Create Cool Playing Cards in Photoshop

This tutorial will show you step by step how to create your own playing card in Photoshop giving a base of knowledge to eventually create a whole pack of your own cards.

01. Lets start by making a base to the card. For that take a Rounded Rectangle Tool, set the Radius from the menu to about 20 and drag a nice longer card shape.

02. Double click on your newly made shape and from the popup, choose Stroke, set the Size to 1px and color light grey.

03. Then choose Color overlay and set the color to white.

04. And last, go to Drop Shadow, choose the color of light gray, angle about 132, distance 5 and Size to 0.

05. Now it is time to open one or two pictures that will be in the middle of your card. You don’t have to have 2 pictures, just one is fine also but for a cooler effect 2 similar pictures in tones would create a cooler effect.

06. Set one of the pictures on the card, scale it to size needed (Edit – Transform – Scale).

07. Not take the Rectangular Marquee tool and delete the lower part of your picture from the place you’d wish to connect the other picture. NB! Choose to connect the same textured and same colored parts, in this tutorial, the waists are gonna be connected.

08. Delete the selection by pressing the Delete button. Then start to do the same with the other picture.

09. Go to Edit – Transform – Scale, scale the picture to the right size and then turn it upside down.

10. Move the pictures where you wish them to start connecting with each-other.

11. Then take the Smudge tool, set the strengt from the menu from 15-20% and drag the mouse upwards and then downwards til the tones of the picture match. From the sides, set the strength to 100% and drag it til they match perfectly.

12. Then merge the 2 layers by selecting them and pressing Ctrl + E. Then take the Dodge Tool to continue the highlights to another picture or Burn tool to do the same for the dark areas.

13. Now create a playing cards shapes by using Custom Shape Tool and Type Tool. Then add a little white Rectangular shape under the picture, and set the stroke to very light grey (how to add a stoke? Follow the instuctions in 02).

And your card is ready! For the presentation, duplicate your card, turn it a bit with Edit – Transform – Scale and voila!