RECOMMENDED PROGRAMS FOR DESIGNING YOUR BOARD GAME

AGR GAMES
1 day ago
5 min read

Not all programs are suitable for working properly with real measurements, bleeds, resolution, color, or print-ready export settings. That is why, at AGR, we recommend using tools that allow you to prepare your files correctly from the very beginning.

Designing for screens is not the same as designing for print

This is one of the most common mistakes. Many programs are designed to create digital content: social media posts, presentations, videos, or images for screens.

Printing works differently. In professional printing, you need to take into account technical aspects such as color mode, resolution, bleeds, safety margins, die-cutting, layers, fonts, and the final PDF export.

RGB vs CMYK

Screens work in RGB, a system based on red, green, and blue light. Printing, on the other hand, uses CMYK, which is based on inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

A color that looks very bright or saturated on screen can change significantly when printed. Some RGB colors simply cannot be reproduced in the same way on paper.

The programs we recommend allow you to work with suitable color profiles, better control the conversion to CMYK, and prepare more reliable files for printing. By contrast, many people use tools that mainly work in RGB, which can create major differences between what you see on screen and the final printed result.

Programs we recommend and what each one is used for

Adobe Illustrator

IIllustrator is designed for creating vector graphics. Elements are built using mathematical shapes that can be scaled up or down without losing quality.

It is ideal for designing:

Icons
Logos
Frames
Symbols
Vector illustrations
Graphic elements for the game

It also allows you to work correctly with:

Bleeds
Layers
Templates
Print colors
Output settings for professional printing

Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop, unlike Illustrator, works with pixels: raster images. Painted illustrations, textures, photographs, or backgrounds.

It is the ideal program for:

Retouching images
Adjusting colors
Cleaning up backgrounds
Working with textures
Preparing illustrations
Correcting photographs
Adapting images to their final size

When working with pixels, it is very important to use the correct size and resolution from the beginning. If an image does not have enough resolution, the printed result may look blurry or pixelated.

We recommend working at 300 dpi at the final print size.

Adobe InDesign

InDesign is designed for layout work.

It is especially useful for projects with many pages or many repetitive elements, such as cards that share the same structure but have different texts, icons, illustrations, or data.

For example, it is highly recommended for:

Cards with a repeated structure
Games with a lot of text
Rulebooks
Cards with variable data
Versions in different languages

InDesign allows you to:

Repeat structures in an organized way
Prepare multi-page documents
Create custom settings for texts, strokes, and effects
Make bulk changes quickly
Export PDFs prepared for professional printing

This is especially useful when many cards or pages need to be modified at the same time. Instead of correcting each element one by one, global changes can be applied much more efficiently.

Affinity

Affinity is a very interesting free alternative for those who do not work with Adobe. It is currently part of Canva, but it remains a tool aimed at professional design, with features for working with vectors, images, and layout.

It is a recommended option for:

Working with vector elements
Editing images
Laying out cards
Preparing rulebooks
Designing repetitive structures
Exporting PDF files
Preparing designs for print

One of its advantages is that it brings together, in a single environment, tools similar to those that have traditionally been used separately in Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.

The important thing is not to confuse Affinity with Canva. Although they now belong to the same company, Affinity is designed for a much more professional workflow and offers greater technical control over print files.

Why don’t we recommend Canva for final print files?

Canva is a very useful tool for quick content, social media, presentations, or simple designs.

However, it is not the option we recommend for preparing complex professional print files, especially for board games, where there are cards, boards, tokens, die-cuts, bleeds, safety margins, and many pieces that must fit together with precision.

The main issue is that Canva simplifies many processes that are important in printing.

For example, it is very limited in the following areas:

It does not allow advanced color management
It does not work in CMYK
It makes preparing die-cuts difficult
It does not offer proper bleed functions
It does not allow you to work with layers
Complex exports are limited to the premium plan
It does not allow bulk changes

This may seem convenient at first, but it can make corrections much more complicated later on.

What about artificial intelligence?

We do not recommend using it as the main basis for preparing a complete print project.

It usually presents problems such as:

Lack of consistency between images
Changes in style between elements
Difficulty in repeating exactly the same design
Errors in texts, symbols, or details
Lack of control over real sizes
No CMYK workflow
Absence of editable vectors
Problems respecting templates or die-cuts
Difficulty modifying only one specific part of an image

In addition, if you need to change a specific detail, many AI tools regenerate the entire image instead of modifying only the necessary area. This can make the work slower and less controlled in the long term.

It is important to bear in mind that AI tools are trained with images intended for digital output, not print output, which means they are not capable of generating images that are truly suitable for printing.

An important technical detail: overprinting

One of the concepts that raises the most questions is overprinting.

Overprinting allows certain elements, usually black ones, to be printed over the background color without “knocking out” the ink underneath.

This is important because it helps prevent small registration errors that can cause white halos around texts, lines, or black details.

It is especially recommended for:

Black texts
Thin black lines

It is not always essential for every project, but it can improve the final finish and help avoid small printing defects.

If you have any doubts about how to activate it, the prepress team will be happy to help you.

Not sure whether your files are properly prepared?

Don’t worry. It is normal for these concepts to feel technical if you do not usually work with professional printing.

That is why, at AGR, we carefully review your files and let you know about any corrections that may be needed. If, even so, you find it very difficult, we can help you through our file layout service.

We can assess your project and provide a quote based on the number of hours needed to prepare your files for printing. Depending on the condition of the material, we can help you to: