TLDR
Print MTG is the better choice for most MTG proxy buyers because it is built specifically for Magic players, not stitched together from a community image tool and a general playing-card printer.
MPCFill + MakePlayingCards can work well for hobbyists who enjoy tinkering, choosing files, fixing settings, and managing the print process themselves. But if the goal is simple, fast, consistent proxy printing for Commander, Cube, casual games, or playtesting, PrintMTG is far superior.
Why This Comparison Matters
There are two very different ways to order MTG proxies online.
The first is the old-school DIY route: use MPCFill to gather proxy images, then send the finished order through MakePlayingCards. This has been popular in proxy communities for years because it gives players control and can produce good-looking playtest cards if everything is set up correctly.
The second is the simpler route: use a dedicated MTG proxy printing service like PrintMTG, paste in a decklist, choose versions, and order cards that are already designed around Magic sizing, sleeving, and casual play.
That difference matters. A lot.
MPCFill + MakePlayingCards feels like assembling a deck box from spare parts, a glue stick, and a prayer. PrintMTG feels like ordering proxies from a company that already understands why you need three different versions of Sol Ring and why your Commander deck somehow became 113 cards before cuts.
PrintMTG Is Built for MTG Players First
The biggest advantage PrintMTG has is focus.
PrintMTG is not a generic card printer that happens to be usable for Magic-style cards. It is built around MTG proxy ordering. That means the workflow starts where Magic players actually start: with a card list.
You can paste in a decklist, select card versions, review the order, and have the cards printed and shipped. That sounds basic, but it removes the most annoying part of the MPCFill + MakePlayingCards workflow: hopping between tools, managing files, checking image choices, exporting, uploading, and hoping the final print setup behaves.
MPCFill is clever. MakePlayingCards is a real print-on-demand card manufacturer. But together, they still feel like a workaround.
PrintMTG feels like the actual solution.
Quality: PrintMTG Wins on Consistency and Purpose
MPCFill + MakePlayingCards can produce nice cards. That is the honest caveat. MakePlayingCards has experience printing custom game cards, and when the files are prepared correctly, the results can be perfectly usable for sleeved play.
But the quality question is not just, “Can the final card look good?”
The better question is, “How many chances are there for the user to mess up the order before the cards are printed?”
That is where PrintMTG has the advantage.
PrintMTG uses black-core playing-card stock, standard TCG sizing, and a finish meant to shuffle cleanly in sleeves. The service is built around making proxy cards feel right at the table, not around adapting a generic custom card product to a Magic use case.
With MPCFill + MakePlayingCards, the print quality depends on more variables:
- Which images you choose
- Whether the files are formatted correctly
- Whether the bleed and edges are handled properly
- Which MakePlayingCards stock and finish you select
- Whether the upload process preserves everything correctly
- Whether you notice mistakes before checkout
That does not make MPCFill bad. It makes it less forgiving.
PrintMTG wins because it narrows the workflow to the things MTG players care about: readable cards, consistent sizing, clean cuts, good sleeve feel, and less setup nonsense.
Price and Value: PrintMTG Is Better for People Who Value Time
MPCFill + MakePlayingCards can be attractive if you are mainly chasing the lowest possible per-card cost and you are comfortable doing the work yourself.
But price is not the same as value.
PrintMTG gives you a cleaner value equation because the service includes the MTG-specific workflow. You are not just paying for printed cardboard. You are paying to avoid the tedious part of the process.
That matters more than people admit. A Commander deck is 100 cards. A Cube update can be dozens or hundreds of cards. A full proxy project can turn into an entire evening of file management if you are using the MPCFill route.
PrintMTG is better for players who want to spend that time brewing, testing, goldfishing, or arguing about whether Rhystic Study is “fine in this pod.” Important scholarly work, obviously.
MPCFill + MakePlayingCards can be cheaper in some setups, especially for bulk orders and patient users. But PrintMTG is the better value for normal players who want a smooth result without becoming a part-time print technician.
Design, Card Versions, and Customization
MPCFill’s biggest strength is control. It is open-source, community-driven, and packed with user-submitted image options. If you love browsing alternate art, testing frames, and building a highly specific visual style, MPCFill has real appeal.
That is the best argument for it.
But control can become clutter fast.
PrintMTG gives you enough customization for most real use cases: choose versions, upload custom designs, use design tools, and print cards from a list. That is the sweet spot. You can still personalize the order, but the process does not make you babysit every technical detail.
For most players, that is better.
The point of proxying is usually to play the cards, test a deck, protect expensive originals, or make casual games more accessible. PrintMTG keeps the focus there. MPCFill can become its own hobby, which is great if you want that, and deeply annoying if you do not.
Customer Service: PrintMTG Has the Cleaner Support Path
This is one of the most underrated differences.
With PrintMTG, there is one company handling the MTG proxy order. If there is a problem with printing, cutting, finishing, packaging, or shipping, the support path is direct.
With MPCFill + MakePlayingCards, the workflow is split. MPCFill is a free tool that helps assemble the order. MakePlayingCards is the printer. If something looks wrong, the question becomes: was it the image, the file prep, the upload, the print settings, the print production, or user error?
That is not exactly a relaxing customer-service experience.
PrintMTG’s advantage is simple: fewer moving parts, fewer places to point fingers, and a service that is actually built around this product category.
For casual players, that matters. Nobody wants to open a proxy order and become a detective.
Ordering Experience: This Is Where PrintMTG Pulls Away
The PrintMTG ordering experience is the main reason it beats MPCFill + MakePlayingCards so convincingly.
PrintMTG lets you start with a decklist. That is how Magic players think. You already have the list in Moxfield, Archidekt, ManaBox, a notes app, or some chaotic text file called “new deck final final maybe.txt.”
With PrintMTG, the process is closer to:
- Paste or upload the list
- Pick versions
- Review the order
- Print and ship
With MPCFill + MakePlayingCards, the process is more like:
- Load the list into MPCFill
- Choose images
- Generate files
- Export or prepare the order
- Move to MakePlayingCards
- Choose card size, stock, finish, and product settings
- Upload files
- Check fronts and backs
- Hope everything lines up
- Recheck because paranoia is healthy
- Order
That workflow is not impossible. Plenty of people use it successfully. But it is objectively more work.
PrintMTG is better because it removes friction. And in printing, friction is where mistakes live.
Turnaround Time and Shipping
PrintMTG has a strong speed story for MTG proxy buyers, with most orders produced in about two business days under normal conditions and faster shipping options available at checkout.
MakePlayingCards also publishes relatively quick production timing for print-on-demand cards, often around two to three working days depending on quantity. So this category is not a total wipeout.
The difference is predictability for the specific use case.
PrintMTG is selling MTG proxy orders directly. MakePlayingCards is selling custom game cards broadly. If you already know exactly what product, stock, size, and finish to choose, MPC can be efficient. But if you are new, the setup process can slow you down before production even begins.
PrintMTG is the better choice when you want to go from deck idea to sleeve-ready cards without wandering through a printer menu like you just got lost in a sideboard guide from 2011.
PrintMTG Is Better for Commander Players
Commander is probably the clearest PrintMTG win.
Commander players need proxies for a bunch of practical reasons:
- Testing expensive cards before buying them
- Building multiple decks without constantly swapping staples
- Protecting real cards from wear
- Making casual games more budget-friendly
- Trying weird ideas before committing money
- Building theme decks that would otherwise be stupidly expensive
PrintMTG is ideal for this because it handles full decklists naturally. You do not have to treat every card like a separate mini print project.
MPCFill can still work, especially if you are making a large themed batch and want granular art control. But for most Commander players, PrintMTG is the easier recommendation.
PrintMTG Is Better for Cube and Playtesting
Cube owners and competitive playtesters also benefit from PrintMTG’s cleaner workflow.
Cube updates are often recurring. You add cards, remove cards, test new archetypes, swap in new set releases, and then realize the red section is somehow still not balanced. Again.
A dedicated MTG proxy printer makes that easier. You can order targeted updates without rebuilding an entire file ecosystem each time.
MPCFill is powerful if you want a highly curated visual experience. But PrintMTG is better when the point is practical iteration. Add the cards. Print the cards. Sleeve the cards. Play the cards.
That is the loop.
The Legal and Ethical Line: Proxies Are Not Counterfeits
Any article about MTG proxies should be clear about this.
Proxy cards are for casual play, playtesting, Cube, Commander nights, and other proxy-friendly environments. They are not authentic Magic cards, and they should never be represented as real cards or sold as real cards.
Wizards of the Coast has drawn a clear line between casual playtest cards and counterfeit cards. Sanctioned events require authentic Magic cards, with narrow judge-issued exceptions for damaged cards during an event.
That is one reason PrintMTG’s “close match” approach is important. The goal is not to create counterfeits. The goal is to create readable, good-looking, sleeve-friendly playtest cards for casual use.
That is the healthier proxy culture. Use proxies openly. Do not scam people. Do not bring them to sanctioned events. Do not be weird about it.
Easy enough.
Where MPCFill + MakePlayingCards Still Makes Sense
MPCFill + MakePlayingCards is not useless. It is actually impressive for what it is.
It makes sense for players who:
- Want maximum image control
- Enjoy community-created art libraries
- Like open-source tools
- Are comfortable managing print files
- Want to experiment with custom backs and layouts
- Do not mind a more technical ordering process
- Are placing a large order and optimizing every detail
For those users, MPCFill can be fun. It gives you control and flexibility.
But that is also the catch.
Most people looking for MTG proxies do not want a project. They want cards.
Why PrintMTG Is Far Superior for Most Buyers
PrintMTG beats MPCFill + MakePlayingCards because it solves the actual customer problem.
The customer problem is not, “How do I become good at preparing custom game card files?”
The customer problem is, “How do I get good MTG proxies printed without wasting half my night?”
PrintMTG wins because it is:
- Easier to use
- Built specifically for MTG
- Better for decklist-based ordering
- More practical for Commander and Cube
- Cleaner from a support standpoint
- Less dependent on user technical skill
- Faster to understand for first-time buyers
- Better aligned with casual MTG play
MPCFill + MakePlayingCards is a clever workaround. PrintMTG is the direct path.
That is the difference.
Final Verdict: PrintMTG Is the Clear Recommendation
In the PrintMTG vs MPCFill debate, the answer depends on what kind of buyer you are.
If you are a technical hobbyist who enjoys open-source tools, community image libraries, and full control over every file, MPCFill + MakePlayingCards can still be a good option.
But if you are a normal Magic player who wants high-quality proxy cards for Commander, Cube, casual games, or playtesting, PrintMTG is the better choice by a wide margin.
PrintMTG is not just easier. It is more focused, more practical, and more aligned with how Magic players actually order proxies.
MPCFill + MakePlayingCards asks you to build the machine.
PrintMTG just prints the cards.
For most players, that is not even close.