The B.O.T.A. Tarot -- covering over those backs!

I'm a B.O.T.A. student currently in the process of coloring in my own deck -- I got a 4" by 7" set of the Majors which is coming along great!

I love the group and the lessons and all, but I absolutely hate the backs they put on their cards, with the address and phone... So distracting. It is true that you can't really shuffle the cards due to the board from which they are made, but I'm wondering if anyone has been successful in somehow covering over these backs with decoupage, paint, etc.

I'd like to know what has been successful before altering the cards on which I spent so many loving hours!

For What It's Worth

I have an old version that I colored many, many years ago. I have considered this and this is what I'd like to do, but I haven't tried it yet:

Come up with a colorful pattern that is non-specific enough to use as a deck backing. For example take a digital photo of a bunch of flowers and cut out a section that is the same size as the tarot cards.

Carefully print these on a color printer using good paper.

Carefully cut out the backings.

VERY carefully gluing (with perhaps dry mount or glue stick) the backings onto the cards.

Then when all cards are done laminate them for keeping - that way you can shuffle them if you want.

Anyway, don't go and try this because I haven't tried it yet. The reason I want to try glueing a second piece of paper on the back is because with a lot of art media the original image will still be visible even after coloring over it.

alec...

Could you spray paint them? I've often wondered this!

If you don't want to glue a separate piece of paper to the back Perhaps you could tape down each card with masking tape all around the edge, so a little less than 1/4 inch is under tape all the way around making a border and then cover the backs with printing ink with a roller. Paint might work but I'm thinking printing ink might cover the writing better as it is fairly thick. Let it dry well before taking the tape off. The tape is to prevent any ink from getting on the fronts of the cards.

-Myrrha

Here is my planned process:

- I have scanned the cards, hi-res, colouring them in Photoshop;
- I place 4 cards on each A4 page, with a black background (border), and colour print;
- spraymount this sheet onto thicker cardboard;
- spraymount a nice textured/patterned paper (probably a black matte giftwrap with a silver pattern) on the back;
- cut out the cards and round the corners with a special cutter;
- spray lacquer on the front, and possibly also on the back, we'll see; this will not only protect the colours but also bind the layers and strengthen it overall;
- I hope that it won't be necessary to laminate.

This is only for the Keys/trumps. So, I'm basically bypassing the physical cards completely so as not having to deal with the back. (Btw. I am also printing a deck on watercolour paper, otherwise following the same steps, and hand painting it, so the digital colouring is just incidental.)

Wow -- That sounds really nice -- But I don't have the materials or (I'm afraid) the artistic coordination required for scanning, mounting, cutting, etc.

I do like the idea of using tape to create a protective border, and then filling in the rest of the card. However, I think I'd use a dry kind of painter's tape to mount the card to a piece of cardboard or something... Masking tape would stick to the card and then ruin it when you try taking the tape off.

I may actually try that when my deck is all colored in... Thanks!