Print-on-demand proxy sites usually have one job: take a decklist and get you playable cards fast. The old trap is that the site feels like a spreadsheet with a checkout button. The new PrintMTG website is clearly trying to escape that problem.
Instead of dumping you into a form and hoping you figure it out, the homepage starts with a simple question: what do you want to do today? From there it funnels into four paths that match how people actually use proxy printing: start an order, design custom cards, browse sets, or learn the rules/etiquette around proxies.
If you’re a Commander player testing lists, a Cube owner who cares about matching printings, or just someone who wants clean table-ready stand-ins without spending an entire night fiddling with card versions, this new layout is a real upgrade.
First impression: cleaner navigation, fewer dead ends
The top nav is straight to the point: Order Proxies, Card Maker, Sets, Blog, Track Order. That sounds basic, but it matters. Proxy sites often bury “where is my order?” under three menus, or hide their policies until you’re already checking out.
Here, “Track Order” is a first-class page. Same with support and policies. The site also leans into transparency: it’s very upfront that these are proxies meant for casual play and playtesting, not sanctioned events, and not for resale as authentic cards. That kind of clarity is not just good ethics. It also reduces the weird, vague anxiety some buyers get when they don’t know what a company is willing to say out loud.
The core experience: decklist-to-order, built for how people actually build decks
The homepage makes the workflow obvious: upload or paste a list, pick set versions, review the order, then they print and ship.
That doesn’t sound revolutionary, but the execution is what separates a smooth order from a rage quit. The supporting “Decklist Printing” help page is a good sign that the tool is built for real-world lists, not perfect exports. It calls out that it supports major sources like Moxfield, Archidekt, and MTG Arena exports, and it explains common formatting issues (headings, extra notes, punctuation) in plain language.
The best part is how it treats printings. After import, you can adjust the set/printing per card using a dropdown. That’s exactly what most players want: get the list in quickly, then fix the handful of cards where you actually care about art, frame, or a specific version.
It also explicitly acknowledges tokens and sideboards. Again, not glamorous, but it’s the stuff that makes orders feel “complete” instead of half-finished.
One small knock: the actual Order page is clearly a web app, and it can look bare while it’s loading (“Initializing Order Builder…”). That’s not a dealbreaker, but it does mean the experience depends heavily on scripts loading cleanly. If you’re on a spotty connection or running aggressive blockers, it’s the one place the site can feel fragile.
Bulk pricing is visible up front (thank you)
Most people ordering proxies are doing it for one of two reasons: testing before spending money, or playing without spending money. Either way, price clarity matters.
The new homepage shows the per-card tiers right on the page, including the “normal person” breakpoint most buyers care about (the 50–99 range). You don’t have to add 87 cards to a cart just to learn the pricing model. It’s there, and it’s easy to understand.
It also highlights free shipping above a certain cart total and the lack of minimum order quantity. Both are important for two very different customers: the “I only need 5 cards to finish a deck” crowd and the “I’m printing a full cube” crowd.
The Set Browser is the sleeper feature
A lot of proxy sites assume you only ever order by card name. But MTG players don’t work like that. Printings matter. Frames matter. Sometimes you’re building a deck that’s deliberately old border, or you’re matching an aesthetic, or you just want the exact art you fell in love with.
The Sets page is built around that reality. It’s a browseable set list that spans Magic’s history, and it frames the value correctly: set browsing is the easiest way to find a specific printing when cards have been reprinted a dozen times.
This also doubles as a discovery tool. If you’re building around a theme (say, you want everything to look like a specific era), browsing sets is faster than searching each card one by one and trying to remember which set had which version.
If PrintMTG keeps expanding coverage and keeps the set pages fast, this becomes one of the best reasons to use the site even if you’re not sold on proxies in general. It’s just a good way to navigate Magic’s printing chaos.
Card Maker: strong foundation, still mid-transition
The MTG Card Maker is positioned as a real tool, not a gimmick. It supports multiple template styles (Modern, Vintage, Box Topper, Mystical Archives, Full Art), lets you edit rules text and layout, and includes basic art manipulation (drag to reposition, scroll to zoom, plus fields for more precise adjustments).
That’s enough for most people making custom commanders, funny one-offs, gift cards, or “I want my whole deck in a matching frame” projects.
The one thing that reads like a work in progress is the “Ready to print?” section, which still shows “Coming Soon” in the current build. So the tool is already usable for design and preview, but the cleanest “design → add to cart → print” loop looks like it’s still being tightened up.
In other words: good bones, and clearly part of the new-site strategy, but it’s not the most finished-feeling part of the experience yet.
Tracking and trust pages are handled like a real business
This is the part where a lot of small hobby sites fall apart. PrintMTG doesn’t.
The tracking page is simple: enter the email used at checkout and your order number. It also explains what statuses mean (order received, in production, packed, shipped) so you’re not guessing. And it gives realistic language around when tracking actually appears (after the label is scanned) and why email updates can get filtered.
On the policy side, the Trust Center is basically a hub that points to shipping, returns, quality guarantees, payment security, and proxy use rules. It’s boring in the best way. It reduces the “am I about to get scammed?” feeling that still hangs over the proxy world because so many sites are either vague or try to hide behind legalese.
Shipping is also stated clearly: production time, typical transit times, and a note that international shipping is by request. Returns are framed honestly too: since orders are custom printed, “changed my mind” returns aren’t the default, but defects and errors get made right through reprints/replacements/credit.
What could be better (because no site is perfect)
A few things I’d still like to see tightened up:
The Order page should degrade more gracefully if the app load hiccups. Even a little more “here’s what to do while it loads” guidance would help new users.
The Card Maker is close, but the “print-ready” loop still feels half-finished compared to the rest of the site. If they complete that handoff cleanly, it becomes a major differentiator.
And while the site is already clear about proxy ethics, it could go one step further by surfacing “how to talk to your group” guidance closer to checkout. Proxy arguments usually aren’t about the proxy. They’re about surprise, power level, and expectations.
Verdict: a real step up, especially for decklist-heavy players
The new PrintMTG website feels like it was redesigned by someone who actually orders proxies, not someone trying to imitate a generic ecommerce store. The big wins are the obvious ones: easier navigation, visible pricing tiers, clear tracking, and policies that are written like a human.
But the real differentiators are the set browsing experience and the way decklist imports are treated as the center of the product, not a side feature.
If your goal is “deck idea → cards in sleeves,” this site finally feels like it’s built for that exact job.