Board Game Hub
Everything you need to create your own board game.

Custom Board Game Order Flow

This article will teach you more about PrintNinja’s custom board game order flow and help you understand what to expect when placing an order with us.

Board games as a process operate differently than any of our other printing based products and therefore require a different procedure. Please visit our board game hub for more in-depth information about getting started with a board game quote. 

A board game is a complex manufacturing project that will require many hours of your time to get right. We know because we help creators bring their games to life all the time! The resources below represent lots of answers to lots of questions that we’ve answered over the years. All of the content is designed to help people move their game forward – whether they’re at the very earliest stages of research or they’re ready to order their game. Please follow the step-by-step process guide below in order to get started. Going through this process in order is necessary in order to receive a custom board game quote.

 

1

Read through our “What is a board game budgetary quote” page

Having gone through this process ourselves, we can help you understand the challenges and pitfalls associated with this process and help you be better prepared for what to expect when you place your order. This page is critical for understanding our process and order flow for board games.
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Review our Board Game Budgetary Quote Calculator and save a quote

This is great if you’re just getting started, have a concept for a game, and need ballpark pricing! It may not fit your game perfectly, but it’s an important first step in moving your project forward. Saving a quote here will create a pdf that you can use as a personal reference for your game.
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3

Send us your completed art files for a full quote

In order to get a final quote, we’ll need to see the artwork for your project. This artwork may be used as a reference by our team during the quote process. This step is REQUIRED in order to save a Custom Board Game Quote.
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Save a Custom Board Game Quote

When you submit your art files to an account manager, they will provide a link to our custom board game quote form. This quote form will let you enter your components, 100% custom and specific to your game. This quote will be saved in our system. 
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Payment

Once you have discussed your quote with your account manager and reviewed the production schedule, you can pay for the order to begin the production process.
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Electronic/ Hard Copy Proofing

Once the order is paid for and the art files are submitted, our prepress team will begin reviewing your files and send an electronic proof. This process continues until you’re satisfied and either ready to approve for Hard Copy Proofing (optional) or ready to begin production.
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Review of Hard Copy Proof(s)

If you decided to order any hard copy proofs with your order, those will be produced and shipped to you before mass production of the full order. You must approve your hard copy proofs before moving forward.
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Approve for Production

The production process will begin on the full order once you approve your electronic proof and **Optional** Hard Copy Proofs.
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Delivery

Once the production process has finished, the order will be carefully packaged and prepared for final delivery via standard ocean freight, or expedited air freight shipping. 
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Now that you’ve learned about our custom board game order flow, get your budgetary quote!

 

FAQ

Can you print a prototype or sample of my game?

Unfortunately, we cannot print single copies of a game.  Offset printing requires a considerable amount of setup, so it is not cost effective to produce fewer than 500 copies at a time.  Many customers find it helpful to create a DIY prototype before printing a large run of their game.  You can read more about that here:  https://stage.printninja.com/board-game-prototyping

Can you print my design on the game box?

Absolutely!  Tuck boxes, two-piece boxes, and magnetic boxes can all be customized with your artwork.  This is included in the price of your box in your quote.

I’ve finished developing my game but still need artwork.  Can you create the art files based on my specs?

Unfortunately, PrintNinja does not offer any design or layout services.  While our prepress team will point out any errors that may need to be corrected, we’ll need you to submit print-ready artwork with your order.

I’ve just started designing artwork for my game.  How do I set up my files?

We have tons of great resources for setting up your print-ready artwork!  You can start here:  https://stage.printninja.com/printing-resource-center/printninja-file-setup-checklist/custom-game-guidelines  Of course, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

I’m preparing for a Kickstarter but won’t be ready to print until I’ve received my funds.  How do I know how much my game will cost?

The best place to start is with our budgetary calculator here:  https://stage.printninja.com/custom-board-game-quote  While this calculator does not reflect all possible dimensions or features, we find that it’s the fastest and easiest way to get a ballpark production estimate and ensure that we’re a good fit for your budget.  If the budgetary cost works for you, we’ll need to see your art files in order to build a quote that reflects all your specifications.

Where do I submit my spec sheet for a quote?

We cannot provide quotes based on component lists or spec sheets.  To avoid miscommunications and other errors, we require you to provide all of your game details through our quoting form.  This ensures that we don’t make any incorrect assumptions about what you’re looking for and also gives you the opportunity to choose from all of our printing options for yourself.  This keeps creative control in your hands and ensures that we can create your quote as quickly as possible.

To get started, fill out our budgetary calculator here:  https://stage.printninja.com/custom-board-game-quote  While it does not include every possible customization, it’s the best way to get a ballpark estimate of production costs for your project.  If the budgetary cost is a good fit for your budget, we’ll need to take a look at your artwork to customize your quote to reflect your exact specifications.

The budgetary calculator does not list the component or board size I’m looking for.  Can you help me get a quote

The budgetary board game calculator does not reflect every possible game option, but we do find that it’s the quickest and easiest way to get a ballpark production and shipping cost for your game.  If the budgetary cost works for you, we’ll need to take a look at your artwork to create a full production quote that reflects your exact specifications.

My card game also has dice/pawns/tokens. How do I get a quote?

Additional components will require a custom quote.  Please get in touch and our customer service team will let you know the best way to get started.