with crop marks: professional print-ready PDF at print resolution. Requires Rare subscription.
• Tabletop Simulator spritesheet: TTS-compatible grid image at print resolution. Requires Rare subscription.
• Print-at-Home PDF: 9-up layout for home printing. Requires Rare subscription.

Additional advanced export options include CMYK PDF (ICC profile-based color conversion for professional offset printing, PDF/X-3 compliant), Vector PDF (Beta, text as real PDF text and shapes as vector paths via pdf-lib), Dieline PDF, and Sell Sheet PDF. All require a Rare subscription.

Before any export, the built-in design validator can catch common mistakes: bleed violations, illegible text, missing images, and more. You can also upload finished cards directly to TheGameCrafter without leaving Chitmunk.

Image Export (PNG / JPEG / WebP)

Image export is the default export mode. Chitmunk renders each card face and packages them into a ZIP file, one image file per card.

• PNG: lossless compression. No quality loss. The best choice for any print-on-demand service. File sizes are larger than JPEG or WebP.
• JPEG: lossy compression. Produces smaller files. A quality slider (50–100%) lets you balance file size against image fidelity. Use 90–100% for print; lower values are fine for playtesting mockups.
• WebP: modern lossy/lossless format with better compression than JPEG at equivalent quality. Supported by most current tools and browsers. The same 50–100% quality slider applies.

With a Rare subscription ($7.99/mo or $59.99/yr), all three formats render at print resolution, 300 DPI equivalent at the card's physical dimensions (e.g., a standard poker card at 750 × 1050 px). Common (free) users export at 72 DPI, which is suitable for prototyping and digital use but not for professional print services.

Export Scope

You control exactly which cards and faces end up in the exported ZIP.

• Card type: Export the current card type tab only, or export all card types at once. All-types export is useful when you have a deck with multiple component sizes (e.g., poker cards, mini cards, and a game board).
• Faces: Choose front only, back only, or both faces. If your card type uses a shared back (one design for all cards), the back is exported as a single file rather than duplicated for every row.
• CSV rows: If CSV data is loaded, every row generates a separate card image with that row's data merged into the design. A deck with 60 CSV rows produces 60 images per face.

Filename Patterns

The export filename field accepts a template string. Use the following variables to build organized, meaningful filenames automatically:

• {{_index}}: zero-padded card number (001, 002, …).
• {{_face}}, the face name: front or back.
• {{_row}}, the CSV row number (1-based).
• {{ColumnName}}, any CSV column value, using the exact column header.

For example, the pattern card_{{_index}}_{{Name}}_{{_face}} produces filenames like card_001_Fireball_front.png and card_001_Fireball_back.png. The file extension is appended automatically based on the chosen format.

PDF Export

The PDF export creates a multi-page PDF designed for professional printing services. Each page contains a grid of card images surrounded by crop marks. PDF export requires a Rare subscription.

• Page sizes: US Letter (8.5 × 11"), A4, or Tabloid (11 × 17"). Choose whichever your print service accepts.
• Card arrangement: Chitmunk auto-calculates the best grid layout to fit as many cards as possible on each page, with consistent margins and gutters.
• Crop marks: Thin marks at the corners of each card show exact cut lines. The marks extend outside the bleed zone so they are trimmed away during cutting.

For a full walkthrough of bleed, safe zone, and print preparation best practices, see the Print-Ready Checklist guide.

Print-at-Home PDF

The Print-at-Home PDF produces a simple, printer-friendly PDF and requires a Rare subscription ($7.99/mo or $59.99/yr). Cards are arranged in a 9-up grid (3 columns × 3 rows) on Letter or A4 paper. Cut lines are printed on the page, no crop marks, no bleed extension.

This format is designed for prototyping and playtesting. Print a sheet, grab scissors, and you have a playable prototype in minutes. It is not intended for professional printing services.

Tabletop Simulator Export

The Tabletop Simulator export produces a spritesheet image in TTS's standard deck format: a 10-column grid where each cell holds one card face. TTS export requires a Rare subscription.

• Card capacity: TTS supports a maximum of 69 cards plus 1 card back per sheet (the last cell, position 70, is always the card back).
• Auto-splitting: If your deck has more than 69 cards, Chitmunk automatically splits the export into multiple sheets. Each sheet is named sequentially: "Deck 1 of 3", "Deck 2 of 3", etc., matching TTS's multi-deck import workflow.
• Format: Export the spritesheet as PNG (lossless) or JPEG (smaller file, faster TTS load times).

Import the spritesheet into Tabletop Simulator using the Custom Deck object. Set the face URL to your spritesheet and the back URL to the same image. TTS reads the last cell as the shared card back automatically.

Design Validation

Run the validator from the export panel at any time, and always before a final export. It scans every element on every card face and reports issues in three severity levels:

• Errors (must fix): problems that will cause visible defects in print or cause a print service to reject your file.
• Warnings (should fix): issues that may cause problems depending on your print service or the final card size.
• Info (optional): suggestions that could improve your design quality.

The validator checks for the following conditions:

• Elements beyond the bleed zone: any element that extends past the outer bleed boundary will be clipped by the print service's cutting machine.
• Text outside the safe zone: text elements that cross the safe zone boundary may be partially cut off during trimming.
• Very small text: text under approximately 7pt (18px at 300 DPI) is likely to be illegible in print, especially on small card sizes.
• Missing images: image elements whose source file is missing from the project (deleted from the asset store).
• Unresolved AI prompts: image elements that have an AI prompt set but no generated image yet.
• No background set: card faces with no background element will export with a white background. This is fine for some designs, but may not be intentional.
• CSV column binding mismatches: elements bound to a CSV column name that does not exist in the loaded CSV data.

Each validation issue that references a specific element includes a Go to button. Clicking it switches to the correct face and selects the element on the canvas, so you can see exactly what needs fixing without hunting for it manually.

Service & Platform Presets

The Designing For selector in the component chooser sets the target platform for your project. Selecting a preset automatically configures export settings, bleed/safe zone visibility, and recommended format for that service.

Print services:

• TheGameCrafter
• MakePlayingCards
• DriveThruCards
• Print & Play
• BoardGamesMaker
• AdMagic / QP

Digital platforms:

• Tabletop Simulator
• Tabletop Playground
• Screentop.gg
• PlayingCards.io
• VASSAL
• TaleSpire

Each preset adjusts: bleed and safe zone visibility, the recommended export format, and the effective DPI. You can still override any individual setting after selecting a preset.

Custom Dimensions

If you are designing for a non-standard card size that is not covered by Chitmunk's 200+ built-in component types, use the Custom Dimensions option in the component type selector. Set an arbitrary width and height in inches, from 0.25" up to 54".

• Custom size cards have no bleed or safe zone guides (since there is no print service specification to reference).
• DPI follows the same subscription rules: 300 DPI with a Rare subscription, 72 DPI for Common (free) users.
• All export formats (PNG, JPEG, WebP, PDF, TTS) work with custom dimensions.

Tips

• Always run the validator before a final export, catching errors in the tool is faster than discovering them after a print run.
• Use PNG for anything going to a print-on-demand service. JPEG and WebP are better suited for digital distribution, online stores, and prototyping tools.
• Check your print service's specific requirements for file format, color mode (RGB vs. CMYK), and maximum file size before exporting.
• Use CSV column values in filename patterns (e.g., {{Name}} or {{CardID}}) to keep exported files organized and easy to match back to your spreadsheet.
• Export a single card first to verify resolution, colors, and naming before batch-exporting a large deck. You can set CSV row scope to a single row for a quick test run.