Including titles in your cards

When you draw your cards, do you also draw the title on each trump or do you leave space to add them during the printing ?

Whether you include them as an integral part of the illustration, or leave space for them to be added as type, it is best to carefully plan for the titles from the start.

If you leave space, you can either typeset the titles, or draw them by hand and composite them onto the image digitally.

I added the titles later, along with the borders.

I think it depends on your artwork and what 'look and feel' you want ... some cards have titles or numbers woven into the artwork (not necessarily in a uniform top or bottom placement), others have borders or banners allowing for a uniform display of titles... Some decks use numbers (no titles), others have both, some have none ... I know, there are infinite choices Like OnePotato said, planning (or at least thinking about) titles, is a good thing to consider while you are creating the artwork ... to avoid it becoming a stressful afterthought at the very end.

When working on my own deck, I allowed extra space at the bottom of the artwork for the titles, which I added 'on top'.

If you are thinking of adding borders, it is a really good idea to work out what your final print (card) size will be - with those measurements on hand it is ever so much easier to create borders that won't 'chop away' your precious artwork

Whatever you do, just make sure the card titles are spelt correctly!

I have more than one deck with a "Heirophant", and yet another with an "Emperess". Drives me mad.

I like how the Anna K deck looks with very small symbols on the art work for the suits, instead of written words.

I truly dislike borders. So many threads about cropping. Even the Deviant Moon went borderless and everyone loves it!