Trimmed Borders/Altered Decks Index

[foolMoon]

hmmm cool~ I would like to give a try one day.

Has anyone used a pair of scissors to trim their decks? Or are the corner trimmers and trimming tools a must for the process?

 

[rwcarter]

hmmm cool~ I would like to give a try one day.

Has anyone used a pair of scissors to trim their decks? Or are the corner trimmers and trimming tools a must for the process?

I've used very sharp scissors for the couple of decks that I've trimmed. You want the scissors to be long enough to be able to cut the long side of the cards in a single cut. To help facilitate that, cut along the top and bottom first to shorten the length of the sides. You can then round the corners or not.

Rodney

 

[AJ]

I created a thread for trimming tools:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=234568

and another for edging/gilding/blinging:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=234582

The threads listed above were getting kind of old, so I decided to make those in order that we could all share details and tips over there. What do you guys think?

Thanks, original post altered to show your new threads.

I trim my cards just like Rodney does. Long scissors, top and bottom first.

 

[FLizarraga]

I bought a cheap Conver Marseille and would like to trim off the white borders. Should I round the corners or not? I noticed Gregory thought corner rounding was a bad idea on a Marseille.
Why is that and what would you all recommend. Are square corners the traditional production style for old Marseille decks?

Gregory's opinion should always be listened to.

Marseille decks were traditionally square-cornered. That said, to stick to tradition or break with it is a matter of personal preference. Personally I round the corners of any Marseille deck I get if there's a white border, and sometimes even if there isn't.

If you want to keep your corners square but don't want them to hurt your fingers, you can gently blunt the points card by card using fine or ultra fine grit sandpaper. I did it to a trimmed Thoth and it worked great.

A sort of compromise is to use a 2.5mm corner rounder. The corners stay just square enough for visual effect.

 

[FLizarraga]

I've used very sharp scissors for the couple of decks that I've trimmed. You want the scissors to be long enough to be able to cut the long side of the cards in a single cut. To help facilitate that, cut along the top and bottom first to shorten the length of the sides. You can then round the corners or not.

Rodney

What Rodney says. The longer and sharper the scissors, the better.

Sometimes you can't cut top and/or bottom (like in the Tarot of the Sidhe I'm trimming for a friend) if you want to keep titles and/or keywords, but even then long scissors make your life so much easier.

 

[Nemia]

I use dressmaker's scissors (which are of course not to be used on fabrics afterwards). They are heavy, sharp and large. The heaviness is important, too - you have much more control over heavy scissors. Take your time, sit comfortably, keep your elbows on the table for stability, and remember: when cutting, we move the thing to be cut, NOT the scissors. The scissors are best kept steady. At least this is what works for me (old art teacher speaking).

 

[FLizarraga]

Take your time, sit comfortably, keep your elbows on the table for stability, and remember: when cutting, we move the thing to be cut, NOT the scissors. The scissors are best kept steady. At least this is what works for me (old art teacher speaking).

THIS.

 

[Madrigal]

Gregory's opinion should always be listened to.

Marseille decks were traditionally square-cornered. That said, to stick to tradition or break with it is a matter of personal preference. Personally I round the corners of any Marseille deck I get if there's a white border, and sometimes even if there isn't.

If you want to keep your corners square but don't want them to hurt your fingers, you can gently blunt the points card by card using fine or ultra fine grit sandpaper. I did it to a trimmed Thoth and it worked great.

A sort of compromise is to use a 2.5mm corner rounder. The corners stay just square enough for visual effect.

I'm back and forth with this on my Madenie. The sharp corners are an ouch not only for the hands but the eyes as well and yet...tradition and all that.

I finished trimming my LotD. It turned out well but the black-bleed meant I couldn't do away with that shadowy feeling completely which is what I had originally wanted to do. Some of the cards though look fantastic, the Hermit, the Moon, the Star and lots of the Swords. Thanks, rylla, for the kudos.

I use a rotary cutter and 5mm corner rounder.

 

[Marcus R]

Thanks Flizarraga.
I was thinking of a 2mm rounder if possible just to take the sharpness off. Thinking the corners will suffer if not treated. I have great respect for Gregory's opinions.

 

[foolMoon]

Thank you all for great advice.

I think I will try to trim the Druidcraft deck, as it is quite large size, and querents have difficulty in shuffling.