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Hello folks. I did a search and did not see a how-to guide for this. This isn't a technique for people who build fancy paper models. This is an illustrated guide to making dirt-cheap paper minis for players and GMs who have limited time, limited budgets, and limited hand-eye coordination. This is for folks who want something presentable for a table top RPG that they can quickly produce en masse.
Materials Needed:
Color printer
Card stock – the heaviest stuff your printer can run
Art – Get the artist's permission, or use something open source
Photo editing program
Glue stick
Hobby knife
Skills Needed:
Very light image manipulation
Time:
Ten minutes if you take your time
Now, Paizo's paper minis are extremely cheap and easy to assemble, so really consider using them if you're on an adventure path. Other companies do make paper minis, though they tend to be either the ugly as sin tri-folds or else a pain to assemble. These minis are designed so you can use any art you have the rights to use, so they are extremely easy to assemble, and so they aren't bad looking on the table.
I will be working with this image.
She doesn't have a purpose yet: maybe she's a druid seer who has given herself over entirely to some animal shape, or an an animal spirit or a strange tribe.
I am using 225 gm/m^2 card stock, which is pretty thick.
Step 1: Find an image.
We've already got one. Artist: Laura Siadak, used with permission, all rights reserved, etc. Her gallery is at Fallen Lights. Yes, that was a shameless plug. Warning, not all her art is safe for work or appropriate for minors.
Step 2: Open the image in your photo-editor.
I'm using an old version of Photoshop CS. Every feature I'm using is extremely basic and should be on all versions of PS. If you happen to have another program, you'll need to adjust your technique.
Step 3: Resize the image.
Set your background color to Black and White, then resize the image. Since this creature will be Large Size, I will set the Width to two inches. You should use the size of the creature you are creating - for example, a 1 inch width for a medium PC. You may have to crop an image in order to make it fit. I will also save the image at 300 pixels per inch, since I want to preserve as much detail as I can for when I print this.
Step 4: Adjust the canvas size
Now you need to adjust the canvas size. I double the canvas size, allowing the black background to show through. Because I want to create a two-sided image, I will select the box on the bottom, so the image goes on the bottom and I have a second, equally-spaced blank image up to. Double the size by increasing the height to 200%. Leave the width alone.
Step 5: Select the background with the magic wand tool and then select inverse. Then, copy the image, paste the image, then slide the image over the background.
The PS shortcuts once you're done with the Magic Wand are CTRL-C, CTRL-V, and CTRL-T for “Transform.” You can also select Edit: Transform.
Step 6: Flip it, then blow it up again.
Select Edit: Transform: Flip Vertical. (You should be on the duplicated part.) This will flip the image again. Now I will adjust the canvas size one last time. Since the creature is large, I want the base to be two-by-two. That means I want to add two images to the canvas height, while leaving the modified image in the center. Use the same tool to edit the canvas size, but this time just add two inches (1 inch for medium/small creatures, 3 inches for 3x3 space, etc).
It should look like this before you expand the canvas...
Then:
end up like this
Step 7: Decorate the black space (Optional)
You can decorate that base if you want, but I believe flat black can go anywhere without looking strange.
Step 8: Print on cardstock and cut out. You can certainly arrange multiple images on one page. A really easy way to do that is to import the images into MS Word or a similar program, then arrange them. I won't be doing that during this tutorial.
A yellow-tan card stock really fits thematically with the colors I use, so that's what you'll see. Forgive the poor image quality; my phone's camera leaves a lot to be desired.
Step 9: Score your image on the midline and the medial part of both bases with a hobby knife. Fold the middle inwards and the bases out.
Almost done – gluing is the last step
Step 10: Glue the middle two pieces together. Glue scrap cardstock to the base to hold it together.
The last bit of cardstock secures the base
That's it. There are great ways to create much more fanciful paper minis, but this seems to be one of the easiest ways to get the job done. It also means you can use any art you have the rights to and are not limited to designs you buy or find. Hope this helps.
Paper mini on a Paizo battlemat
As you can see, this particular mini fits perfectly on scale for a large-size creature. By adjusting the width and the amount you expand the canvas in Step 6, you can scale for any creature.
I find that if you need medium minis and don't care to do a little extra work, cutting the bases to be round and using cheap glue to attach them to quarters works great. They come right off when you need your change back. XD
I prefer a heavier base on my paper minis than a second piece of cardstock, but I can attest that this method works.
Foghammer: You are definitely giving a solid tip. Washers work well, too. Almost all my resin/metal minis for a certain notoriously expensive skirmish game have washers from the local hardware store glued to the bottom, which has saved many a model from a long plunge off the table and into a shattered mess. Quarters are for shot glasses!
I use square bases for this because it's easier for most photo-editing software to do a rectangular canvas and those are easier to cut out quickly.