TLDR
To print Old School 93 94 proxies as a coherent test deck, begin with a clean master list and define one visual standard before selecting card images. Decide how you will treat frames, art, borders, language, basics, and reprints. Separate the main deck, sideboard, tokens, and optional cards; assign an intended version to every entry; then inspect the complete preview before submitting the batch. Save the final list and version map so replacements and later revisions can match.
The difficult part is not producing a pile of recognizable cards. It is preventing a few modern frames, unintended art variants, missing sideboard cards, or mismatched basics from making an otherwise convincing Old School test deck feel improvised. Treat the deck as one controlled print project rather than a series of individual card selections.
How to print Old School 93 94 proxies consistently
Start by writing a one-sentence appearance rule for the project. Old School communities do not all use one universal rules or printing framework; organizers publish different card-pool and event policies. Pacific Old School and Eternal Central, for example, maintain their own frameworks. Your visual rule should therefore describe your deck, not claim to represent the only correct interpretation of the format.
A useful project rule might be: “Use the oldest available original-frame art I prefer, keep one language throughout, use matching basic lands, and use a clearly unofficial back.” Another player might choose white-bordered versions for accessibility or prioritize familiar art over the earliest printing. Either approach can produce a coherent test deck if it is applied deliberately.
- Frame rule: original-frame treatments only, or a precisely defined exception policy.
- Art rule: earliest art, personally preferred period art, or one consistent art selection per card.
- Border rule: black border, white border, or a planned mixture rather than accidental mismatches.
- Language rule: one language throughout, or a documented list of intentional foreign-language choices.
- Basic-land rule: one set, one artist, one border treatment, or another repeatable pattern.
- Back rule: use a clearly non-official presentation suitable for casual testing.
- Exception rule: record what to do when the preferred version is unavailable or difficult to read.
Do not postpone these choices until the order preview. If the visual standard exists only in your head, reviewing dozens of versions becomes slow and inconsistent. Put the rule at the top of the master list so another person could understand the intended deck without asking you to reconstruct every decision.
Build a master list before selecting versions
The master list is the authoritative record for the project. Clean it before importing anything. Preserve quantities, use exact card names, and keep different project sections separate. If your source is Moxfield, the same cleanup principles in this Moxfield decklist printing workflow apply: export the list, remove irrelevant annotations, preserve meaningful sections, and resolve uncertain entries before version selection.
Use separate headings or columns for the main deck, sideboard, basic lands, tokens or markers, and optional swap cards. Old School projects can be especially prone to “I assumed that was included” errors. A sideboard displayed on a deck page may not appear in a basic text export, while basic lands may have been omitted from the online list because the original builder considered them obvious.
| Master-list field | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Required copies in the relevant section | Prevents missing duplicates and accidental extras |
| Exact card name | Normalized name without personal shorthand | Improves import matching and manual auditing |
| Project section | Main deck, sideboard, basic, token, or swap card | Keeps the physical batch sortable |
| Preferred version | Set or edition plus another useful identifier | Reduces unintended art and frame changes |
| Visual note | Border, art, language, or other intentional choice | Explains selections that may otherwise look like errors |
| Fallback | Acceptable second choice or “stop and review” | Prevents silent substitutions |
| Status | Confirmed, unresolved, or omitted intentionally | Makes unfinished decisions visible |
After cleanup, calculate section totals independently. Then compare their sum with the total number of cards in the print project. This catches the common mistake of confirming the main deck count while forgetting that the sideboard, tokens, or spare testing cards also occupy physical slots.
Map every card to an intended printing
Card name alone is not enough when period aesthetics are the point. A search or import tool may surface multiple printings with different frames, art, borders, languages, or treatments. Review each distinct card at least once, even when the quantity is greater than one.
Alpha, Beta, Unlimited, Revised, and early-expansion versions can be treated as aesthetic choices in this workflow rather than as universal statements about what every Old School group accepts. Choose according to your written standard and the rules of the group where you intend to play. When two versions both fit, select one intentionally and record the reason in the project file.
- Import or enter the cleaned card names and quantities.
- Open the available versions for the first distinct card.
- Compare frame, art, border, language, and preview readability.
- Select the version that follows the project rule.
- Record the version identifier and any intentional exception.
- Repeat for every distinct card, including basics and sideboard cards.
- Run a separate filter or manual pass for unresolved entries.
Avoid using memory as the version database. Similar-looking editions can be easy to confuse in a small preview, and a familiar piece of art may appear in more than one treatment. Save the identifier exposed by the ordering interface, such as the set or edition and collector number when available, along with a plain-language visual note.
Proof the deck as a complete batch
PrintMTG describes a decklist-based workflow in which users submit a list, choose among available printings, and review names, quantities, art, and previews before submission. If you continue through a decklist printing workflow, treat the preview as the final editorial proof rather than a formality.
Review the batch in two directions. First, compare every previewed card against the master list. Second, scan the previews as a visual set. The first pass catches wrong names and quantities; the second catches a single modern-looking frame, an unintended border, inconsistent basics, or art that looked acceptable in isolation but clashes with the rest of the deck.
- The main-deck count matches the master list.
- The sideboard is present and remains a separate, sortable section.
- Every duplicate has the correct quantity.
- Every card uses the intended art, frame, border, and language.
- Basic lands follow the chosen visual rule.
- Tokens, markers, and optional swap cards are included only when intended.
- Small text and dark artwork remain readable in the available preview.
- Every card front is paired with the intended clearly non-official back.
- No unresolved or fallback version was accepted silently.
For a large gauntlet or Cube-sized project, a smaller validation batch can reduce the consequences of a repeated selection mistake. Choose samples that exercise the risky parts of the project: a dark card, a text-heavy card, each border treatment, each language, and any unusual frame or layout. The goal is not to prove that every future card will be identical; it is to test whether your preparation and selection rules produce the result you intended.
Plan gauntlets, group batches, and Cube modules separately
Several Old School decks can share a print run without becoming one unmanageable list. Give each deck a project code, preserve its internal sections, and add a sorting reference outside the card face. Do not merge identical card names unless you genuinely intend to maintain a shared card pool. Deduplication can save slots, but it can also create constant resleeving and make each deck incomplete.
For a testing gauntlet, decide whether staples belong to individual decks or a shared swap package. The repeatable competitive testing gauntlet workflow explains why list control and archiving matter when several decks change over time. If quantity planning is the immediate problem, compare one-deck and multi-deck organization before finalizing the batch with this deck and gauntlet quantity guide.
A Cube module needs another layer of control: its own list revision, category or color sorting plan, and change log. Record additions and removals as paired updates. Otherwise, a later reprint can accidentally restore a card that was intentionally cut or omit the replacement that took its place.
Check permission before treating the cards as playable
Proxy acceptance is separate from visual authenticity. Ask the organizer or playgroup what is permitted before preparing cards for an event. Pacific Old School, for example, states that proxies are prohibited at its events, while other groups may adopt different policies. Pacific Old School’s published rules
For sanctioned Magic play, the Wizards Magic Tournament Rules require genuine, publicly released Magic cards and generally do not allow player-created proxies. The rules provide limited circumstances in which a judge may issue a tournament proxy. Read the current Magic Tournament Rules before relying on a test card at a sanctioned event. Printed proxy-style cards should therefore be treated as casual or private playtest components unless the relevant organizer explicitly permits them.
Archive the project for changes and reorders
Do not archive only the original decklist. That preserves card names but loses the decisions that made the physical deck coherent. Save the cleaned list, section totals, version identifiers, appearance rule, exception notes, and final approval date together.
- A plain-text or spreadsheet master list with quantities and sections.
- The set, edition, or collector identifier used for every selected version.
- Notes for intentional border, art, or language exceptions.
- The exact basic-land selection and quantities.
- A list of tokens, markers, and optional swap cards.
- The final total and separate totals for each project section.
- A dated copy or export of the approved configuration, where available.
- A revision log for cards added, removed, or replaced later.
When the deck changes, create a new revision instead of overwriting the old one. A replacement batch can then be checked against the exact version that was previously approved. If an old selection is no longer available, the archive tells you which visual characteristics the replacement should preserve.
Frequently asked questions
Should every card use its earliest printing?
Not necessarily. “Earliest printing” is one possible visual rule, but it is not the only coherent one. You might prioritize original art, a particular border, readable text, one language, or printings accepted by your group. Define the hierarchy before selecting versions.
How should foreign-language cards be handled?
Use them intentionally. Record the language in the master list and confirm that everyone using the test deck can identify the card accurately. If only a few cards use another language, mark them as deliberate exceptions so they are not “corrected” during a later reorder.
Do I need to include tokens?
Include tokens or markers that make actual games easier, but keep them in a separate project section. They are deck accessories rather than replacements for missing main-deck cards. Record their quantities so a later revision does not add duplicates by accident.
Can I combine several decks in one batch?
Yes, provided each deck keeps a unique project code, independent count, and archived list. Decide in advance whether shared staples will be duplicated or stored in a common package. Do not let an ordering convenience destroy the ability to assemble each intended deck.
What if the preferred version is unavailable?
Use the fallback rule from the master list. That might mean choosing the same art in another old-frame treatment, accepting a different border, or pausing the card for manual review. Do not allow an automatic substitute to define the deck’s aesthetic by accident.
Final preflight
Before submitting the project, read the appearance rule once more and inspect the full batch against it. Confirm section totals, versions, basics, sideboard cards, tokens, language choices, backs, and every intentional exception. Then save the approved master list and version map. That final archive is what turns one successful Old School test deck into a project you can update, reproduce, and repair later.