Varying the Card Stock

Cedar Wolf

So, I'm working on my deck, the Primal Tarot. One of the biggest sticking points has been the material it will be printed on. I'm neither a tarot collector (so I have no experiential understanding of the different kinds of stock, what holds up best, what people prefer, etc.) nor a trained designer (so I have no experience in translating what I envision into what printers can understand, and what is even possible).

That said, I tend to know what I like. And what I generally don't like is the kinds of cards stock most decks are printed on. They all, to some extent, just feel like plastic to me. Coatings, laminates, paper manufactured within an inch of its life to make it seem like plastic. I bought a copy of the Wild Unknown, just because everyone was raving about the stock. I got it, and I can see that it has a kind of tactile appeal, but it also feels like plastic to me.

I hate plastic. After receiving samples from Quality Playing Cards and bothering printers about what they would usually print cards on (plastic-y, all of it), I started thinking about alternatives. I looked at paper, and thought about what I'd like to feel.

The experiment I'm working with now is a textured paper that is somewhat similar to handmade paper (a "laid" finish, if anyone knows what I'm talking about). For me, it evokes cards that would have been used five hundred years ago, which is all pluses as far as I'm concerned. But laid paper, especially in heavier weights, is ridged. It means that the cards don't slide against one another like people are used to. It's not that you can't work with them; I cut out a few sample decks and I've been just shuffling them. You get the trick after a few shuffles. It's pretty easy to figure it out.

But if there's one thing that being on Aeclectic has showed me, it's that people can get pretty attached to what they already know. I'm worried that, however evocative and sensual this kind of stock (or some other variant I might settle on) is for a deck of tarot cards, people are going to stay away from the deck just because it doesn't fit their expectations.

And, I mean, it's not like my deck is going to be completely free of petrochemicals, regardless. If I don't coat the images, they'll just rub off after a few shuffles. I'm hoping the coating I want won't change the feel too much, but I still have to work with the printer to get clear on that.

My real question is, if you got some cards that didn't feel like you were used to them feeling, would you just say "No" and sell it off or stick it up in the attic? How much room do think there is for tarot people to let in a different conception of what a deck could be?

I'd be happy for any feedback, positive or negative, because really this question is almost starting to keep me up at night. (Stupid perfectionism.)
 

Oddity

Hi CedarWolf
Everybody has their preferences. Some people love that shiny plastic feel, some people like uncoated paper, some want their cards to show some wear, others want them to stay perfect for as long as possible. You can't make everybody happy at the same time. But you have a vision of what YOU want the deck to be, go for it. If it's a "difficult" stock for many people, maybe you won't sell as many copies of the deck but at least it's your deck.

Myself, I'm a bit picky when it comes to card stock. Not _very_ very picky, but it does matter to me what the cards feel like, more so than the size but less so than what the art looks like. I have decks that I don't read with because I don't like the way they feel in the hands. It's sad, but what can you do. I'm sure someone else just loves how they feel. I still keep them because I like the art very much so I'm not _that_ sad really. :)

I wouldn't say "No" to a deck just because it didn't feel like what I'm used to. (Not all the decks I use have exactly the same stock and finish.) But I might say "No" if I knew it was like something I've already tried and discovered I don't like much. Or I might get it just for the art, with no intention of using it. Nothing wrong with that.

If you are afraid that someone might be disappointed by the card stock you are using, the best thing is to just be up front with what you are selling. That way people can decide if it is for them or not.