Border or no border?

FionaBenj said:

I'm trying to figure out whether I should make my deck with or without borders... I think I mind end up making 70% of them borderless and 30% with a thin border... with the feedback I'm getting here.

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In the Fenestra deck, the borders differ between the major and minor arcanas, and it drives me up the wall. It's very distracting. I prefer consistency.

Also, if some have borders and some don't, people wouldn't be able to trim the borders if they so chose, because then the cards would be different sizes.

I answered it depends. I love the albideuter website, but his habit of cropping all the borders means the images tend to look unfinished. Some just need that boundary, imo, to appear as a polished and complete work of art.

I do like some borderless decks, though. I guess I tend to respect the artist's decision, especially if the borders are in any way decorative. Plain, stark white borders seem more a printer's decision or just following the convention for playing card borders; those, I would feel less compunction about trimming (though I have not, as yet, felt the need to actually trim one).

Melia said:

I've never trimmed a deck until 2 days ago. For some reason, somebody decided that 2 borders on the Lenormand Oracle Cards by LoS was the way to go. So out the scissors came (the white border removed) ... NOW it feels like the way it was meant to really be, and I may actually use it. I would never trim any of my other cards though.

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I love this deck, but I want to do that so badly..but I am afraid too. I think i failed cutting in kindergarten.

I prefer no borders. Probably because I learned to read tarot with the Morgan Greer. Some borders aren't too bad, if they are dark and thin, but I would still prefer they were not there.

Border trimming

I have actually never thought of trimming any of my decks. Now that I think of it, it could improve them greatly, but I'm OK like it is now and also I dread messing the cards up! I love when they are perfectly even and identical in size. My beloved White Cats have absurdly large white border though, maybe I should reconsider...

Bylica:

I trimmed my tarot of the white cats, and now I have a great mini deck.
It turned out well and I'm quite happy with it.

I just used scissors and a corner rounder. It's not as hard as you think. Just take your time.
But if you are comfortable with the way they are now...it's okay to leave them. Why mess with a good thing that works.

Ferne

It really depends on the deck. I thought I'd like the Druidcraft better if it were smaller, so I trimmed the borders. I much preferred it WITH the borders!

I trimmed my USGames Purple Box Thoth - it is MUCH better without the distracting borders.

I have a few that the borders don't bother me and others where they are a distraction. It is just depends.

SarahJoy said:

In the Fenestra deck, the borders differ between the major and minor arcanas, and it drives me up the wall. It's very distracting. I prefer consistency.

Also, if some have borders and some don't, people wouldn't be able to trim the borders if they so chose, because then the cards would be different sizes.

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I actually meant, I will PRINT 70% of the decks (as in, of all the decks I print) without borders and then print the other 30% of the decks with borders. xD Not the cards

Ah! That makes so much more sense! I.understand now.

FionaBenj said:

Hey guys!
How do you feel about borders on cards? I always thought the white borders distracted me a bit from readings, but I can deal with black borders or dark ones, although I prefer no border altogether.

What reads better for you guys?

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Borders provide the walls, floor and ceiling of a corridor into the card. I like them. They also prevent damage to the actual image when the deck is several years old and has been shuffled a lot. I like that, too. I have unbordered decks, and they read just as well as bordered decks but I am very precious about shuffling them because I am wary of damage to the images with a lot of use.