This tutorial details how to create one inch (1”) circular Infinity tokens that are durable, cheap, and best of all look great. I originally wrote these instructions for the Houston Area Infinity Facebook group, but I think others in the world at large might find them helpful as well. Some may have already seen or devised this method themselves. Many others have not, and this tutorial is for them.
Tools You Will Need
- A web-enabled device capable of executing a graphics application (such as the computer you are likely using to read this tutorial). I used Chrome as my browser.
- A robust graphics application capable of re-sizing, cutting, and pasting an electronic image
(such as Adobe Photoshop or GIMP – which is free – but not MS Paint.) These instructions assume the reader can perform rudimentary tasks with a selected graphics application, such as opening files and selecting, copying, and pasting images. This tools is optional if you just want to use the files I've provided. - Access to a color ink jet printer
- A sharp hobby knife, grip-backed ruler, and cutting pad, or a pair of sharp scissors
- A one inch diameter circle punch, available at craft stores.
Materials You Will Need
- Photo quality inkjet printer paper
- Enough color ink to print three full sheets of paper (if using your own printer)
- One inch diameter epoxy circle stickers used for bottle cap decorations, available at craft stores. You’ll need one for every marker you intend to make.
The first five steps detail how to create a print sheet of token images. I have provided the print sheets that I created at the end of this tutorial, so if you want to skip the process of creating your own print sheet and just use mine, skip to step six and see my pre-made files in the attachments to this tutorial.
Step 1
Open your graphics application and create a new blank canvas 1320 x 1020 pixels. (I used GIMP, and wrote this tutorial from that perspective.) It’s helpful to change the orientation of the canvas to landscape, but this is not necessary. It also helps to make the ruler and grid visible, but again is not necessary to do so.
Step 2
Open a browser (I used Chrome as my browser, and wrote this how-to from that perspective) on your computer or other web-enabled device that can run a graphics program and navigate to the downloads section of the Infinity website.
Step 3
Download (or rather open) one of the token (marker) sheets. They are in both .pdf and .jpg formats. The .jpg formats are much easier to work with and have more vibrant color, but alas not all of the tokens players need are in the .jpg format.
The orders token sheet is a good place to start.
Step 4
Copy and paste the image into the open GIMP file. Use cut, copy, paste, and move tools to arrange the token images in a grid of six by nine tokens. You will need to download multiple files from the Corvus Belli website and then cut, copy, and paste then token images until you have all the tokens you want in the amounts you want. Of course Infinity requires many tokens, and Corvus Belli keeps creating new ones, so more than one sheet may be necessary. In this case you obviously just create new GIMP files.
Step 5
Save your work in case you need to print more tokens, or if you need to create a similar token sheet in the future and would like a template. To print the file you must export it to an image format. I suggest exporting the image as a .png to keep the file size small and retain the image integrity and color.
Step 6
Now print the image on photo quality paper at 100% of the original image size if using GIMP. This should produce markers of exactly one inch (1”) diameter.
CAUTION: Do not get any moisture on the printed sheet. Even the smallest amount of liquid will smear the image, even hours after the print.
Step 7
Next, carefully cut the sheet into one-marker-wide strips using the hobby knife, gripped-back ruler, and cutting mat, or a sharp pair of scissors. (I feel that the knife and ruler are more precise, and after all the work I put into creating and printing the sheet, I didn’t want to chance the scissors.)
Step 8
Now hold the circle punch upside down and feed the strips through the punch. Center a marker in the punch and HIYAH! PUNCH IT!
Step 9
Lastly, peel off an epoxy circle and carefully apply it to a punched out marker, taking care to avoid touching the adhesive side with your fingers. (It was actually pretty easy to align the circle with the marker by holding the edges of the respective circles as pictured below, but if you do happen to misalign the circle you can peel it off and reapply it.)
Your Tokens Are Ready for Play!
Even though you can peel the paper from the epoxy at least once, they do not come off accidentally. These tokens are now safe from liquid splashes (but not immersion), are durable, and easy to tell when they are right side up because of their the convex shape. A special thanks to The Dude (a.k.a. El Duderino, He Who Abides) for the idea to use the epoxy circles.
Off to go find some in other sizes.
