Custom playmats are a great way to show off your style, highlight your favourite artwork, or promote a brand or event. Fortunately designing your own playmat doesn’t have to be hard or complicated.
This guide will take you through the process step by step
1. Sourcing or Creating Artwork
Before you start designing, you need to source or make your desgin. Here are a few approaches to consider:
Using Existing Artwork
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It's considered best practice to ask the artist for permission before reproducing their work. Respecting the creator’s rights keeps your project legally safe.
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Artwork under Creative Commons or in the public domain can be used, but check the license carefully.
Commissioned Art Work
If you want something truly unique, commissioning an artist is a great option. Find the right artist for your vission who has their comissions open, communicate and be patient, art takes time.
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Find the right artist for your vission, consider sites such as: ArtStation, DeviantArt, Fiverr, Behance, Instagram / Twitter
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Communication is key to ensure the best results, please be kind and patient.
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Budget Considerations: Commissioned artwork can vary in cost depending on the artist’s experience and the complexity of the design.
Creating Your Own Artwork
If you have the skills to create your own designs, congratulations! This is a rewarding way to make your playmat truly unique.
- If you want to give it a crack, consider programs such as: Gimp (free), Affinity Photo (one-time purchase), or Adobe Photoshop (subscription)
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Keep resolution and dimensions in mind from the start to ensure your final print will be as accurate and clear as possible.
2. Resolution Guidelines
High-quality resolution is crucial for a sharp, high quality finish:
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Standard Mat Mage playmat size: 61 × 36 cm (ratio 17:10)
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Recommended resolution: 300 DPI
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Pixel dimensions: roughly 7200 × 4320 pixels
The higher-resolution your starting image is the less blurred it will become when scaled up to the final dimensions. Additionally keep in mind how your image will be cropped or squished when manipulated to the final ratio, landscape images are best in this case.
3. Planning Your Layout
Once you have a desing in mind, it’s time to plan your mats layout:
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Blead Margins: The printing process is falible and small movements can occur. Therefor its important to keep elements like text or logos away from the edges.
Typically allow for a 2cm safety margin for anything that absolutley needs to be printed without risk of beeing cut off. -
Balance & Flow: Avoid overcrowding; negative space helps key elements stand out.
4. Check Your Design
Before sending it to print:
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Double-check the dimensions and bleed areas.
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Make sure any text is legible and logos/artwork aren’t distorted.
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The closest representation of how your desing will look printed is to export it as a PDF
5. Send Your Design for Printing
At Mat Mage, we use sublimation printing on high quality materials to bring your design to life with vibrant, long lasting colours. Our team can help you finalise your design and even provide a final proof porior to submission, ensuring every detail is perfect.
By choosing Mat Mage, you’re not just printing a mat, you’re getting a professional finish, precise colour accuracy, and expert guidance every step of the way.
Once you’re happy with your artwork:
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Export your final design to PDF
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Submit it to Mat Mage
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Confirm all the details: size, edges, quantity, and any premium options.
Final Thoughts
Designing a custom playmat is fun and rewarding. By following these steps, you’ll end up with a mat that not only looks great and stand out.
If you need any help with creating your own custom design don't hesitate to reach out to the mat mage team here.