TLDR
For Netrunner starter decks printing, begin with the current System Gateway – Remastered Edition files from Null Signal Games. Print the 30-card Runner starter plus The Catalyst identity and the 30-card Corp starter plus The Syndicate identity. That is 62 card faces for one basic teaching pair. Add the two optional 10-card advanced boosters when learners are ready for more deckbuilding and tactical complexity, bringing the total to 82 faces. Use opaque sleeves and consistent backing cards, keep the four groups separate, and do not assume the tutorial decks are automatically legal in a current constructed format.
The important decision is not simply which cards look beginner-friendly. A teaching kit must preserve Netrunner’s asymmetry: one complete Runner deck, one complete Corp deck, the correct identity for each side, and no accidental mixing of the advanced cards. The official System Gateway product page is the best starting point because it supplies the intended teaching lists and printable files.
What to print for a two-player teaching kit
System Gateway – Remastered Edition is Null Signal Games’ beginner entry point. Null Signal currently groups System Gateway and Elevation as its Core Sets, but System Gateway is the product specifically structured to introduce play.
| Group | Contents | Printed faces |
|---|---|---|
| Runner Starter | 30-card deck plus The Catalyst identity | 31 |
| Corp Starter | 30-card deck plus The Syndicate identity | 31 |
| Runner Advanced Booster | Optional additional cards | 10 |
| Corp Advanced Booster | Optional additional cards | 10 |
The basic pair therefore needs 62 printed faces: 60 cards across the two decks and two identities kept outside those deck counts. Printing both advanced boosters raises the complete teaching package to 82 faces.
The Catalyst is the Runner teaching identity, while The Syndicate is the Corp teaching identity. These identities support the tutorial experience rather than ordinary constructed deckbuilding, so file them with the starter kit instead of treating them as general-purpose identities for future tournament lists.
For the first game, use only the two starter decks. This limits the decisions learners must process while they discover servers, runs, ICE, agendas, credits and clicks. The point is not to remove meaningful choices; it is to make the consequences of each choice visible. After players understand why the Runner pressures different servers and why the Corp spends credits to maintain uncertainty, introduce the boosters.
Choose the right Netrunner starter decks printing route
There are three practical routes, and they solve different problems. Choose the route before preparing files so that you do not accidentally turn a simple starter-kit project into a full card-pool project.
Official System Gateway PDFs
Use the official System Gateway files when you want the canonical teaching pair. Null Signal provides A4 and US Letter downloads in 1× and 3× forms. The 1× download is the sensible choice for a self-contained learning kit; the 3× version supplies a full playset of the set for deckbuilding.
A 3× file is not the same thing as three ready-to-play copies of each starter deck. It is a playset-oriented resource. If your immediate goal is teaching two people, begin with the marked starter cards rather than sorting the entire playset into improvised decks.
NetrunnerDB Print & Play
For a custom decklist made from Null Signal cards, NetrunnerDB offers a Print & Play feature that can generate a deck PDF from a list. Null Signal announced this feature in July 2025. This is useful after learners graduate from the fixed teaching lists, but it introduces additional checks: card quantities, identity, influence, minimum deck size and current format legality.
Use the NetrunnerDB export and printing workflow if you are preparing a custom list and need to catch missing cards or accidental extras. A generated PDF answers “what should I print?” It does not by itself answer “is this list legal in the event or format I intend to play?”
A physical printing service
A printing service can replace home printing, cutting and assembly when you want finished physical cards. Netrunner Android states that its workflow accepts decklist imports and offers full-set printing, including System Gateway and System Update 2021. Check the live ordering page before relying on a particular import method, set option, material, price or turnaround, because those details can change.
This route should remain distinct from the official downloadable resource. Null Signal supplies the game files and product structure; a physical printing service produces unofficial physical copies from an available workflow. If you are still deciding between paper inserts and produced cards, compare the practical tradeoffs in print-and-play versus professionally printed cards. Broader printing resources can help with general production terminology, but the Netrunner-specific quantities and organization rules in this guide should control the project.
Prepare the files without mixing Runner and Corp cards
Create four clearly named groups before printing or cutting anything: Runner Starter, Corp Starter, Runner Booster and Corp Booster. Keep each identity at the front of its corresponding starter group. This small organizational step prevents the most disruptive assembly error: handing a new player a pile that is complete in total count but wrong for its side.
The official cards include bottom-edge marks that help reconstruct the product. Circles identify starter-deck copies, crosses identify advanced-booster copies, and unmarked cards sit outside the teaching decks. Use these marks as the primary sorting aid instead of judging cards by faction, artwork or apparent complexity.
Run this count before printing and again after cutting:
- Runner Starter: 30 deck cards and one identity.
- Corp Starter: 30 deck cards and one identity.
- Runner Booster: 10 cards, stored outside the starting deck.
- Corp Booster: 10 cards, stored outside the starting deck.
- No Corp cards in the Runner groups and no Runner cards in the Corp groups.
If you order or print multiple kits, count each kit independently. A grand total can conceal a shortage in one deck. From a teaching perspective, a missing economy card or extra piece of ICE changes the deck’s tempo and may make an intended lesson look like a strategic failure.
Print at the correct scale, then sleeve consistently
Select the PDF that matches your paper standard: A4 or US Letter. Print one test page at actual size before committing to the whole file. Disable options such as “fit to page” when they alter the intended scale, then place a cut test face against the backing card and sleeve you plan to use. The Netrunner card scaling guide explains how to diagnose cards that emerge too small or cropped.
System Gateway’s official print-and-play files contain full-color card faces, but they do not include card backs or bleed. Null Signal recommends opaque sleeves with standard-sized backing cards. Opaque sleeves matter because hidden information is part of the game: neither player should identify a card from its back, paper edge or insert position.
Use one backing-card type and one sleeve model throughout a deck. Consistency matters more than making every insert feel luxurious. A noticeably thin, warped or differently backed card can reveal information before it is drawn or accessed. For a more detailed assembly checklist, see the guide to opaque sleeves, backing cards and shuffle feel.
Cut consistently rather than chasing perfect borders on every face. Because the official PDFs do not provide bleed, minor cutting drift may expose white edges. That is usually a presentation issue, while inconsistent final size can become a handling and hidden-information issue.
When to add the advanced boosters
The advanced boosters are optional for the initial lesson. Add them when both players can complete turns without repeatedly checking the basic click structure and can explain the immediate purpose of a run or rezzed piece of ICE.
Treat the booster transition as a decision exercise. Ask each player which existing cards they would remove, what weakness the new cards address, and whether the change improves economy, pressure, defense or scoring. This turns the upgrade from “add the more complicated cards” into a first deckbuilding lesson about opportunity cost.
For a public teaching table, keep the basic lists unchanged and store boosters separately in labeled sleeves or dividers. That lets an organizer reset the kit quickly. For a regular pair of learners, you can preserve the original list on a card or printed inventory sheet before experimenting.
Starter decks are not a shortcut to format legality
Null Signal states that home-printed proxies are accepted at its organized-play events. That policy does not turn every teaching card or starter configuration into a legal constructed deck, and an unaffiliated local event may publish different practical requirements.
Supported card pools, bans and restrictions can change. Check the current format documentation before taking a deck to a Startup or Standard event. In particular, do not treat the tutorial identities or 30-card teaching lists as automatic proof of constructed legality.
If learners want to move from System Gateway lessons into constructed play, first choose the intended format, then build or select legal lists for that format. The comparison of Standard and Startup printing choices explains why making that decision before printing can prevent obsolete or unusable card purchases.
Store the kit so another person can reset it
A good teaching kit should be understandable without relying on the person who assembled it. Use four dividers matching the four print groups. Add a small inventory card listing the expected quantities, the source product, and the date the files were downloaded or printed.
- Place each identity in front of its 30-card starter deck.
- Store each 10-card booster behind a separate divider.
- Label the box as a teaching kit rather than a current tournament deck.
- Keep spare sleeves and backing cards with the kit.
- Save the source PDF or its download location so damaged cards can be replaced consistently.
If the collection later expands into multiple decks or a deckbuilding pool, separate ready-to-play teaching decks from loose building cards. The shared printed card-pool storage guide provides a scalable organization model for active decks, building stock, testing cards and archived material.
Common questions
Should I download the 1× or 3× System Gateway file?
Choose 1× for a basic teaching pair. Choose 3× when you want a full playset for deckbuilding, replacement stock or a larger shared pool.
Do identities count among the 30 cards?
No. Each teaching deck contains 30 cards, with its identity kept separately. That is why the basic Runner-and-Corp package contains 62 printed faces rather than 60.
Do I need to print card backs?
Not for the recommended insert method. The official files provide faces without backs, so use opaque sleeves and consistent standard-sized backing cards.
Are older Fantasy Flight Games starter products interchangeable with System Gateway?
Do not assume so. Older Android: Netrunner products belong to the discontinued Fantasy Flight Games era, while System Gateway is part of the modern community-supported game. Card pools, terminology and legality context can differ. Use the current System Gateway files when the goal is a current beginner experience.
The practical next step
Download the current System Gateway file for your paper size, print one test page, and assemble the two 31-face starter groups before touching the boosters. Sleeve them with identical backing cards, label all four groups, and play the basic lists as designed. Once both players understand how information, credits and tempo shape a run, add the boosters or move to a format-checked NetrunnerDB list.