How to Create Custom Pokemon-Style Cards with AI (Step-by-Step)

You upload a photo, and AI turns it into a fully designed Pokemon-style trading card, original artwork, stats, abilities, rarity roll, the whole thing. That is what MakeACard does, and the entire process takes about 30 seconds.

But "upload a photo" undersells it. The photo you choose, the lighting, the framing, all of it affects what the AI generates. A blurry group shot produces a mediocre card. A well-lit portrait of your cat sitting majestically on a bookshelf? That gets you a Psychic-type with 90 HP and an ability called "Ancient Wisdom."

This guide covers how to get consistently good results. Not just the basic steps, but the stuff nobody tells you; which photos work best, how rarity actually gets assigned, and what to do when the AI gives your dog a Fire-type card (it happens more than you'd think).

What You Need

Nothing, really. MakeACard runs in your browser. No app download, no account creation, no credit card. You get 5 free card generations per day.

Here is the actual requirements list:

• A photo (minimum 512×512 pixels, basically any modern phone camera)
• A web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, all work)
• That's it

No Photoshop. No design skills. No understanding of what "300 DPI" means (though we will get to that later if you want to print your cards).

Step 1: Choose Your Photo

This is the step that matters most, and it's the one people rush through.

The AI. Google's Gemini, analyzes your photo before generating anything. It identifies the subject, reads the context, picks up on colors, expressions, and background elements. All of that feeds into the card it creates. A thoughtful photo produces a thoughtful card.

What works well

Single subject, clear focus. One person, one pet, one object. The AI knows exactly what to build the card around.

Good lighting. Natural light is ideal. Harsh shadows or heavy backlighting confuse the AI's analysis; you end up with muddier artwork and less specific abilities. Window light, overcast days, and well-lit rooms all work.

Interesting context. This one is underrated. A photo of someone holding a guitar doesn't just produce a generic card; it might generate an Electric-type with "Power Chord" as an ability. A photo taken on a hiking trail? Grass-type, "Trailblazer" attack. The AI reads the entire scene, not just the face.

Expressive subjects. Pets mid-yawn. Kids laughing. A friend doing a ridiculous pose. Expression translates into ability flavor text and card personality. Stoic photos produce stoic cards. Goofy photos produce goofy cards.

What doesn't work well

Group shots. The AI picks one subject to focus on; you can't control which one. If you want cards for three friends, upload three separate photos.

Blurry or low-res images. Below 512×512 pixels, the AI doesn't have enough detail to generate quality artwork. Most phone cameras shoot at 3000×4000+ pixels, so this is rarely an issue unless you're cropping heavily.

Screenshots and memes. Text-heavy images, screenshots of other apps, images with watermarks; these confuse the subject identification. The AI might try to turn the text into part of the card design, and it doesn't look great.

Overly dark or overexposed photos. The AI needs to see the subject clearly. If you can barely make out your dog in a dimly lit room, the AI can't either.

Pro tips that actually matter

1. Crop before uploading. If your subject is small in the frame, crop tight. The AI spends its analysis budget on whatever dominates the image.

2. Background influences type assignment. Water in the background? Higher chance of a Water-type card. Green foliage? Grass-type. Night sky? Dark or Psychic. You can nudge the AI's type choice by being intentional about setting.

3. Action shots create better abilities. A dog catching a frisbee produces more dynamic ability names than a dog sitting still. Movement translates into attack-oriented cards.

4. Warm vs. cool tones matter. Photos with warm color casts (golden hour, firelight) tend to produce Fire or Electric types. Cool tones (blue sky, snow, indoor fluorescent) lean toward Water or Ice themes. This isn't guaranteed, but it's a real pattern we've observed across thousands of generations.

Step 2: Upload and Generate

Head to MakeACard. You'll see an upload area front and center.

Drag your photo in, or tap to browse your camera roll. The upload accepts JPEG, PNG, and WebP formats. File size limit is 10MB, more than enough for any phone photo.

Once your photo uploads, the generation kicks off automatically. Here's what happens behind the scenes (in about 20-30 seconds):

1. Gemini Vision analyzes your photo: Subject identification, feature extraction, context reading. It figures out what it's looking at and what makes the subject interesting.

2. Card metadata gets generated: The AI creates a name, picks a Pokemon type (Fire, Water, Grass, Psychic, Electric, etc.), assigns HP, designs two abilities with damage values, writes flavor text, and determines weakness/resistance. All contextually relevant to your photo.

3. Original artwork is generated: This is the part that separates MakeACard from template-based tools. Gemini generates brand-new card art in a Pokemon-inspired illustration style based on your subject. Your golden retriever doesn't just get pasted onto a card; it becomes a stylized creature that looks like it belongs in a booster pack.

4. Rarity is rolled: Every card gets a random rarity assignment. More on this in a minute.

5. The complete card renders: Artwork, stats, rarity effects, and the card frame all composite into a finished trading card.

You do not control any of this manually. Upload, wait, receive. That is the workflow.

What if the result isn't great?

It happens. AI image generation is probabilistic; you are rolling dice on aesthetics every time. Maybe the artwork looks off, or the abilities don't make sense, or your friend got assigned Normal-type when they clearly deserve Dragon.

You have options:

• Try the same photo again. Each generation produces different results. Same photo, different card. The rarity re-rolls too.
• Try a different photo of the same subject. Different angle, different lighting, different results. Sometimes a front-facing photo works better than a profile shot, or vice versa.
• Don't fight the AI's interpretation. If it sees something in your photo that you don't, lean into it. The unexpected cards are often the most fun to share.

You get 5 free generations per day. That is enough to experiment.

Step 3: Understand Your Rarity Roll

Every card gets assigned a rarity tier the instant it's generated. This isn't cosmetic, rarity affects the card's base stats, its visual effects, and (let's be honest) how satisfying the pull feels.

The distribution mirrors real TCG booster pack odds:

The rarity assignment is genuinely random. A 3% Secret Rare is a 3% Secret Rare, there's no algorithm giving new users better odds to hook them (we have seen people ask). If you generate 100 cards, you should expect roughly 3 Secret Rares. Some people hit one on their first try. Others go 40 generations before seeing one.

The Holo Rare and Secret Rare visual effects deserve special mention. These aren't static images, they're CSS-based holographic animations that respond to mouse movement on desktop and device tilt on mobile. The shimmer catches light dynamically. It looks remarkably close to how a physical holographic card behaves under a desk lamp. Check the Rarity Guide for a live preview of all five tiers.

Can you influence rarity?

No. The rarity is rolled server-side with a cryptographically random number generator. Photo quality, subject matter, time of day, account age, none of it affects the odds. A blurry photo has the same 3% Secret Rare chance as a studio portrait.

This is intentional. The randomness is the point. If you could guarantee Secret Rares, pulling one wouldn't feel like anything.

Step 4: Save, Share, and Collect

After generation, your card appears on screen with all its details. From here you can:

Save to your collection. Your card automatically joins your personal collection, which you can browse and filter by rarity. Track how many of each rarity tier you've pulled. See your collection stats.

Download the card image. Cards export at 2.5" × 3.5" at 300 DPI, standard trading card dimensions that match Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh cards. This means they fit in standard card sleeves, toploaders, and 9-pocket binder pages.

Share directly. Send the card image to friends, post it on social media, use it as a profile picture. The cards are designed to look good as standalone images.

Open packs. Instead of generating one card at a time, you can open a pack of 5 cards at once. Same rarity odds per card, but the reveal animation, flipping each card one by one, is where the real fun lives. The pack-opening experience is modeled after the one in Pokemon TCG Pocket, which (fun fact) was named iPhone Game of the Year in 2025.

Step 5: Print Your Cards (Optional)

Digital cards are great. Physical cards you can hold, trade, and sleeve? Better.

Since MakeACard outputs at 300 DPI and standard TCG dimensions, printing is straightforward. Here's what actually works:

Home printing

• Paper: Use matte or glossy cardstock, 80-110 lb weight. Regular printer paper is too thin and flimsy; it won't feel like a card.
• Printer settings: Set quality to "Best" or "High." Use the actual image dimensions (2.5" × 3.5") rather than scaling to fit. Disable "fit to page."
• Cutting: Print multiple cards on one sheet and use a paper trimmer (not scissors, scissors produce wavy edges). A guillotine-style trimmer costs around $15 and makes a massive difference.
• Finishing: Slip printed cards into penny sleeves immediately. The sleeve adds rigidity and protects the print from fingerprints and smudging.

Professional printing

If you're making 20+ cards, for a party, a gift set, or because you're building a full custom collection, a local print shop or online service like PrinterStudio handles the heavy lifting. Upload your card images, select "poker-size cards" (same as standard TCG), and pick your cardstock weight. Expect to pay $0.30-$0.80 per card depending on quantity and finish.

For more detail on dimensions, DPI, and paper recommendations, check the Card Size & Print Guide.

Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

After watching thousands of cards get generated, patterns emerge. Here are the mistakes we see most:

Uploading super zoomed-in face crops. Faces work great. But if the photo is 90% forehead, the AI doesn't have much to work with. Include at least head and shoulders for portraits.

Expecting template-level control. You cannot pick the exact type, the exact ability names, or the exact HP value. The AI decides. This is the trade-off for getting original generated artwork instead of a template overlay. If you need pixel-level control, a template editor like MyPokeCard.com is the better fit, but the cards won't have AI-generated art.

Ignoring the rarity system. Some people generate one card, get a Common, and think the tool is broken. The rarity system exists to make pulling something special feel earned. Generate a few cards. Open a pack. The moment you pull your first Holo Rare with that shimmer effect, you'll get it.

Not trying different photos. The AI produces dramatically different results depending on the input. If your first card isn't great, do not give up. Try a different photo: different angle, different lighting, different context. The second or third attempt frequently produces significantly better results.

What Can You Make Cards Of?

Genuinely anything the AI can identify in a photo. Here's what people make most:

• Pets: Dogs and cats are the most popular subjects by a wide margin. Pet trading cards are the reason a lot of people find MakeACard in the first place.
• Selfies and portraits: Turn yourself or friends into Pokemon trainers.
• Kids: Birthday party cards, classroom gifts, milestone celebrations.
• Cosplay: Cosplayers in costume produce incredible card art because the AI has rich visual material to work with. A detailed cosplay photo often generates the best-looking cards. See cosplay cards.
• Food: Surprisingly good results. A beautifully plated dish becomes a Fire-type or Grass-type creature card. Chefs love these.
• Landscapes: Mountains, beaches, cityscapes; they produce more abstract creature designs, which can be genuinely beautiful.
• D&D characters and miniatures: The tabletop RPG crossover is real. People photograph their painted minis and generate character cards for their campaigns.

Tips for Getting the Best Possible Card

Everything above covers the basics. Here are the advanced tactics:

1. Golden hour photos produce the most vibrant card art. The warm, diffused light gives the AI rich color data to work with. Cards generated from golden hour photos tend to have more saturated, visually striking artwork.

2. Costumes and props dramatically improve results. The AI picks up on visual details. A photo of someone wearing a lab coat might generate an Electric or Psychic type with science-themed abilities. A pirate hat? Water-type, guaranteed. Give the AI something to work with.

3. Pet photos work best when the animal is looking at the camera. Eye contact creates more characterful card art. Side profiles work fine, but front-facing photos produce cards with more personality.

4. Use the pack-opening feature for the best experience. Generating one card at a time is functional. Opening a pack of five, flipping each card one by one, not knowing if you're about to hit a Secret Rare, that's the experience. The whole point of a rarity system is the anticipation.

5. Build themed sets. Once you've made a few cards, start thinking in terms of a collection. Make cards of your whole friend group. Your whole pet collection. Your whole D&D party. A set of 8-12 themed cards, printed, sleeved, and presented as a custom "booster pack", makes one of the best gifts imaginable for anyone under 35 (and honestly, most people over 35 too).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MakeACard free?

Yes. You get 5 free card generations per day. Every feature, including Secret Rare pulls, holographic effects, pack openings, and print-ready downloads, is available on the free tier. No paywall gates the good stuff.

How long does each card take to generate?

About 20-30 seconds. The AI analysis and image generation are the bottleneck; the card layout and stat assignment are nearly instant.

Can I edit the card after it's generated?

Not currently. Each generation is a complete, finished card. If you want different stats or a different name, generate again with the same photo, you'll get a completely new card.

What AI model powers the generation?

Google's Gemini. Specifically, Gemini Vision for photo analysis and Gemini's image generation capabilities for card artwork. The stat generation, ability naming, and flavor text are also handled by Gemini's language model.

Do I own the cards I create?

Yes. Cards you generate are yours to download, print, share, and use however you want. They're generated from your photos using AI, not copied from existing Pokemon IP. That said; these are fan-inspired cards in a Pokemon style, not official Pokemon products. Don't try to sell them as official Pokemon merchandise. That's a legal line you do not want to cross.

What's Next?

You've read the guide. Now go make something.

Create your first card: it takes 30 seconds, and you might pull a Secret Rare on your first try. Stranger things have happened.

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Related reading:

• Best AI Trading Card Makers in 2026 (Compared): How MakeACard stacks up against alternatives
• Make a Pokemon-Style Card: Jump straight to card creation
• Rarity Guide: Visual breakdown of all 5 rarity tiers with live CSS effects
• Card Size & Print Guide: Everything about dimensions, DPI, and printing
• Make a Pet Trading Card: The most popular card type
• What Is an AI Card Generator?: Quick glossary definition
• What Is Card Rarity?: How rarity tiers work across TCGs

Sources

1. The Pokemon Company - TCG Figures - Official production statistics: 75 billion+ cards produced, sold in 90+ countries
2. Google Gemini AI - The multimodal AI model powering photo analysis and card art generation
3. Pokemon TCG Official Card Database - Reference for official Pokemon card formats, types, and rarity symbols