If you’re trying to print a Netrunner deck, the hardest part usually isn’t the printing. It’s the little mistakes that sneak in before you ever hit “order” or “print.” One missing card. One wrong quantity. One “why do i have two IDs in here” moment.

This guide is the start-to-finish workflow i use to print a deck from a decklist without discovering problems at the table. And yep, it’s built for real life: mixed card backs, evolving card pools, and the fact that nobody wants to re-cut 15 cards because a list changed.

If you’re also still figuring out what to own or print first, this pairs well with Best Way to Build a Beginner Netrunner Card Pool Without Buying Singles. And if you want the “skip the scissors” route, the main service page is here: Print Your Netrunner Decks & Sets.

Start with the right decklist (before you touch anything)

Before you print a single card, answer two questions:

1. What format is this deck meant for (Standard, Startup, Eternal, kitchen table)?
2. What card pool are you actually using?

This matters because “great decklist” can turn into “half illegal” fast when formats rotate and ban lists change. So do this first:

• Look for a timestamp on the decklist (or at least the tournament name/date).
• Check the list’s set icons or pack list if it includes one.
• Sanity check the plan: if the deck relies on a specific combo piece and that card is gone, you’re printing a museum exhibit.

If you’re printing for learning games at home, you can be more relaxed. If you’re printing for events, you want to be strict.

And yes, it’s annoying. But it’s less annoying than printing 45 cards you can’t use where you play.

Export the list cleanly (and don’t get fancy)

Most deck sites let you export in a few formats. You want something that is:

• easy to read
• easy to copy
• easy to verify card quantities

I usually go with plain text export (card name + quantity). It’s boring. That’s why it works.

If you have the option, avoid formats that add extra commentary lines at the bottom unless you know your printer or tool expects them. Those “extra lines” are where errors hide.

What you want in your exported list:

• Identity name
• Card names
• Quantities
• A clear split between Runner and Corp lists (if you’re printing both)

If your export tool offers a “Jinteki.net format” or similar, it can also work fine. The main thing is: the quantities must be unambiguous.

Do the “missing cards” check now, not later

This is the step people skip, and it’s the one that saves you.

Open your exported list and check:

• Deck size (are you at minimum? did you accidentally export a 44-card Runner?)
• Copy limits (if something shows 4x, that’s either a special rule you forgot or a mistake)
• Identity included (you’d be surprised)
• One-of weirdness (a single copy of a card that is normally 2-3x can be right, but it’s also a classic typo)

Here’s my quick “i don’t trust myself” checklist:

• Count the total cards with a quick sum
• Scan for any “1x” that looks accidental
• Scan for any “0 influence remaining” type warning (if your source shows it)
• Make sure you’re not printing rotated versions by accident if you’re aiming at a format

If you’re going to print a Netrunner deck that you plan to shuffle a hundred times, you want this part to be boring and final.

Decide what you’re actually printing (full deck, partial deck, or upgrade pack)

Not every print job needs to be a full deck.

There are three common approaches:

Option A: Print the full deck (most common)

Best when:

• you want to play the exact list soon
• you don’t have most of the cards already
• you want a consistent feel across the whole deck

Option B: Print an “upgrade pack”

Best when:

• you already own a base deck (like a starter product)
• you’re iterating on 10-20 cards
• you want to keep a stable core and swap flex slots

This is also the best way to stay sane if you test a lot. You can print a small set of “maybe cards” and rotate them through.

Option C: Print a “shell” plus a sideboard of flex cards

Netrunner doesn’t use sideboards in normal play, but printing a flex stack is still useful for testing. You keep the shell stable and swap in options between games.

If you’re printing for a group, this approach scales well. You can maintain 2-3 archetype shells and a shared pool of tech cards.

Proof your print list like you’re doing taxes

Once you have a final list, proof it like it’s going to cost you money. Because it is.

Things to double check:

• Card names match official names (misspellings can break automation tools)
• Quantities are correct (no silent “1x” errors)
• Runner vs Corp split (don’t laugh, it happens)
• IDs, special cards, extra components (some decks need extra cards outside the main deck)

If you’re using a printing service, you still want to do this proof. Printing services are good at printing. They are not mind readers.

If you’re doing it yourself, print one test page first. One. Not fifty.

Print settings that prevent sad, tiny cards

Home printing is where the printer tries to “help” and ruins everything.

If you’re printing at home:

• Use 100% scale (not “fit to page”)
• Disable “shrink oversized pages”
• Print a single page first and measure one card
• If your prints look slightly off, don’t “just cut tighter.” That’s how you get a deck of trapezoids.

If you’re printing professionally, you’ll care more about bleed and safe zones (there’s a whole cheat sheet post below in this batch). But even at home, scaling errors are the #1 way to get cards that feel wrong.

Sleeve and shuffle like you mean it

After you print, your goal is simple: the deck should shuffle normally and feel consistent.

To get there:

• Use opaque sleeves (seriously)
• Use one type of backing card behind any paper proxies
• Keep the sleeve brand consistent within the deck

The “shuffle feel” problem usually comes from mixed thickness:

• some cards are paper-only
• some are paper + thick backing
• some are real cards in sleeves

Pick one method and commit. Consistency beats perfection.

And if you’re mixing sources, opaque sleeves are how you keep gameplay fair and keep the deck from feeling like a marked-card disaster.

Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

• Printing a decklist that’s out of date
  • Fix: check the date and the intended format first
• Forgetting the identity card
  • Fix: put “ID” as the first line in your print checklist
• Printing at “fit to page”
  • Fix: 100% scale, always
• Mixing sleeve types
  • Fix: one sleeve brand per deck
• Not backing paper proxies
  • Fix: backing cards make shuffling feel normal and reduce “marked” issues

Wrap-up

To print a Netrunner deck cleanly, you don’t need a fancy process. You need a repeatable one.

Pick a decklist that matches how you play. Export it cleanly. Proof it. Print with sane settings. Sleeve it like you want fair games. Then get to the fun part: actually playing the deck instead of babysitting the deck.