Print Your Own MTG Cube: Upload Checklist Before You Order
Table of Contents
TLDR
Before you print your own MTG cube, clean up your list first. Check the total card count, confirm intentional duplicates, label double-faced cards, decide whether basics and tokens are included, and use set codes plus card numbers when you care about exact printings.
A simple card-name list is fine for many cubes. But if you want a specific frame, art, set, collector number, promo, old-border version or showcase version, include that version information before you order.
Intro
A cube list can look finished right up until you try to print it. Then the small stuff appears: two copies of a card you only wanted once, a missing token package, a double-faced card that needs clarification, or a favorite retro-frame printing that the list did not actually specify.
That is why a print your own MTG cube checklist is worth doing before you upload your list. It is not the exciting part of cube design, but it saves a lot of avoidable back-and-forth.
PrintACube can work from a Cube Cobra export or a clean card list. If you need exact printings, the list needs to include the set code and card number in a Moxfield or MTGO-style format. Otherwise, the cards may be printed using the default print version. That is fine for many cube owners. But if your cube’s look matters, version details matter too.
Start With One Final Cube List
The first rule is simple: upload one final list.
Not the test list. Not the “maybe board.” Not the version with old cuts still hiding in a separate tab. One final cube list with the cards you actually want printed.
For most orders, a clean list should include one card per line. Quantities are fine. For example:
1 Card Name
2 Card Name
1 Card Name (SET) 123
That last style is important when you care about the exact printing. A card name alone tells the production team what card you want. The set code and card number tell them which version you want.
Before uploading, ask yourself:
- Is this the actual cube list I want printed?
- Does the card total match the cube size I am ordering?
- Are maybeboard cards removed?
- Are cut cards removed?
- Are lands, tokens and custom cards handled clearly?
This sounds basic, but cube lists get messy fast. Most cube designers have at least one card sitting in the wrong section because they tested it three drafts ago and forgot to clean it up.
Check Your Cube Size And Total Card Count
Your uploaded list should match the cube size you plan to order.
Common cube sizes include 360, 450, 540 and 720 cards. A 360-card cube is tight and works cleanly for an 8-player draft with three 15-card packs per player. A 540-card cube gives more variety without making archetypes feel too diluted. Larger cubes add replay value, but they also make curation more important.
Before you order, count only the cards you want printed as part of the cube.
Do not assume tokens, basic lands or helper cards are included in the main cube count unless you intentionally put them there. If your cube order is 540 cards and your list has 540 main cube cards plus 80 basics and 20 tokens, that is not a 540-card print job anymore. That is a 640-card project unless the basics and tokens are handled as a separate add-on or note.
A good note looks like this:
Cube main list: 540 cards
Basic lands: not included
Tokens: 24 tokens requested separately
Custom cards: 6 included in main cube count
Version: Cube v1.0
That gives everyone a clean target.
Audit Duplicates Before You Upload
Duplicates are not automatically wrong in cube. Some cubes intentionally run multiples. Pauper cubes may double up on key role-players. Retail-style set cubes may use duplicate commons. Some small cubes use extra fixing, extra burn spells or extra archetype glue.
The issue is not duplicates. The issue is accidental duplicates.
Before you print your own MTG cube, search your list for repeated card names. Then divide duplicates into two groups:
Intentional duplicates: cards you want printed more than once.
Accidental duplicates: cards that were copied twice, left in after a swap or added under different categories.
A practical duplicate note could look like this:
Intentional duplicates:
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Llanowar Elves
2 Evolving Wilds
Everything else should be one copy unless listed above.
This is especially helpful if your cube list is sorted by color, type, archetype or custom tags. A card can sneak into “Red Aggro” and “Burn” without looking duplicated at a glance.
Use Set Codes And Card Numbers For Exact Printings
If you do not care which version of a card is printed, a simple card-name list is usually enough.
If you do care, include set codes and card numbers.
This matters for:
- retro frames
- borderless cards
- showcase frames
- alternate art
- promo versions
- old-border versions
- specific Secret Lair-style art
- specific basic land art
- cards with many reprints
- cards where the default printing is not your preferred look
Use a clear format like:
1 Card Name (SET) 123
The set code identifies the set. The card number, usually called the collector number, identifies the card’s place inside that set. Together, they point to a specific version much more clearly than the card name alone.
This is one of the biggest places where cube owners accidentally lose control of the final look. “Counterspell” can mean a lot of different things visually. “Counterspell with this set code and this collector number” is much clearer.
Handle DFCs Before They Become A Problem
Double-faced cards need special attention because one card has two faces instead of a normal Magic back.
In a cube list, a DFC may appear only by its front-face name. That can be enough for identification, but it may not explain how you want it handled in a printed cube. If the back face matters during gameplay, make a note.
Good DFC notes might look like this:
DFCs included:
1 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki
1 Delver of Secrets // Insectile Aberration
1 Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary
Please review DFCs before printing. If a separate reference/helper card is needed for any DFC back face, contact me before production.
The point is not to overcomplicate the order. The point is to make sure DFCs are not treated like ordinary single-face cards without context.
Also, do not list both faces as separate cube cards unless you actually want both represented separately. For example, if you list “Fable of the Mirror-Breaker” and “Reflection of Kiki-Jiki” as separate lines without explanation, that can look like two requested cards instead of one double-faced card.
Decide What To Do With Tokens
Tokens are easy to forget because they are not usually part of the cube draft pool. Then the first draft happens and someone makes three Food tokens, two Treasures, a Monarch marker and a 4/4 Angel.
You have a few options:
You can skip printed tokens and use dice, spare cards or generic markers.
You can print only the important tokens your cube makes often.
You can build a full token package so the cube box feels self-contained.
For most cube owners, I would not print every possible token unless you like a very complete box. Print the tokens that actually matter at the table. A cube with Bitterblossom probably wants Faerie Rogue tokens. A cube with Fable of the Mirror-Breaker probably wants Goblin Shaman tokens. A cube with Oko probably wants Food tokens. Not every one-off token needs a full stack.
A clean token note could look like this:
Token package requested:
6 Treasure
6 Food
4 Clue
4 Soldier
4 Goblin
2 Monarch
2 Initiative
Tokens should be separate from the main 540-card cube list.
That last line matters. It makes the count clearer.
Decide Whether Basics Are Included
Basic lands are another place where cube owners use different workflows.
Some groups keep a separate land station. Some want basics printed to match the cube. Some only need snow basics, Wastes or specific utility basics. Some want full-art basics because it makes the cube box feel finished.
Before uploading, decide which setup you want.
If you do not want basics printed, say so.
If you do want basics printed, include the quantity and version preference. For example:
Basic lands requested:
40 Plains
40 Island
40 Swamp
40 Mountain
40 Forest
Use matching full-art basics if possible.
Or:
Basic lands not requested. I already have a basics station.
That is enough. Clear beats fancy here.
Separate Custom Cards From Normal MTG Cards
Custom cards should not be treated like normal card-name entries.
A normal card name can be matched to an existing MTG card. A custom card needs extra information. If your cube includes custom cards, playtest cards, reskins, custom commanders, custom conspiracies or inside-joke cards, label them clearly.
The safest setup is:
- Put custom cards in their own section.
- Provide the final card images or files.
- Use clear filenames.
- Include the exact quantity.
- Note whether they are part of the main cube count.
- Include any special front/back instructions.
For example:
Custom cards:
1 Goblin Tax Auditor, included in main 540
1 Sword of Reasonable Decisions, included in main 540
1 Draft Night Emblem, extra card, not part of main cube count
Files included in upload folder:
goblin-tax-auditor-front.png
sword-of-reasonable-decisions-front.png
draft-night-emblem-front.png
Do not assume a custom card can be understood from the name alone. The file is the card.
Add Version Notes For Future Reprints
A printed cube is rarely the final version forever. You draft it, learn from it, cut some clunky cards, add new toys and fix archetypes that did not quite get there.
That is part of the fun.
Version notes make future updates much easier. Instead of trying to remember which version you printed, add a short version label before you order.
Use something like:
Cube Name: Ryan’s Powered Peasant Cube
Version: v1.0
Main Cube Count: 540
Basics: not included
Tokens: separate token package
Notes: First printed version before spring testing
Then, when you update later, you can order only the changed cards. Your future self will appreciate the boring paperwork. Not a lot, but enough.
Use A Final Upload Checklist
Here is the checklist I would use before ordering.
Main List
Confirm the final list is the actual print list. Remove maybeboard cards, cut cards, notes-to-self and test packages that should not be printed.
Card Count
Confirm the number of main cube cards matches the cube size you are ordering. Keep basics, tokens and helper cards separate unless they are intentionally part of the count.
Duplicates
Search for duplicate card names. Label intentional duplicates and remove accidental ones.
Exact Printings
Use set codes and card numbers for any card where the specific version matters. Do this for special frames, specific art, promos, showcase cards and basic lands with preferred art.
Double-Faced Cards
Put DFCs in a clear section or add a note. Include both face names when possible. State whether any separate helper or reference card is needed.
Tokens
Decide whether tokens are included. List token names and quantities. State whether they are separate from the main cube count.
Basics
Decide whether basics are included. List quantities, types and version preferences. Include snow basics or Wastes if your cube needs them.
Custom Cards
Separate custom cards from normal MTG cards. Upload final images or files and use clear filenames.
Version Notes
Add a cube name, version number and short note. This makes future cube updates easier.
A Clean Example Upload Note
You can paste something like this with your order and edit it for your cube:
Cube Name: [Your Cube Name]
Version: v1.0
Main Cube Count: 540
List Format: Moxfield/MTGO-style list with set codes and card numbers where specific versions matter
Duplicates: Only the duplicates listed in the duplicate section are intentional
DFCs: Listed with front and back names where relevant
Tokens: Separate from main cube count
Basics: Not included / Included as listed below
Custom Cards: Included as separate files and labeled clearly
Notes: Please contact me before printing if any card version, custom card or DFC handling is unclear.
That note is short, but it answers the questions that usually cause confusion.
Final Recommendation
Before you print your own MTG cube, do one slow pass through your list as a printer, not as a designer.
A designer asks, “Is this card good for the environment?”
A printer asks, “Is it clear what should be printed?”
Both questions matter. But by the time you upload your cube, clarity wins. Confirm the count, label duplicates, handle DFCs, choose your basics and tokens, separate custom cards and include set codes plus card numbers for exact versions.
Then the order has a much better chance of turning into the cube you meant to print.
FAQs
Do I Have To Use Cube Cobra To Print My Cube?
No. Cube Cobra is convenient, but a clean list can work too. The most important thing is that the list is easy to read, the quantities are clear and any special cases are labeled.
What Happens If I Do Not Include Set Codes And Card Numbers?
If you do not include set codes and card numbers, you are usually leaving the exact version up to the default print version. That may be fine for many cards. If you care about a specific art, frame or edition, include the set code and card number.
Should Tokens Count Toward My Cube Size?
Usually, no. Most cube owners treat tokens as a separate package from the main draft pool. But if you want tokens printed as part of the total card count, say that clearly in your order note.
Should Basic Lands Be Included In My Cube List?
Only if you want them printed. Many cube owners keep basics separate. If you want matching basics, include exact quantities and any version preferences.
How Should I List Custom Cards?
Put custom cards in a separate section and upload the final card images or files. Use clear filenames, include quantities and say whether each custom card is part of the main cube count.
Should I List Both Sides Of A DFC?
List the DFC clearly, ideally with both face names. Do not list both sides as separate cards unless you intentionally want separate printed cards or helper/reference cards.