A mixed batch of custom playing cards

[variantventures]

I got these test decks from the printer.  The card backs (with a green standard poker deck for comparison)


The card fronts.


From left to right I have:
-A simplified version of the Topkapi/Mamluk cards from the 12th-15th Centuries.  I went with a decorated back rather than leaving it blank as the original cards were.  Why?  Blank was too boring.  These came out very nicely and I'm very happy with these.
-The next big deck and the two mini-decks in front of it are reproductions of the Moorish/Barcelona/Wintle deck from the 15th Century.  You're looking at the ace of coins.  The tarot size deck I'm happy with.  The mini-decks not so much.  There's just too much white-space.  I love the colors on the one mini-deck though.  I tried different variations on the backs on these cards and like both of the patterned backs.  I was right about the blank back being too boring.
-The last mini-deck is based on a Swiss deck from the 15th Century.  The mini-deck is the actual size the original cards were so that worked out well.  You're looking at the ace of acorns (Swiss suits varied and included: hawks, bells, crowns, flowers, shields, acorns and more) which a proper Swiss deck wouldn't have had but I added aces to this deck to increase the number of games that could be played.  The back is historically accurate, though not for the particular deck this design was based on.  Again, blank is boring.  I messed up the back by not extending the design far enough.  I'll fix that in future prints.  You can't see them in this picture but I messed up the courts.  They are far too sloppy so I'm going to have to re-do them.  Oh well.

Several months of work with more work to go.  At least I'm having fun.

[Don Boyer]

Who is making your test decks and how happy are you with the quality and handling of the cards?

[variantventures]

I have PrinterStudio make the cards.  I've worked with them and Arts Cow in the past and have always been happy with PrinterStudio.  I plan to give MPC.com a try in the near future and see if the price difference is reflected in a superior card.  Following the PrinterStudio templates gives consistent results.  I will note that PrinterStudio (and Arts Cow) cards tend to have a duller, more matte finish to them.  This is a drawback when producing cards for the modern card collectors market, but it's actually a bonus where producing cards for historical card collectors is concerned.  One of the mini-decks had a smear where the ink hadn't dried before going over a roller.  This was a minor issue for the deck concerned and, of course, you get what you pay for.  So far as handling goes, I'm not a magician or cardist (I'm an amateur historian) so I don't feel qualified to give an opinion on that.  They shuffle well enough to be played with and they don't stick together when I deal them and that's about as far as I'm prepared to go.