What is the Michi Method?
The Michi Method is a way of decorating a binder page. Instead of one card per pocket, you take one big piece of art, cut it into card-sized pieces, and slide each piece into its own pocket. Look at the page and the pockets line up into one picture: a full-page Umbreon, a skyline behind your Eeveelutions, a 2×2 banner in the corner of a set page.
Most people mix it with real cards. A 2×2 block of art with cards around it, or a 3×1 strip across the top of each page as a header for the cards below.
The fiddly part is the math. Every piece has to be exactly card size, the art has to be cropped to the right shape for the number of pockets, and the pieces have to come out of the printer in an order you can follow. That's the part this planner does for you.
How to make a Michi Method page
- Pick your pocket layout. Most binders use 9-pocket pages (3×3). 12-pocket (3×4) and 4-pocket pages work too, as long as the pockets fit standard-size cards.
- Plan your cards. Search for a card below the binder and drag it into a pocket, or tap it to drop it in the next empty one. Choose a set to browse it in order, and use Add all to lay a whole set out across pages.
- Merge pockets for your art. Turn on Michi Method and drag across the empty pockets you want to use. Any rectangle works: 2×1, 2×2, or a whole 3×3 page.
- Add and crop your image. The crop box is already locked to the right shape. Dotted lines show where each pocket's edge will fall, so you can keep faces and text away from the cuts.
- Print and cut. Export the PDF, print it at actual size, and trim along the marks. Each piece is 2.5 × 3.5 in (63.5 × 88.9 mm), the same size as a real card.
- Put it in your binder. Pieces from one block print together, row by row, left to right. Turn on piece labels if you want each piece to say which pocket it goes in.
Printing tips
- Print at 100% or "Actual size". "Fit to page" shrinks everything slightly, so the pieces come out smaller than your cards. If your printer is still a little off, use Printer calibration to nudge or scale the sheet.
- Use heavier paper. Regular printer paper curls and looks thin next to real cards. Matte photo paper or cardstock around 200–300 gsm (about 75–110 lb cover) holds up much better.
- Start with a big image. A 3×3 block prints at 7.5 × 10.5 in, so a small screenshot will look soft. The planner warns you when an image is likely to print blurry.
- Use a paper trimmer if you have one. Turn on trimmer lines and line the blade up with them. Scissors work fine with the corner marks.
- Sleeve thin pieces. A piece in a standard sleeve (about 66 × 91 mm) sits snugly in the pocket. Slip a bulk common behind it if it needs to be stiffer.
Planning a binder without Michi art
You don't have to use the Michi Method at all. The planner works as a regular binder layout tool: map out a master set page by page, try a rainbow or single-Pokémon binder before you buy pages, or check how many pages a set will need. Every card has a See on eBay link for the ones you're missing.
When a page looks right, Save page as image gives you a PNG to share or keep as a checklist.
Questions
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Your binder and images stay in your browser on this device. We don't get a copy. Clearing your browser data deletes them, so download the project file if you want a backup or want to carry on from another computer.
Will the pieces fit my binder pockets and sleeves?
Yes. Pieces are standard Pokémon card size, so anything a real card fits in, a piece fits in too.
Why don't the cards I added print?
Cards from search are there to plan your layout, so only your own Michi images print by default. Turn on Also print database cards if you want printed stand-ins while you plan.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. Tap a card to add it, or press and hold to drag it. Printing is easier from a computer.
Is it free?
Yes. No account or sign-up.