Netrunner Card Size and Print Scaling: How to Avoid Tiny or Cropped Cards

TLDR

For reliable Netrunner card size printing, preserve the sizing built into the source file. Print official Null Signal Games print-and-play PDFs at 100% or “actual size,” not “fit to page.” Test one sheet before printing a complete set. Official print-and-play card faces should be cut out and placed in opaque sleeves with consistent backing cards. If you are preparing custom files for professional cutting, use that printer’s current template rather than treating a home-print PDF as a production-ready file.

The most common mistake is assuming every Netrunner file should be handled the same way. An official nine-card print-and-play page, an individually generated proxy, a custom card image, and a commercial print template are different inputs. Start by identifying the file type; only then decide how to scale, cut, and sleeve it.

The practical Netrunner card size printing answer

NetrunnerAndroid’s custom-print specification uses a finished trim size of 2.5 × 3.5 inches, or 63.5 × 88.9 mm, and recommends 300 DPI for custom files. Its home-print guidance is to use 100% scale instead of allowing the printer to fit the page automatically. The fuller Netrunner card size, bleed, and safe-zone cheat sheet explains how those production concepts relate to card artwork.

That dimension is useful guidance for this custom-print workflow, but it should not be treated as proof that every historical, community, or independently produced Netrunner card has an identical measured finish. Sleeve fit and physical consistency matter more than chasing fractions of a millimeter across unrelated print runs.

When printing an official Null Signal Games PDF, preserve the page layout supplied in the download. Null Signal describes its print-and-play releases as nine cards per page with square corners and no bleed. Those PDFs are intended for printing and cutting, not for direct submission as bleed-inclusive commercial card files. The official Null Signal Games purchase and print-and-play guide is the appropriate place to check the current downloads and instructions.

Use actual size, not fit to page

Choose “actual size” or 100% in the print dialog. Disable options labeled “fit,” “shrink oversized pages,” or “scale to printable area.” Those settings can quietly reduce the whole sheet so that margins fit within a desktop printer’s non-printable area. The result may look tidy on paper while producing cards that are visibly smaller inside their sleeves.

The opposite problem can happen if software enlarges a page or an image to fill the available paper. Text, borders, or card edges may be cropped. This is especially easy to miss when the preview shows only the page boundary rather than the intended cut lines.

Do not solve a scaling problem by manually stretching individual card images. That introduces another variable and can distort the aspect ratio. Return to the original PDF, confirm the paper size expected by the file, and print one test page at 100%.

What to check on the test sheet

Confirm that the print dialog reports 100% or actual size.
Measure one printed card against the intended trim guidance or place it behind a standard backing card.
Check that rules text, influence markings, agenda values, and other game information remain legible.
Confirm that all cut lines and card edges appear on the sheet.
Cut one card and test it inside the sleeves intended for the complete deck.
Shuffle that card with several original or previously prepared cards to check for an obvious size, thickness, or stiffness difference.
If the front or back can identify the printed card while face down, change the sleeve or backing treatment before continuing.

A one-sheet test turns a potentially expensive whole-set error into a minor adjustment. It also reveals printer-driver settings that may not be obvious in the PDF viewer.

Trim, bleed, and safe area are different things

Trim is the intended finished edge of a cut card. Bleed is artwork extending beyond that edge so a small cutting variation does not leave a white sliver. The safe area is the interior region where important text and symbols should remain so ordinary cutting variation does not remove them.

These concepts matter when building custom files or submitting artwork to a professional card printer. They do not mean you should add an improvised border around an official Null Signal print-and-play page. Official PnP sheets are supplied without bleed and with square corners. Preserve that layout for its intended home-print workflow.

A commercial service may require extra image area, specific corner treatment, color settings, or a different upload arrangement. Always use its current template. For broader production terminology and workflows outside this game-specific guide, consult general printing resources at Printiverse. A template supplied by the printer governs that order; the finished card dimension alone is not enough to construct a valid production file.

Know which kind of Netrunner print you have

Clear terminology prevents both production mistakes and confusion at the table. Four common categories should remain distinct.

Print source	What it is	How to handle it
Official Null Signal PnP PDF	A downloadable community-game release arranged for home printing	Preserve the supplied page size, print at 100%, cut, and sleeve with backing cards
NetrunnerDB-generated proxy	A printable reference for selected individual cards	Verify the selected card, quantity, and current format context before printing
Independent printed deck or set	A physical product produced by an independent service	Describe it as an independent print, not an original or official Null Signal product
Original FFG-era card	A card from the discontinued Fantasy Flight Games Android: Netrunner era	Keep its historical source distinct from modern Null Signal releases and verify current legality separately

Null Signal points players toward NetrunnerDB’s proxy-generation feature when they need a small number of individual cards. That can be more efficient than printing an entire set, but the generated output still deserves a test print. It also does not establish that the selected card is legal in a current format.

NetrunnerAndroid describes decklist imports and full-set printing among its independent offerings and states that it is not affiliated with or endorsed by Fantasy Flight Games or Null Signal Games. Readers considering those workflows can compare printing a deck from a decklist with home print-and-play versus professionally printed cards. Independent prints, official Null Signal PnP files, and original FFG cards should never be represented as interchangeable product categories.

Sleeves and backing cards prevent hidden information leaks

Official Null Signal print-and-play files contain card faces rather than card backs. Null Signal directs players to put the printed faces in opaque sleeves with backing cards. The backing card gives the paper face structure, while the opaque sleeve prevents the card’s reverse side from revealing its identity.

Use the same sleeve model and a consistent class of backing card throughout a deck. A printed agenda that feels thicker, bends differently, or sits higher in its sleeve can leak information even when nobody intends to mark it. This is particularly important for the Corp, where face-down cards and hidden information drive many decisions.

The backing card does not need to be a valuable Netrunner card. An expendable card of suitable size and consistent thickness can serve the physical role. What matters is uniformity across the deck. Avoid mixing bare paper, sleeved originals, and paper-faced backing cards in one deck unless the final face-down cards are physically indistinguishable.

For a deeper physical setup checklist, see opaque sleeves, backing cards, and shuffle feel. That preparation is not cosmetic: it protects the game’s information structure.

Choose between a full set, a deck, and individual cards

Print according to the task rather than defaulting to the largest possible order.

Print a complete deck when you have a stable list and want something ready to play immediately.
Print a full set when a group expects to build and rebuild many decks from a shared pool.
Print individual cards when filling a few gaps, testing substitutions, or replacing damaged pieces.
Print teaching decks as self-contained units when fast setup matters more than unrestricted deckbuilding.

A complete set offers flexibility but creates more cutting, sleeving, sorting, and update work. A deck is easier to validate because every printed card has a defined purpose. Individual proxies minimize waste, although repeated small print sessions can produce inconsistent paper or printer settings. The beginner card-pool guide can help a new group decide how much material it actually needs.

Organize the collection by use and source

Physical organization should answer two questions quickly: “Can we play this now?” and “Where did this card come from?” A practical shared collection can use four sections.

Ready-to-play decks: complete, sleeved, checked lists that can go directly to the table.
Active building pool: sorted cards currently used for deck construction.
Temporary testing cards: obvious placeholders and short-term proxies that should be reviewed before formal play.
Archive material: rotated cards, historical FFG-era cards, replaced versions, and inactive print files.

Label deck boxes or dividers with the card source, edition or set where relevant, and the date on which the deck’s format status was last checked. Avoid writing “legal” as though it were permanent. A date such as “Standard checked: 2025-05-10” communicates that legality was verified at a particular time and may need another review.

For a larger group, keep a simple inventory showing which decks are complete, which cards are borrowed, and which files generated each print batch. The shared printed Netrunner card-pool storage workflow covers this ready-deck, building-pool, testing, and archive model in more detail.

Printing a card does not make it format legal

Format legality and physical printability are separate questions. A perfectly sized card can still be outside the current Standard or Startup pool, affected by a current restriction, or inappropriate for a particular event.

This distinction matters because the modern card pool changes. For example, Null Signal states that System Update 2021 rotated out of both Standard and Startup when Elevation released on April 24, 2025. Before printing a complete pool, check the current Null Signal format and organized-play resources rather than relying on an old decklist or an undated collection label. The comparison of Standard and Startup for printing decisions can help identify which pool fits your group.

Null Signal states that appropriately prepared home-printed cards are accepted at all levels of its competitive play. Even so, check the current policy and any event-specific instructions before attending. Acceptance of home prints does not remove the need for opaque sleeves, consistent construction, a legal deck, or clear card identification.

The safest workflow

Identify the source, preserve its intended layout, print one page at 100%, measure and cut one card, then test it in the final sleeve with the final backing card. Only after that test should you print the rest of a deck or set.

If the source is an official Null Signal PnP PDF, do not rebuild it as though it were a commercial bleed template. If the source is custom artwork for professional production, obtain the printer’s current template before placing text or borders. Finally, label the finished cards honestly as official PnP faces, independent prints, testing proxies, or original historical cards. Correct scale makes the cards usable; consistent construction and clear organization make the whole card pool trustworthy.