Hi Runners! As we get ready for the release of Parhelion I wanted to share a quick update on how we are planning to handle print-and-play (PNP) files of our product sets.
Context
Before the release of Midnight Sun we were made aware of a project in which our PNP files were being used to add bleed to the cards and printed professionally through services like MakePlayingCards. The ingenuity on display caught us by surprise, and we reacted by uploading lower-quality PNP files for the release of Midnight Sun, effectively halting this project’s ability to continue exploiting our PNPs. At Null Signal Games, our thinking has always been that PNP files were designed for at-home printing to allow players to make proxies, and not for cards to be printed professionally. This thinking is still true, but my reaction might not have been the correct one.
The Problem
The problem with my hasty decision to upload lower-quality PNP files is that many people who use the PNP files are effectively getting a lower-quality product despite using them in the way that we intended, by printing at home. Over the past months I’ve personally wrestled with the frustration of seeing a piece of work we’ve expended great effort on be misused, and our efforts to protect it be circumvented. But, ultimately, we decided that allowing the actions of a few to affect the experience of many more community members was not acceptable.
Solution
After months of internal debate and insightful conversations with team members at NSG, we have decided to release all PNP sets at 300 dpi. We will be going back and making sure all previous sets are exported at 300 dpi as well. We’ve heard your feedback and frustration, and hope that this small step helps make things right, and that you continue to support us by buying our physical cards if you are able to.
