Chitmunk Guides & Tutorials
Step-by-step walkthroughs and reference material to help you design better cards, merge data, and publish print-ready games.
Getting Started
6 guidesGetting Started
Open the editor, learn the interface, add your first elements, and save your project.
Read guide → BeginnerKeyboard Shortcuts
Complete reference for every keyboard shortcut in Chitmunk: editing, transform, canvas navigation, and more.
Read guide → BeginnerTemplates
Jump-start your design with 160+ built-in templates across 31 component sizes: Fantasy & RPG, Strategy & Euro, Tarot & Oracle, and more.
Read guide → BeginnerVersion History
Auto-save, checkpoints, restoring previous versions, and cloud sync.
Read guide → BeginnerDecks, Faces & Card Backs
Front and Back, one back for the whole deck, and several decks in one game.
Read guide → BeginnerManage Your Games
Rename, duplicate, back up, publish and delete your games from the game menu and Game details.
Read guide →Elements & Styling
8 guidesText Effects & Styling
Make card titles pop with outlines, drop shadows, glows, and gradients, plus one-click presets, curved text, and smart handling when text runs long.
Read guide → IntermediateImage Editing
Crop, tint, and frame your art without leaving the editor: filters, clip shapes, fit modes, borders, and shadows, all undoable at any time.
Read guide → IntermediateShapes & Decorations
Add rectangles, ellipses, stars, polygons, and 17 more shape types. Supports fills, gradients, patterns, strokes, and shadows.
Read guide → BeginnerTables & Stat Blocks
Add data tables and stat blocks to your cards with header styling, alternating row colors, and CSV binding.
Read guide → BeginnerQR Codes
Add QR codes to your cards with custom data, CSV binding for unique codes per card, and color customization.
Read guide → IntermediateIcon Repeater
Repeat icons based on CSV data: health pips, star ratings, resource costs. Supports grid layout, fractional icons, and inline syntax.
Read guide → BeginnerClip Art Browser
Find the right icon in seconds: 275K+ free icons, a full board game art pack, and tiling patterns, all searchable without leaving the editor.
Read guide → IntermediateCustom Fonts
Browse 100+ Google Fonts or upload your own font files to give your game a look nobody else has.
Read guide →Data & Automation
5 guidesCSV Data Merge
Generate unique cards from spreadsheet data. Use template syntax, conditional visibility, and image bindings.
Read guide → IntermediateData Mode
Edit your CSV data side-by-side with a live card preview in the built-in Data Mode spreadsheet editor.
Read guide → AdvancedConditional Logic
Use conditional visibility and text transforms to create smart cards that show different content per CSV row.
Read guide → AdvancedAI Image Generation
Describe the art you want and the Acorn Cauldron paints it: AI card art without leaving the editor.
Read guide → BeginnerThe Acorn Cauldron
Generate unique AI card art for your entire deck from one recipe.
Read guide →Design Tools
7 guidesLayers & Groups
Manage element ordering, visibility, and locking. Group elements, create master elements for every card, and build reusable symbols.
Read guide → AdvancedAlignment & Layout
Align, distribute, and transform elements with precision. Covers alignment tools, distribution, match size, blend modes, anchor points, and more.
Read guide → IntermediateAdvanced Tools
Eyedropper, measurement tool, ruler guides, context menu, style copy and paste, and the print-shop template overlay.
Read guide → IntermediateParametric Generators
39 ready-made game components: grids, tracks, spinners, tech trees, maps, and more. Drop one on your card, tweak the settings, and it redraws instantly.
Read guide → BeginnerChange Card Size
Switch a deck to a new size and let Magic Resize scale your design, then check it in Proof.
Read guide → IntermediateDeck Style, Colors & Text Styles
One frame, one palette, and saved text styles that update every card at once.
Read guide → BeginnerDesign on a Tablet
Touch gestures, slide-over panels, and saving and exporting from a tablet.
Read guide →Specialized Designers
5 guidesDice Designer
Design custom dice with pip, number, and icon face modes. Style each face independently and bind values from CSV data.
Read guide → IntermediateBooklet Designer
Create multi-page folded booklets: rulebooks, player aids, and reference guides. Manage pages, spine binding, and print layout.
Read guide → IntermediateBox Designer
Design tuck boxes, hook boxes, and rigid boxes. Side-by-side top/bottom view, TGC overlay templates, and 3D fold-map preview.
Read guide → IntermediateDocument Designer
Multi-page flat documents for rulebooks, player aids, and reference sheets. Ruler-guide margins and master elements that repeat on every page.
Read guide → IntermediateDial Designer
Design game dials by hand: build segments with shapes and text, then use the rotation preview to check reveal windows for action selection and stat tracking.
Read guide →Playtesting & Analytics
2 guidesPlaytest Simulator
Virtual tabletop for playtesting your game designs. Manage decks, place tokens, define snap zones, and track game state with full undo.
Read guide → AdvancedBalance Analytics
Analyze keyword frequency, detect duplicates, visualize balance heatmaps, and surface design insights from your card data.
Read guide →Publishing
7 guidesExport & Validation
Export cards as PNG, JPEG, WebP, PDF, Tabletop Simulator spritesheets, or Print-at-Home PDF. Run the built-in design validator before you export.
Read guide → IntermediatePrint-Ready Checklist
Understand bleed zones, safe zones, validation checks, and export settings for professional print results.
Read guide → IntermediateTGC Upload
Upload your entire project directly to TheGameCrafter for print-on-demand production.
Read guide → IntermediateGoogle Sheets sync
Link a Google Sheet to your cards and refresh it when your data changes.
Read guide → BeginnerPrint at Home
Print and cut your prototype at home: fronts or both sides, line up the backs, cut lines and copies.
Read guide → BeginnerChitmunk Cloud
Save and open your games anywhere, move a game online, and restore from the trash.
Read guide → IntermediateShare a Game
Invite people by email, choose who can view or edit, and turn links off when you are done.
Read guide →Ready to design your first card?
Open the editor, sign in, and pick a template. It's free to try.
Start Designing →