Chip design. Where do I start? (1 Viewer)

[renegadegatorman]

Seeing all the unique and creative chips being designed is really inspiring and I'd like to try my hand at it. Only issue is I have no clue where and how to begin. Is there a series of threads to read to understand the basics or some other kind of tutorial? Are there design programs specifically for poker chips or is it pretty much all done on illustrator and inkscape?

 

[warma]

Peruse the PCF Chip DB, the ChipGuide, and various threads here showing off some great designs. I recommend you just explore and see what speaks to you- colors, spots, inlay elements. Do you like simple or complex? Vintage or modern? What color combinations do you like? Some great stuff that can really help inspire. Take note of what you like and don’t like. Take your time and let your tastes develop.

Get samples. There are multiple OEM chip vendors, plus resale vendors, plus folks here. You can buy your own new customs, vintage, used casino, used customs, used chips and replace the inlay…. Do you like high end plastics, cheap ceramics, expensive ceramics, clay? Minty with hard edges or broken in buttery? Having chips in hand and seeing them makes a huge difference.

Once you have a direction, start your engines. If you’re buying existing chips, start shopping and looking. If you’re going custom, you can hire a designer or do it yourself. I did a set in PowerPoint, another in Inkscape, and another in Curve (fka Vectornator). There are other options as well, including Adobe Illustrator.

How you go depends on you, what you like, and your budget.

 

[Colquhoun]

While there’s lots of software options out there, some vendors may require an Illustrator file, or may want to charge you a fee to convert the art from another app.
However, using a free software like Inkscape may be worth it, as Illustrator can be expensive for a one-time design, and it also has a learning curve.

For chip design, @eightyWon has created a great template of base chip and edgespot configurations that is extremely useful. You can download either the Illustrator file or a pdf in this thread:
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/thre...phics-useful-for-tina-anita-cards-mold.81302/

Best of luck!

 

[BPTDirector]

You can get some ideas from the Paulson design tool or the CPC design tool available here by going to the links portion of the site menu and then can pass them on to a designer for further refinement. Available designers are listed in resources.