New and need help!

Hey everyone...

Im new to the message board and to the Tarot. Can I ask some questions for you guys to answer? Hope so, i need some insight from learned tarot readers.

1. When making a deck, should i draw the cards, scan them on the computer and then print them on cardstock? Im new to this, and i want to make a deck based on Aztec codices, scince i really dont relate to the art of the raider-waite deck.

2. In drawing the cards, should I try to convey the same feeling I get from raider-waite cards? Ex. should the 9 of sword's convey worry/sadness?

3. Can some one who has printed a homemade tarot share the steps they took?

4. What kind of cardstock is good for a deck? Iv seen some cardstock at office depot. Is over the counter cardstock good?

Well, thats all i can think of, please help!!! I would appreciate it so much.

P.S. Is it weird for a guy to be interested in tarot? Also, I live in a catholic houshold and have to hide my tarot cards. Is this, in anyway, a tarot taboo?

GRACIAS!!!

Hi & welcome to the deck creator's board. There's lots of guys posting on Aeclectic here, so you're not alone by any means! If I was living at home (I grew up Catholic) I'd have hid mine too to avoid hassles about them, but it's not necessary any more-for me at least.

Have you looked at the archived pages on this section? A lot of people have talked about what worked for them. I've got two threads about mine: One More Deck Hits The Table, and Chat du Marseille (I think they were called).

Make your deck the way you want to, in regards to the art & the card meaning focus. I'm not sure if the Aztecs used swords, so you may have to change some things--that'll be up to you.

Cardstock....home printers can only handle the lightweight stuff, which may be too light for what you want unless you glue a second sheet to it as a 'back'. If you want an actual print place to run off a copy for you, they have access to heavier paper and their card stock can range from 60 pound weight up to 150 pound weight. But if you go that route, check the actual feel of it. Some 60# is actually more sturdy & stiff than their 90# when you'd think it should be the other way around. Ask to see samples. Then ask how heavy a paper their rollers on the printing machines can handle. If you're just going to Kinkos or Office Depot for this, they don't have a wide range. Check with an actual printer place, they have more available to them.

However, the Hello Kitty deck is done at Kinkos on standard resume type card stock, so if you don't mind sort of thin paper, you can do what he does. The cost would depend on how many cards you put on the paper, whether or not you're working in color or black & white, if you want a back image for the deck, and how many originals you have to print. Any printer can give you a quote on the job pretty quick.

There's been a number of people on the board who did theirs from scratch & had them printed locally, you'll see those threads in the archive pages. (Bottom of the page, go through the numbers down there). And some did it professionally with all the bells & whistles, or went through a regular publisher with their decks. So we have all kinds of experience here!

^ what HudsonGray said.

Plus, if you use ordinary thin cardstock, you can always consider having your cards laminated. I guess they do that at Kinko's too?

I like your idea of making an Aztec based deck...very unusual.

1. When making a deck, should i draw the cards, scan them on the computer and then print them on cardstock? Im new to this, and i want to make a deck based on Aztec codices, scince i really dont relate to the art of the raider-waite deck.

2. In drawing the cards, should I try to convey the same feeling I get from raider-waite cards? Ex. should the 9 of sword's convey worry/sadness?

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I based my deck primarily on the RW deck but I looked at 2 or 3 different texts and sort of almagated my own meaning from those. I'd do a bunch of sketches before you settle on the design you're going to scan in.

4. What kind of cardstock is good for a deck? Iv seen some cardstock at office depot. Is over the counter cardstock good?

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Check out this company: French Paper Company
They make the nicest papers, and many of them can be printed on with an Ink Jet printer. I think if you're going to an Aztec deck you probably want a paper that'll feel and look a little more organic than your average bargain bin shiny white paper you'd find at an office store. They sell it in different weights, the heavier the weight the thicker the paper. All papers come in card stock weights. You want to get the "Cover" stock, either 80 lb or 100 lb, I'd go with 100 for tarot cards, it's a little thicker. You could even get a non-white paper, their "Construction" line has some really nice subdued tones. If you'd like something just a little off-white, I'd recommend the Durotone line, one of the "Newsprint" papers.

P.S. Is it weird for a guy to be interested in tarot? Also, I live in a catholic houshold and have to hide my tarot cards. Is this, in anyway, a tarot taboo?

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Nah.