"Counter program" Topic

I'm hoping not to re-invent the wheel here, does anyone have a template or something to download for making paper/cardboard counters? I'm talking about status counters (pinned, hidden, suppressed, etc) not unit counters like boardgames have (divisions, company, etc). I'm cutting out counters/chits for Mein Panzer and some of those would be useful for other games but I would like to also make custom ones I can cut out, instead of buying plastic ones.

I usually just use a word-processing program, and set up a table with the right dimensions, add the text, print onto a piece of colored paper and glue to some pasteboard, cut it out.

That's where I was going to start also. Years ago I found a page online where you could pull up icons and enter your own values for typical wargame counters that was pretty neat but it was units only.

I just use a drawing programme such as Libre Office Draw.

Print the counters on to a full sheet label so they stick without glue.

I use wooden counters from Litko and apply the labels to those. Just buy squares in the size counter you like.

Excel would be good, since you can put the data in the various cells easily, and outline them for easy cutout. Easier to modify the height and width of the cells, and any spacing between them, as well as to change font sizes, etc.

Print on paper, or better yet, thin cardstock, and then glue to thicker cardboard or mat board as desired.

Spray adhesive will probably be best, since white glue may be problematic, since it is wetter.

You can use the latter if you must, but use a piece of styrene or a plastic spatula to spread the glue evenly, and to ensure a thin coat.

I make all my counters and so on in Powerpoint as it uses real measurements and is easy to add/import images, like flags.

Thanks all for the ideas. I did some of the MP decals by using 3m spray adhesive on cardstock and cut out. Didn't think of powerpoint though, so time to test things.

I made a free extension for Inkscape for this, some 14 years ago, but still in development (I made a few minor improvements just the other day). There is a long thread on boardgamegeek about it here:

link

The documentation is here:
link

The included template for NATO counters also has some templates for simple markers in different styles with text and images in various ways. Here is an image showing all the included templates (but you can make new ones in a few seconds by just drawing something in Inkscape if you want your text in some other way, and of course colors and fonts can be modified to your liking):

(All the included example markers are 5/8 x 5/8 inches, but you can change to whatever size you prefer by just selecting a template and enter the new size in the little width and height input fields at the top of the Inkscape window. It does not require any advanced Inkscape editing skills.)

You describe your counters in a spreadsheet (what template to use, what text and/or images to put on it… colors you want to replace etc, whatever is needed) and then export that to a CSV file that is needed by the extension.

I could make a simple example of some markers and post later tonight if anyone is interested, just to show what the spreadsheet would look like. If OP or anyone else has some requests. Don't think I ever posted an example of markers specifically, so that could do for a nice addition to that documentation wiki. The counters and markers are described in some more detail on a page there btw (but might not be the best first page to read for someone that did not first learn the basics): link