TLDR
- MTG deck printing starts with a clean 100-card Commander list.
- Check commander color identity, card count, versions, tokens, and double-faced cards before you print.
- Use readable card versions over flashy versions that slow down games.
- Decide whether you want paper slips, home printing, or print-on-demand based on speed, cost, and durability.
- Proxies are for casual play, cube, and testing unless a specific event organizer says otherwise.
- A full proxy Commander deck should still be explained before the game starts.
A full Commander proxy deck sounds simple until you are staring at 100 card names, 14 tokens, three double-faced cards, four different printings of the same staple, and one card your deck importer thinks does not exist. That is where MTG deck printing gets messy.
The good news is that most problems are preventable. If you clean the decklist first, choose readable versions, and check the details before ordering or printing, MTG deck printing becomes a lot less annoying.
This guide is written for Commander players who want a full physical proxy deck for casual games, cube, testing, or local playgroups that allow proxies. It is not for sanctioned tournament play.
Start With a Finished Commander Decklist
Before you print anything, make sure the deck is actually ready.
A Commander deck is normally 100 cards total, including the commander. Except for basic lands and cards that specifically say otherwise, Commander is singleton. That means one copy of each card.
Start by checking:
- 1 commander, or the correct partner/background setup
- 99 other cards if you have one commander
- 100 total cards including the commander
- No banned cards for the format
- No off-color cards outside your commander’s color identity
- Correct number of basic lands
- Correct versions of cards with similar names
- Any tokens or helper cards the deck needs
Do not skip color identity. This is one of the easiest ways to print a mistake into the deck. A card can have color identity from mana symbols in its text box, not just its casting cost.
A mono-green commander deck cannot run a card with a blue mana symbol in the rules text just because the card itself looks green or colorless. Check before printing.
Clean the Decklist Before You Export
Most deck builders can export a list. The problem is that exports vary.
Some include section headers. Some include set codes. Some include prices. Some include extra notes. Some include categories like “Ramp,” “Removal,” and “Wincons.” Those notes are useful for deck building, but they can confuse a printing workflow.
For MTG deck printing, a clean list is usually best.
Use a simple format like this:
1 Sol Ring
1 Arcane Signet
1 Command Tower
1 Beast Within
1 Eternal Witness
That is boring. Boring is good here.
Before exporting, remove or double-check:
- Sideboard labels
- Maybeboard cards
- Considering cards
- Category headers
- Price notes
- Commander labels that accidentally add extra copies
- Set codes if the print tool does not use them
- Alternate names or nicknames
- Cards with punctuation errors
The goal is not to make the prettiest decklist. The goal is to give the printer or ordering workflow a list it can read without guessing.
Decide What Needs to Be Printed
A Commander deck is not always just 100 cards.
Some decks need extra game pieces. If you forget those, the deck may technically function, but game night becomes a pile of dice, sticky notes, and “pretend this Saproling is actually a Clue.”
Check whether your deck needs:
- Creature tokens
- Treasure, Food, Blood, Map, or Clue tokens
- Emblems
- Double-faced card helpers
- Dungeon, initiative, or monarch reminders
- Copy tokens
- Experience counter reminders
- Planechase cards, if your group uses them
- Extra commander display cards, if you like keeping one outside the deck
Tokens are optional in the official sense because players can use clear representations. But in practice, good tokens make games smoother. If the deck creates five different token types, print the tokens.
Double-faced cards deserve special attention. If your proxy deck uses opaque sleeves, you can usually use the actual double-faced proxy in the sleeve and pull it out when needed. Some players prefer helper cards or duplicate front/back versions for cleaner play.
The best answer depends on your group, sleeves, and print method. The worst answer is realizing mid-game that your important back face is not available anywhere.
Choose Card Versions for Readability
Card version choice is where people lose time.
A decklist may say “Swords to Plowshares,” but there are many versions of that card. Old border, new border, retro frame, promo, secret treatment, alternate art, foreign language, full art, etched foil, and so on.
For a full proxy deck, readability should win.
Choose versions that make it easy to see:
- Card name
- Mana cost
- Type line
- Rules text
- Power and toughness
- Loyalty or defense counters
- Important reminder text, when relevant
Custom art can be great, but it should not turn every card into a guessing game. Opponents should not need to pick up every card to understand the board.
A good rule: the flashier the card treatment, the more important it is to check text clarity.
For commanders, favorite staples, and theme cards, alternate art can be worth it. For removal, ramp, and utility cards, boring readable versions usually play better.
Pick a Printing Method
There are three normal ways to print a full Commander proxy deck.
Paper Slips in Sleeves
This is the fastest and cheapest method.
You write or print the card name on paper, then place the slip in front of a basic land or bulk card inside a sleeve. It works. It is not elegant, but it works.
Best for:
- Testing tonight
- First drafts
- Decks that may change a lot
- Very low-cost experiments
Main downside: paper slips do not feel like a finished deck, and readability depends on how much information you include.
Home Printing
Home printing gives you more complete card faces, but it takes more setup.
You need images, layout, paper, a printer, a cutter, sleeves, and backing cards. It can look decent if you are careful. It can also become a craft project that takes longer than expected.
Best for:
- Players who like DIY work
- Fast iteration
- Casual testing with better readability than handwritten slips
- Small batches of changes
Main downside: cutting, sizing, and color consistency can be frustrating.
Print-on-Demand
Print-on-demand is usually the cleanest option for a full deck you plan to play often.
You upload or paste a decklist, choose versions, and have the deck printed as a consistent batch. It costs more than paper slips, but it saves time and produces a deck that is easier to shuffle and reuse.
ProxyKing has a useful related guide here: Best Ways to Proxy a Whole Deck in MTG.
Best for:
- Full Commander proxy decks
- Cubes
- Battle boxes
- Long-term testing
- Players who want consistent handling
Main downside: you need to review the order carefully before printing because a mistake can affect the whole deck.
Check the Mana Base Twice
The mana base is the most common place to make an expensive-looking mistake.
Commander decks often run a mix of basics, dual lands, fetch lands, utility lands, tapped lands, channel lands, and colorless lands. A single wrong land may not ruin the deck, but several wrong lands can make the deck clunky.
Before printing, check:
- Does the deck have enough lands?
- Do the lands make the right colors?
- Are there too many colorless lands?
- Are tapped lands slowing the deck more than expected?
- Do fetch lands have enough targets?
- Do utility lands support the game plan?
- Does the deck need more basics for cards like Path to Exile, Field of Ruin, or ramp effects?
For proxy decks, players often add better lands because budget is less of a limit. That is fine if the table is okay with it. Just understand that upgrading the mana base can raise the deck’s bracket.
A casual deck with slow lands may become much smoother with proxied duals. A smoother deck is stronger, even if no flashy spell changed.
Review Combos and Win Conditions
Before printing, write down how the deck actually wins.
That sounds obvious, but a lot of Commander decks are just 100 interesting cards until the pilot realizes they have no clean finish.
Ask:
- Does the deck win through combat?
- Does it win through a combo?
- Does it win through commander damage?
- Does it win through drain effects?
- Does it win through value engines?
- How early can the deck realistically win?
- How easy is the win condition to disrupt?
- Does the deck need specific tokens or markers to show the win?
This matters for two reasons.
First, it helps you catch missing cards before printing. Second, it helps you explain the deck before casual games.
If the deck has a compact combo, do not hide that just because the cards are proxies. If the deck is mostly creature combat, say that. The table does not need your entire deck tech. It does need a fair expectation.
Use a Pre-Print Checklist
Before you approve the final print, go through the list slowly.
Check:
- Total deck count is correct
- Commander is included
- Partner or background cards are correct
- Color identity is legal
- No banned cards are included
- All card names are spelled correctly
- Versions are readable
- Tokens are included
- Double-faced cards are handled
- Lands make the right colors
- Basic land count is intentional
- Card backs or proxy backs are consistent
- Finish choice matches how you play
- Sleeve plan is ready
- The deck’s expected bracket is clear
This is not the fun part. It is still worth doing.
Most full-deck printing mistakes happen because the player reviews the exciting cards and skims the boring cards. The boring cards are where the wrong version, wrong quantity, or wrong land count usually hides.
Think About Finish and Sleeves
Finish matters less than readability, but it still matters.
For regular in-person Commander, a standard non-foil finish is usually the safest choice. It keeps the deck consistent and avoids glare. For webcam games, matte-style readability can be especially useful because shiny cards can reflect light.
Foil or glossy proxies can look great, but they may be harder to read in bright rooms or on SpellTable. They can also draw attention to specific cards if the rest of the deck is non-foil.
Whatever finish you choose, sleeve the whole deck the same way. Mixed sleeve wear, different thicknesses, or uneven paper inserts can make casual games feel sloppy.
The goal is simple: the deck should shuffle cleanly, look consistent, and be easy to understand across the table.
Keep Proxies Clearly Casual
A printed proxy Commander deck is for casual play, testing, cube, and groups that allow it.
It is not a sanctioned tournament deck. Wizards’ tournament rules require authorized Magic cards in sanctioned events, and player-created proxies are not the same thing as judge-issued tournament proxies.
That does not make casual proxies bad. It just means you need to use them in the right setting.
Before playing, say something like:
“This is a full proxy Commander deck. I built it for casual testing. I’d call it Bracket 3, and it can win with a combo around turn seven if it gets there.”
That is a good table statement. It covers proxy status, use case, bracket, and win speed.
For a lower-power deck:
“This is a full proxy deck, but it is Bracket 2. I printed it to test the theme before buying anything.”
For a stronger deck:
“This is a high-power proxy list. I have another deck if we are playing lower.”
That small conversation prevents most proxy problems.
Keep a Change Log After Testing
A full printed proxy deck is not final just because it exists.
After a few games, keep notes. You do not need a spreadsheet unless you enjoy making Magic feel like taxes. A simple note on your phone works.
Track:
- Cards stuck in hand
- Cards you always tutor for
- Cards you never want to draw
- Lands that enter tapped at the wrong time
- Missing removal
- Missing card draw
- Win conditions that feel too easy or too weak
- Cards that annoy the table more than they help the game
- Tokens or reminders you forgot to print
After five to ten games, you will usually know what needs to change.
That is the real value of MTG deck printing. You get reps. You learn what the deck actually does. You avoid spending money on cards that looked better in theory than they felt in play.
Conclusion
Printing a full MTG Commander proxy deck is mostly preparation.
Start with a clean decklist. Check the commander, color identity, card count, tokens, double-faced cards, and mana base. Choose readable versions. Pick a print method that matches how soon you need the deck and how often you plan to play it.
Paper slips are fast. Home printing is flexible. Print-on-demand is best for a deck you want to shuffle regularly.
Most importantly, keep the deck honest. A full proxy deck can be casual, tuned, high-power, or cEDH. The table needs to know which one it is before the game starts.
MTG deck printing is not just about getting 100 cards into sleeves. It is about making a deck easier to test, easier to understand, and easier to play without wasting money on guesses.
FAQs
What is the easiest way to print a full Commander proxy deck?
The easiest long-term method is usually print-on-demand from a clean decklist. The fastest same-day method is paper slips in sleeves.
How many cards do I need for a Commander proxy deck?
A normal Commander deck has 100 cards total, including the commander. Some decks also need tokens, emblems, or helper cards.
Should I print tokens with my proxy deck?
Yes, if the deck creates tokens often. Tokens are not always required, but printing them makes games cleaner and easier to follow.
Can I use a printed proxy Commander deck in tournaments?
No. A printed proxy Commander deck is for casual play, testing, and groups that allow proxies. Sanctioned events require authorized Magic cards, with narrow judge-issued proxy exceptions.
What format should my decklist use before printing?
A simple quantity-plus-card-name format is usually best. For example: “1 Sol Ring” and “1 Command Tower.” Remove maybeboard cards and notes before printing.
Should I choose fancy versions or readable versions?
Choose readable versions for most cards. Fancy versions are fine for commanders and favorite cards, but opponents should be able to understand the board quickly.