Inking your decks: started with the Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative

Been thinking about it as I have Antique Linen sitting in the closet...

I looked for a better place for this, but the altered deck thread is so long. I know it would be hard, but I do wish the inking had its own thread, separate from the trimming and whacking.

For the record, I could strangle Tim Holtz - I can watch his video and come away not knowing what color he used or with any clue of what to do with the stuff. I guess you buy the ink and then see what color it is?

Since I didn't want to order right now (Dick Blick is out of something until mid Feb.) and I had this gold marker and this extra deck, I have started to gild the edges. It was mostly to see how it would go. I'm not sure I would want to do another this way.

This is Hunt Metallic Painters Fine Opaque Paint Marker and it was in the drawer. The deck is the Marseille-type Angel Tarot from US Games with the ugly gold/red plaid back and it was used.

I've been holding a card and running the marker along each long edge, then the short sides, and finishing up with the corners. It's slow. If I get it on the card, it will scrape off since they are glossy. I'm not sure how it will hold up but it looks okay, I guess. I'm not sure if a new deck would look better because some of the cards have rough edges and they don't look as nice.

Likely they make wider markers. I have been trying to think what it reminds me of - it was a freebie stack of post-it notes. Well that is a classy look.

Diana

FaintlyMacabre said:

I looked for a better place for this, but the altered deck thread is so long. I know it would be hard, but I do wish the inking had its own thread, separate from the trimming and whacking.

For the record, I could strangle Tim Holtz - I can watch his video and come away not knowing what color he used or with any clue of what to do with the stuff. I guess you buy the ink and then see what color it is?

...I've been holding a card and running the marker along each long edge, then the short sides, and finishing up with the corners. It's slow.

...Likely they make wider markers. I have been trying to think what it reminds me of - it was a freebie stack of post-it notes. Well that is a classy look.

Diana

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Whatever way you do it - inking with a pad or pen (and trimming etc.), it's all slow work.
And - one pass of course, makes a lighter colour than a second pass - etc, plus I always do more than one pass anyway, because I usually find I've missed a dot here-and-there once the cards are finished and dried.

Marks-a-lot marker pens come with a very fat nib so that's easier.

The Tim Holtz inks are labelled in colour on the boxes - so you can choose what colour you want. (I ordered off Amazon I believe, and I went for the mini boxes in packets of 4 colours; As I have a Tarot collection and had/have a number of decks waiting on my list for "alterations". Single large one-colour boxes are also available.)
But the truth is, you won't know exactly what the colour will look like - until it's on and dry.

I used Antique Linen on something and afterwards thought - "hmm - I can hardly see any difference..." so at some point I might redo that deck with a stronger colour instead.

Tanga,
I was so glad I had never commented that it had looked like the edges on some had missed spots! Although perhaps someone would have warned me that they just tend to turn out like that instead of being offended. I think it is just the way the edges absorb the ink, particularly on this one which is roughed up.

I know the inks are labeled and there are some YouTube videos that give you some idea on the colors of a few. Let us know if there is another alternative to the Antique Linen. I was wondering what other green might work. Someone mentioned one that was more "blue" than the olive (?). Forest, I think. I would have to look (and decide if I wanted green anyway.

The only thing that is in the back of my mind is that some day these will hit the secondary market, along with the trimmed ones and people will not mention the alterations or even recognize them on some. That happened to me with some trade cards although it wasn't too big of a deal (although of course I am sure they had lost their value). It isn't our problem but likely it will happen. I suppose if you might become famous and sign it

Blinged PCS signed by <very famous person>.

Diana

FaintlyMacabre said:

Tanga,
I was so glad I had never commented that it had looked like the edges on some had missed spots! Although perhaps someone would have warned me that they just tend to turn out like that instead of being offended. I think it is just the way the edges absorb the ink, particularly on this one which is roughed up.

I know the inks are labeled and there are some YouTube videos that give you some idea on the colors of a few. Let us know if there is another alternative to the Antique Linen. I was wondering what other green might work. Someone mentioned one that was more "blue" than the olive (?). Forest, I think. I would have to look (and decide if I wanted green anyway.

The only thing that is in the back of my mind is that some day these will hit the secondary market, along with the trimmed ones and people will not mention the alterations or even recognize them on some...

Blinged PCS signed by <very famous person>.

Diana

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I've got a green called "Mowed Lawn". But it hasn't crossed my mind that green would be a good colour for the PCS. I don't consider Antique Linen to be green either.

I was saving "Mowed Lawn" for the day that I finally get round to trimming my Omegaland Tarot deck - this will be a mega feat, because to do it I have to make a stencil for the borders. It doesn't really have a clear border to cut along.
(It may never happen...).

Yes - about how the card absorbs the ink differently for missed spots. Also in some places more colour is absorbed than others and so you get that darker or lighter effect even with just one pass (I just have a fussy eye!).

Then - you get the card that just sucks the ink in like blotting paper... like when I attempted staining the edges of my Barbara G Walker deck. Thank goodness I did a test on a spare card first, as that would have been a weeping affair otherwise (especially as it's OOP and I was so pleased to find it by luck on Ebay, going cheaper than one might usually find it).

Hmmm... signed blinged decks... not likely here, unless I'm one day considered a famous manual lymphatic drainage therapist!

I was thinking about a color to go with that wallpaper on the back on the Dreaming Way for one. Likely green is a bad idea all around though.

I expect the Barbara Walker was used and I wonder how much difference that makes. I suspect it might make a good deal of difference in how it took the ink.

It looks like my marker may be discontinued so if I run out of paint, I will have to get something else. At least this was so poorly planned that the deck was not in order.

I had started a reply earlier and thought I'd lost it. One thing was that Dick Blick had an archival ink that was called "Pale Ochre" but it's out of stock now. It seems impossible to tell what color these things are. I thought I would say that I did run out of ink and I'm not half-way done. Perhaps some pens are better but I would have a couple to be safe, I think. Someone says Krylon although I haven't shopped yet. With that ugly card back, I can't think anything else would have looked better. Red would look bad bleeding to the front.

Diana

FaintlyMacabre said:

I expect the Barbara Walker was used and I wonder how much difference that makes. I suspect it might make a good deal of difference in how it took the ink.

It looks like my marker may be discontinued so if I run out of paint...

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Possibly - though I've stained a couple of other decks that have been used-to-death compared to the Barbara G Walker, and not had the same blotting result.

Oh no! Running out of ink in the middle!!! Horror.
I've not had it happen if I'm using a new marker or new ink pad though (these are the small size Tim Holtz ink pads I have). I can't imagine the Marks-a-lot pen running out for at least 3 decks... the barrel of the marker is so thick and the ink in there is thick too...

Mod note: Hi all, since people posting seem to want a place to discuss inking deck edges in general and this thread is already started, I changed the title to allow the discussion to move around to inking edges on any deck. Including techniques and tools etc.

Alta

Thank you, Alta. I know there are other sections, but they are pretty well buried.

As to the running out, perhaps it wouldn't happen with another gold marker but I would be sure to be able to get another. I hope it doesn't show too much and am glad the deck wasn't in order anyway. I think it looks okay though.

Hmm, well with the Walker, I guess the used theory is out. Mine is AGMuller for US Games so I expect they are all the same. I don't think it was ever that popular. It looks like no one ever used it. "Ace of Swords, Doom" Was Barbara divorced, does anyone know?

I will try YouTube to see if I can get a clue on ink colors because I don't need 50.

Diana

I finished doing the edges on Ian Daniels Tarot of the Vampyres 3 days ago with the black marker. Some of the cards were showing scuffing along the edges from all of the riffle shuffling and now the cards look great.

I went slow and carefully and i did a few cards each day. It took 3 days for me to do the deck.

I think i want to do the Tao Oracle with a shade of red next...