I Needed a Faster Way to Make VTT Tokens for DnD, So I Built a Local-First Token Maker

吴sir — Tue, 19 May 2026 09:57:28 +0000

I built a simple token maker for my DnD and VTT workflow
Tags: dnd, webdev, gamedev, tooling
Making tokens for a tabletop campaign should not take that long.
But if you run DnD games, you probably know the small routine:
• find character art
• open an image editor
• crop the face or body
• add a border
• resize it
• export a PNG
• repeat it for every NPC, monster, boss, and player character
Doing this once is fine. Doing it for a full encounter is annoying.
That is why I built a small browser tool for this workflow:
Token Maker: https://www.tokenmaker.one/
It is a free VTT token maker for DnD, Roll20, Foundry VTT, and Owlbear.

The problem I wanted to solve

Most image tools are too broad for this job.
They can make tokens, of course, but they are not built around the actual tabletop workflow.
When I am preparing a session, I usually do not want a full design tool. I just want to:

upload character art
place it inside a frame
adjust the crop
export a transparent PNG
move on to the next token That repeated flow is the real problem. The tool does not need to be complicated. It just needs to remove the boring steps. ## What the tool does Token Maker is focused on VTT token creation. The current workflow is simple:
Drop an image into the editor
Choose a border or style
Adjust the image scale and position
Pick an export size
Download the PNG token It supports different token shapes and borders, including circular, square, and polygon-style tokens. The export is a transparent PNG, which works well for virtual tabletop platforms. ## Why I made it local-first For this kind of tool, I wanted the workflow to feel quick. You should be able to open the page, drop in an image, make the token, and export it. • No heavy setup. • No long design process. • No need to turn a small token task into a full graphics project. That is also why the editor is built around one main workspace instead of spreading the workflow across several steps. ## Where this helps I think this is most useful for: • DnD character tokens • NPC tokens • monster tokens • boss encounter tokens • quick campaign prep • Roll20 and Foundry VTT games • token pack preparation It is especially helpful when you need several tokens at once. One token is not a big deal. Twenty tokens is where the small time savings start to matter. ## A few details I cared about ### Fast preview When making a token, you need to quickly see if the face, weapon, or character pose fits inside the frame. A slow preview makes the whole process feel worse. ### Different border styles A plain ring works for many tokens, but not every token should look the same. A rogue, a mage, an undead creature, and a dragon boss usually need different visual treatment. ### Transparent PNG export This matters for VTT use. Transparent PNG tokens are easier to place on different maps and backgrounds. ### Simple controls The tool should not feel like Photoshop. For most token work, scale, position, border, style, and export size are enough. ## What I learned while building it Small tools are often useful because they are specific. This is not trying to replace a design app. It is just trying to make one repeated tabletop task faster. That is the kind of product I enjoy building: not huge, not over-designed, just focused on one workflow that people actually repeat. If you make tokens for DnD, Roll20, Foundry VTT, or Owlbear, you can try it here:Making tokens for a tabletop campaign should not take that long. But if you run DnD games, you probably know the small routine: find character art open an image editor crop the face or body add a border resize it export a PNG repeat it for every NPC, monster, boss, and player character Doing this once is fine. Doing it for a full encounter is annoying. That is why I built a small browser tool for this workflow: Token Maker | https://www.tokenmaker.one/ It is a free VTT token maker for DnD, Roll20, Foundry VTT, and Owlbear. The problem I wanted to solve Most image tools are too broad for this job. They can make tokens, of course, but they are not built around the actual tabletop workflow. When I am preparing a session, I usually do not want a full design tool. I just want to: 1.upload character art 2.place it inside a frame 3.adjust the crop 4.export a transparent PNG 5.move on to the next token That repeated flow is the real problem. The tool does not need to be complicated. It just needs to remove the boring steps. What the tool does Token Maker is focused on VTT token creation. The current workflow is simple: 6.Drop an image into the editor 7.Choose a border or style 8.Adjust the image scale and position 9.Pick an export size 10.Download the PNG token It supports different token shapes and borders, including circular, square, and polygon-style tokens. The export is a transparent PNG, which works well for virtual tabletop platforms. Why I made it local-first For this kind of tool, I wanted the workflow to feel quick. You should be able to open the page, drop in an image, make the token, and export it. No heavy setup. No long design process. No need to turn a small token task into a full graphics project. That is also why the editor is built around one main workspace instead of spreading the workflow across several steps. Where this helps I think this is most useful for: DnD character tokens NPC tokens monster tokens boss encounter tokens quick campaign prep Roll20 and Foundry VTT games token pack preparation It is especially helpful when you need several tokens at once. One token is not a big deal. Twenty tokens is where the small time savings start to matter. A few details I cared about Fast preview When making a token, you need to quickly see if the face, weapon, or character pose fits inside the frame. A slow preview makes the whole process feel worse. Different border styles A plain ring works for many tokens, but not every token should look the same. A rogue, a mage, an undead creature, and a dragon boss usually need different visual treatment. Transparent PNG export This matters for VTT use. Transparent PNG tokens are easier to place on different maps and backgrounds. Simple controls The tool should not feel like Photoshop. For most token work, scale, position, border, style, and export size are enough. What I learned while building it Small tools are often useful because they are specific. This is not trying to replace a design app. It is just trying to make one repeated tabletop task faster. That is the kind of product I enjoy building: not huge, not over-designed, just focused on one workflow that people actually repeat. If you make tokens for DnD, Roll20, Foundry VTT, or Owlbear, you can try it here: Token Maker - Free VTT Token Maker | https://www.tokenmaker.one/ I am still improving the border styles, token templates, and batch workflow. If you run VTT games and have suggestions, I would be interested to hear what would make token prep faster for you.

Publishing checklist
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Token Maker - Free VTT Token Maker: https://www.tokenmaker.one/
I am still improving the border styles, token templates, and batch workflow.
If you run VTT games and have suggestions, I would be interested to hear what would make token prep faster for you.

my site

吴sir — Tue, 05 May 2026 08:05:26 +0000

This is my game site: https://www.samuraisudoku.pro 
This is my tool site: https://www.tokenmaker.one

DEV Community: 吴sir

I Needed a Faster Way to Make VTT Tokens for DnD, So I Built a Local-First Token Maker

The problem I wanted to solve

my site