The latest printing of the Universal Waite

Out of focus

Just received the standardsized Universal Waite (Isbn 1572815612, blue box with a spreadsheet). Compared to the pocketversion the printing is a catastrophy. The vibrant colours are gone, fx the Hermit is no longer standing in the dark of night but in the early gloom of the morning. Now I don’t mind a certain paleness. But please, there is absolutely no focus whatsoever in the cards. It looks like a really bad scan to me, with all details gone. Even the copyright (2004) is blurred! Did I get a bad copy or is this the standard of the US games printing? Was the earlier version (isbn 0880794968) just as bad?

Wow my new copy wasn't bad like that at all! Perhaps you got a bad deck...printing batch? Perhaps write USG and ask for a replacement?

While my copy is paler (but still gorgeous colouring) than the pocket size, it's not blurry or washed out like that.

My head is spinning trying to keep track of all this...

Being a friend and client of The Tarot School for over a decade, I've been using the UW for at least that long. I had a couple of the gold box decks that over time got broken and consolidated. Decks have to get to a certain point before they're worn out with me, and I hadn't gotten to that point, but a few months ago I was working with a friend's deck and was just floored at how vibrant the colors were. I thought it may have been just me, but nay, not so!

So when we were in Powell's in Portland over Christmas, I bought a new one. It's glorious. It's ISBN 0880794968.

And now there's a pocket version -- I was hoping there was. I bought a pocket regular Waite deck for travel (also at Powells) but was hoping there was a pocket UW. It really is my preferred deck.

Just to confirm: I have UW as well, ISBN 0880794968, and the colors are beautiful...

6 Haunted Days said:

Wow my new copy wasn't bad like that at all! Perhaps you got a bad deck...printing batch? Perhaps write USG and ask for a replacement?

While my copy is paler (but still gorgeous colouring) than the pocket size, it's not blurry or washed out like that.

Click to expand...

Ok, thanx. Good to know there is a decent UW out there as well.

tapestry said:

Just to confirm: I have UW as well, ISBN 0880794968, and the colors are beautiful...

Click to expand...

Judging from the ISBN this is the one I have as well, and have had for some time (not sure how long, but four years at least?). The copyright on mine is 1990 for the cards, and 1991 for the LWB.

The colours seem fairly strong and I can see the crayon marks, but I do not have a 'pale' one to compare it with. They don't look quite as strong as the scans of the pocket one that have been printed.

It is in a gold coloured box with the Queen of Pentacles on one side, and was printed in Belgium.

Aerin

I've been thinking of buying the UW, and as a new-new deck, rather than a as-new deck off eBay or Amazon marketplace. However, having read this thread I'm not so sure (and I'm also mildly confused ). The UW scans I saw that caught my eye were the ones on AT's page: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/universal-waite/

Now I know that different scanners can reproduce the same image two different ways (hope I'm making sense here), and I was wondering whether anybody knew if the AT scans are from the older pale version or the newer vibrant one?

Ideally I'd like to get a standard size deck with the same colouring and back as the one on AT, if possible, and the scans I've seen in this thread look a bit too vibrant for my liking - the pastels were what attracted me. Does anyone know if this is possible?

Vixxia said:

I've been thinking of buying the UW, and as a new-new deck, rather than a as-new deck off eBay or Amazon marketplace. However, having read this thread I'm not so sure (and I'm also mildly confused ). The UW scans I saw that caught my eye were the ones on AT's page: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/universal-waite/

Now I know that different scanners can reproduce the same image two different ways (hope I'm making sense here), and I was wondering whether anybody knew if the AT scans are from the older pale version or the newer vibrant one?

Ideally I'd like to get a standard size deck with the same colouring and back as the one on AT, if possible, and the scans I've seen in this thread look a bit too vibrant for my liking - the pastels were what attracted me. Does anyone know if this is possible?

Click to expand...

I have also had some confusion about the decks printed in Belgium and Italy recently. My first regular-sized Universal Waite came in a box that says printed in Belgium. Recently, because of all the Belgium/Italy discussion, I bought a second deck in the same box that I found in a used bookstore to keep as a backup. BUT, the decks look different! The used deck looks paler than the first deck, it doesn't have as glossy a varnish, and the stars on the back, while in the same pattern, are a little smaller.

Well, I just found the title card for my first deck today, and it says printed in Italy. So despite the fact that the boxes are identical and both say printed in Belgium, one of my decks was actually printed in Italy.

So now when I look at the backs shown in the link you gave, Vixxia, those backs are from the deck really printed in Belgium. The cards mostly look like that deck, though the Magician looks a bit brighter to me, maybe just from the scanning.

Overall, when I compare the two decks I have, the one actually printed in Belgium is noticeably lighter. So if you want a deck like that, perhaps try eBay, but ask the seller what the title card says about where the deck was printed, as the box may not be reliable.

Hope I explained that all clearly.

fferyllt said:

Well, I just found the title card for my first deck today, and it says printed in Italy. So despite the fact that the boxes are identical and both say printed in Belgium, one of my decks was actually printed in Italy.

Click to expand...

I wonder if the box was printed in Belgium and the cards were printed in Italy?

Just a thought....

Rodney

rwcarter said:

I wonder if the box was printed in Belgium and the cards were printed in Italy?

Just a thought....

Rodney

Click to expand...

Could be. Or possibly there were left-over boxes to be used up before switching to the new boxes. Either way, for someone looking for a deck actually printed in Belgium, it does add a layer of confusion.