Hello! Not only is this a question but also my introduction to this site. Please excuse any of my naivity or misspellings, I'm just a board game obsessed fourteen year old after all.
Anyway, I was curious if there was any way I could use software to design cards and distribute just among my friends. Something that would let me choose layouts, text and than load in hand-drawn art via scanner. Any help you could give would be greatly appreaciated!
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Hello and welcome!
There have been a lot of discussions regarding the use of programs to create card games. Some have even come close to what you're asking here. Check out the various threads in the Game Production forum for more details. They include posts from people that use common Microsoft programs (Access, Excel, and Word) and more powerful design and layout applications (Quark, FreeHand, Illustrator). I'm sure the information you're looking for is there.
Also, check out the downloads section for card templates in a variety of useful formats.
Once you get your game ready and printed, there are a variety of threads about finishing and preparing your game to distribute. The most notable and easy to use solution seems to be printing to 100# card stock on your printer, then laminating with a Xyron cold laminator. Cut the cards out with a rotary trimmer if you have access to one, then collate and distribute (there are even threads on the pros and cons of rounding the corners with craft corner rounding punches).
Good luck!