DMJason
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Paper token tutorial

9/28/2014

14 Comments

 
This is a tutorial for making paper tokens the same dimensions as Pathfinder Pawns, with removable bases.  When finished, they will look like this:
Picture
To make these tokens, I'll be using two software programs, both free.  The image editor is GIMP (I'll use it the most), and I use TokenTool to quickly size my tokens.  Note that you don't have to use TokenTool; you can resize an image layer dynamically with GIMP, but it's a lot clunkier than just resizing with TokenTool and I highly recommend this extra step.

Once you've got these installed, you'll also need some physical supplies:
  • heavy paper (I use 100# cardstock I got at Wal-Mart)
  • metal ruler
  • exacto knife & scissors
  • tacky glue (for papercraft, but any quickdrying non-gluestick will do)
  • cutting mat (highly recommended for any papercraft)
Lastly, you're going to need some template files; fortunately, I've already made all those, and you can have them:
overlays.zip
File Size: 7272 kb
File Type: zip
Download File

This ZIP file contains all of my XCF files for GIMP (overlays for different token sizes, plus three sizes of token base) as well as four overlay files to use in TokenTool.

MAKING OUR BASE TOKENS WITH TOKENTOOL

So first off, open up TokenTool.  You'll need to import the PNG files to have them available as templates.
  • Click on File > Manage Overlays
  • Drag each of the PNG files into the Overlay Manager window one at a time.  You'll see each one appear right away.
  • Click Close when finished.  Now you're ready to make tokens!
The first step is to select the template you're going to use in the drop down box at the right.  Because it's hard to tell which token is which from this screen, just know that these are the sizes:
  • Small: 376x376
  • Medium: 565x565
  • Large: 826x826
  • Huge: 1277x1277
I know those are really large tokens, but remember we're going to print these at 300 dpi so we need to start with large images.  After choosing your template in the drop down, remember to manually change the Width and Height to match the token, or it will be scaled down.  Since I'm making a medium token, I set these both to 565.  Make sure Solid Background is checked as well, this will fill empty space with white.

With all that done, you're ready to either drop an image file into the black area, drag an image from a browser into the window, or choose Tool > Screen Capture and capture a portion of the screen. Whichever you choose, you'll now have your image "under" the template.  Anything outside the red border will be cut off.  You can drag the image around and zoom in and out with your mousewheel.  There's a preview of the finished token in the top right.  Once you like how your token looks, choose File > Save Token and remember where you save it.  I'd recommend doing all your tokens now--happy image hunting!  (I use Google Images and Deviant Art mostly.)
Picture

finalizing token in GIMP

Now that you have your base token made with TokenTool, it's time to add some text to it with GIMP!  Because the template in TokenTool was made from the same template we're using in GIMP, it will line up perfectly with no fiddly bits.  First open up the appropriate XCF file in GIMP--for this medium token, that's medium overlay.xcf.

Now just follow these simple steps:
  1. Drag the PNG created with TokenTool into the Layers window of GIMP, and drop it below the Background layer.
  2. Click the eye icon next to Background, to hide that layer (the purple will disappear)
  3. Using the Text Tool (big letter A), triple-click on INSERT NAME (which will highlight the line)
  4. Type whatever name you wish here.  If it runs off the screen, select all the text again and adjust the font size down till it fits.  Don't move the text though, it autocenters as you type.
  5. Repeat this process for the "Creature Type" line.  I put the Race Class for PCs here, or the monster subtype entry on NPCs like "Humanoid (Kobold)".
  6. Choose File > Export As... and save as a PNG (I actually just save over the source image).
NOTE: As long as you don't choose Save/Save As... you can just close the XCF if you mess it up badly.  I included the entire GIMP project in case those familiar with GIMP want to modify it or see how I built the original template.
Your token should look something like this:
Picture

printing your tokens

Once you've made all your various tokens, you'll need to print them out!  The easiest way I've found is to make an 8"x10" document in GIMP with 300 DPI resolution, then just drop my tokens in one after another.  If you want to get really fancy, you can paste a token, then paste it a second time and choose Layer > Transform > Rotate 180to flip it over, and carefully place it on top of the first token, so that it's ready to cut out and fold in half.  Or you can just print the sheets twice; whatever you like.  Here's a sample of one of my token sheets ready for printing:
Picture
NOTE: On the sheet above, I leave a single pixel line between each token--it's faintly visible when cutting the sheets later, but an exacto blade is thicker so the line won't be there when you're done.  Note that when I put the sideways tokens down, I left space for my reverse scoring marks.  (Keep reading, you'll understand later.)


I print these sheets out with 0.25" left/right margins, and 0.5" top/bottom margins under File > Page Setup.  For the Image Settings I set it to Center Both in the dropdown, and do not select Ignore Page Margins.

In addition to printing off all your token sheets, you'll need to print off your token bases as well.  I was able to fit 40 medium token bases on a single 8"x10" (remember the 300 dpi setting) image in GIMP.  Which looks like this:
Picture

assembling your tokens

Alright, you've made a ton of tokens with TokenTool, you've added text to them with GIMP, and you made sheets of them and printed them out, along with bases--now for the final step:  Putting them together!  For those of you familiar with papercrafting, this will seem pretty obvious--congratulations, you don't need my help anymore!  For the rest of you, here's what to expect:

Picture
So the first thing you need to do is reverse scoring.  Folding 110# cardstock is not very crisp unless you score the paper on the side you're mountain folding (to borrow from origami).  We want to fold that little stone tab towards the printed side, so we need to score a line on the opposite side of the page to do that.  Lay your ruler along the fold line, and make an incision at either end of the paper, then flip the page and use those as guides for where to put your ruler.  Now score the paper, but don't cut all the way through, just light pressure to crease the page.  Now when you cut them out it will fold easily.  On your token bases you will see there is a square (the bottom) and two "flaps" on either end of it.  You need to score the line of those flaps so they will fold over, as well.
When laying out your sheets to print, always make sure to line up the "scoring" lines so you can hit them all at once, like I have in the picture.
Picture
So now I've cut everything out.  I don't separate anything that is the same as the tokens next to it, that way I can glue them all together at once.  If you do the doubled-up tokens (like in my sheet above) you don't have to separate anything till it's all glued and dry--which is nice.

Next step is to glue all of these together--but don't get glue on the stone tab.  It should look like this:
Picture
After gluing everything together I have a bunch of tokens left, but with no bases--and the multiples haven't even been separated yet.  (I'll cut them apart with scissors as my last step.)

Picture
Next I need to score, and cut out all my bases.  I glue them a row at a time.  Make sure when putting glue on them, don't put glue in the center, only on the tabs, and don't put glue on the last 1/8-1/4" of the tab, either.  I did this by having a piece of scrap paper with a fold the width of the stone tabs on the tokens; I would slip the tab of the base under that crease and apply glue, leaving a clean strip on the end.  Then fold it up, and you're left with a glue-less "channel" in the middle of the base.  Your minis will slide neatly into this slot!  These pictures show the process:
Picture
Picture
Picture
Once you've made a batch of these, you'll find you get to be pretty fast at it.  I can shell out three pages of the double-ended tokens while watching a movie.

Picture
Happy token making!

NOTE: The medium token is 0.125" larger than the 1" base; this was not technically an oversight, as I made these to be the same dimensions as my Pathfinder Pawns tokens.  I do have a Medium Overlay that is slimmed down to 1", but I just didn't like how it looked.  Either too skinny if I left the height the same, or too short if I kept the proportions.  So they stick out a little.
14 Comments
Bob McDowell
10/6/2014 01:24:54 am

Have you tried marrying these to Paizo's bases? Any thoughts on how you might do that?

Reply
DMJason
10/6/2014 12:15:46 pm

I haven't tried that, but if you were going to go that route instead of paper bases, I would glue the pawns to 3mm plastic-card, that should be the right thickness to fit snugly.

Before I made paper bases, I used office binder clips, and took the wire handles out of them after putting a pawn in them. They work as pretty good mini-stands.

Reply
Shannon C
1/19/2017 11:21:36 pm

Hey I know it's been a long time but do u have the files of your finished pawns from this project still. Like r4ady to print hotdq pawns?

Reply
Paper Shredder site link
8/14/2015 02:26:26 am

Miraculous blog site!! I would surely bookmark this site and every day I’ll get more and more latest information.

Reply
Markus
11/25/2015 04:42:23 am

Hi there,

cool tool and genious tutorial! Thx!!!
But I have 1 Question, where do I get such cool templates like the Warrior? Could only download the tool and the overlays.

thx a lot again

Reply
Berry
4/17/2016 07:16:38 am

Hey Markus,

Might be a bit late but Pinterest is a pretty good source for character portraits. Just search on terms such as "fantasy character". Good luck!

Reply
Ouroboros
7/27/2016 07:17:35 pm

Really awesome stuff! Quick question, what fonts did you use? I don't seem to have access to them so when I go to make a change to the text it resets to a default font.

Reply
Sean
8/15/2016 12:08:05 pm

This is amazing and I am surely going to use it for my Tyranny of the Dragons campaign! I don't suppose you have saved files of the sheets you show in the pics that you'd be willing to share?

Reply
Jwingrider
11/20/2016 12:40:55 pm

Just wondering if you have any intentions of making (or if it's possible for you to make) the Gargantuan and Colossal size templates? Not that I throw those sized creatures at the PC's in the campaign I am running, but it happens occasionally and I have zero pawns that size so we just use an empty base. :( It would be great to have a pawn the correct size to mess with their heads!

I do want to thank you for the templates and instructions you provided though! They are the BEST I have seen and I have searched for a while!

Reply
Trevor
2/20/2017 11:22:19 am

Hello,

Just wanted to say thanks a lot for these awesome instructions and templates. They are very easy to follow and once you get into the groove of it you can make tokens very quickly. They make my D&D games much much better.

You're awesome!

Reply
Jesse Martin
8/22/2017 05:18:27 pm

Thanks Jason! This is a great resource, I just used it to whip up a token of the updated Aligheri which I had the good fortune to play as briefly until his timely death to Ser Derrick.

Reply
Nina
1/23/2018 03:09:15 am

hi:)
this is a really nice resource. I noticed that its for the hoard of the dragon queen adventure which I am preparing to run, starting in 1-2 months. would you mind sharing your finished tokens for the campaign with me, so I can print them?

Reply
Simon
6/30/2018 10:10:24 am

Wow - this was incredibly helpful! I have zero artistic/creative skills and was able to create some nice looking pawns. My only request would be to update this for the latest version of GIMP as the interface is now quite different, and it took some experimenting to make it work. I'm still not quite sure how I did it.

Reply
Marcus
8/22/2018 08:22:42 pm

Found this while browsing and this was probably the easiest to follow guide for people like me with no skills in the graphic arts.

Reply



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