HudsonGray
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The Game Crafter
tarotbear
The Shadow knows ... tarotbear
On TGC - the Tarot template is 900 x 1500 pixels. You have to add the borders inside that template. I am using PAINT (Really!) and not GIMP, so once I pull up a PAINT blank 900 x 1500 pixels I went to the 'grid' and 'ruler' tools and using the box tool make a PURPLE (I'll explain later) box 80 pixels in all around 5 pixels wide {Or whatever the third thickness on PAINT is}. I know TGC says you only need to leave 75 pixels around, but I can find 80 easier! This makes me a purple box 736 pixels wide by 1336 pixels long. I copy and paste my image into that box. I use purple since it is easier to see since I have black borders on my artwork. Once I adjust the artwork within the purple box I change it's color to black, or draw a black box over it.
This is how I resized my images to fit the TGC (and also PS) Tarot templates and to fall within their template guidelines/outlines for cutting and drift. I also lifted or dropped parts of images' elements to use the space better.
1) original Fool image (as it now appears on current deck on TGC)
2) corrected Fool image - image sun extended upwards; hand-lettering replaced; Roman Numerals replaced. This will be uploaded as the 'Second Edition' when I finish adjusting the images sometime next year.
3) original HP image
4) corrected HP image - columns extended up and down, neck elongated, hands cleaned up
Attachments
tarotbear
Here's a totally worthless bit of info:
On one of the TGC forums I must have posted something about copyrights and copyrighting your works on TGC - and this is the response I was given by someone on the forum:
You protect yourself from copyright infringement by telling anyone who listens about your game and posting about it. If someone dares to rip you off after that, there's plenty of evidence to support the claim you created the game first.
That said, people infringing the copyright of games is extremely rare, because there is simply no money in it.
I have a bridge in New York that I'm selling if you want to make me an offer ....
*** E T A ***
I replied:
"If you really believe your simplistic statement you must be incredibly naïve. If they are bigger than you are, have lawyers and you don't - they can copyright it while you are sending emails out to them because you didn't copyright it - YOU LOSE!
Remember 'Cabbage Patch Dolls'? The man who stole the idea from someone else got to the patent/copyright office 30 minutes before the other person did - and now owns the copyright on them.
No profit is too big or too small to steal someone else's idea. Be sure to put ©, year, and your name on EVERYTHING - THAT will give you a legal fighting chance."
On one of the TGC forums I must have posted something about copyrights and copyrighting your works on TGC - and this is the response I was given by someone on the forum:
You protect yourself from copyright infringement by telling anyone who listens about your game and posting about it. If someone dares to rip you off after that, there's plenty of evidence to support the claim you created the game first.
That said, people infringing the copyright of games is extremely rare, because there is simply no money in it.
I have a bridge in New York that I'm selling if you want to make me an offer ....
*** E T A ***
I replied:
"If you really believe your simplistic statement you must be incredibly naïve. If they are bigger than you are, have lawyers and you don't - they can copyright it while you are sending emails out to them because you didn't copyright it - YOU LOSE!
Remember 'Cabbage Patch Dolls'? The man who stole the idea from someone else got to the patent/copyright office 30 minutes before the other person did - and now owns the copyright on them.
No profit is too big or too small to steal someone else's idea. Be sure to put ©, year, and your name on EVERYTHING - THAT will give you a legal fighting chance."
Lorelei Douglas
Copyright
This is an interesting area and the best site I have found on the issues is at the link below:
http://www.publicdomainsherpa.com/index.html
They also make some interesting points about Dover's copyright claims on their publishing of out of copyright works. Well worth a read if you are interested in the area. It's also written in a way that doesn't require a legal degree to understand.
I'm not familiar with the Cabbage Patch doll situation TarotBear, but I understand the law to say that once you have published (e.g., even on TGC) you have copyright over your works. However, trademarks and patents are treated differently so the whole area can become very complicated.
Still your suggestion to clearly identify yourself as the creator of your work wherever possible is an extremely good one.
This is an interesting area and the best site I have found on the issues is at the link below:
http://www.publicdomainsherpa.com/index.html
They also make some interesting points about Dover's copyright claims on their publishing of out of copyright works. Well worth a read if you are interested in the area. It's also written in a way that doesn't require a legal degree to understand.
I'm not familiar with the Cabbage Patch doll situation TarotBear, but I understand the law to say that once you have published (e.g., even on TGC) you have copyright over your works. However, trademarks and patents are treated differently so the whole area can become very complicated.
Still your suggestion to clearly identify yourself as the creator of your work wherever possible is an extremely good one.
Aliyah marr
Using this POD publisher for my Kickstarter project
TOP 5 REASONS TO USE THE GAMECRAFTER TO PRINT YOUR TAROT DECK
1. you can publish very small quantities, even 1 deck (be careful how you price this). The price gets cheaper the more decks you print.
2. the color print looks closer to what you see on the computer.
3. you can "proof" your deck for the cost of one deck.
4. you have the option of selling through the company's website or your own.
5. AND THE BEST REASON OF ALL: I can promise ALL my Kickstarter supporters a deck before Christmas!!!! TGC offers bulk pricing AND drop shipping to individuals, saving me both money and time.
--------
I am very pleased with the quality and service of TGC. I am an experienced designer and know that often what you see on your screen is NOT what you get in print.
TGC is a POD publisher: Print on Demand. As such, they use digital printing techniques like laser printing. I am very happy with the color of the deck I received as a proof. My original paintings have very saturated colors, which renders quite well using their printers. If I have to offer any criticism, I'd have to say that the colors are a bit darker than the originals, but not something anyone else but me would notice.
The cardstock they use is a good thickness for shuffling, and the cards themselves are neither too sticky or too slick.
Since their costs are pretty substantial in small quantities, I had to price my full deck at $44, but I have made an alternate version of my deck to offer my supporters a choice in price-points at $22:
-------------------
Pledge $44 or more
THE DECK!
78 cards includes 42 unique picture cards: 22 major arcana, 16 minor arcana (royalty cards), and 4 aces; plus 36 minor Arcana cards that have a single suit image and two words each. The PDF poster, one-month Creative Alchemy membership, and unlimited Transformational Tarot game access.
--------------------
Pledge $22 or more
THE ESSENTIAL TAROT
A 26 card streamlined version of the PRINTED deck consisting of the 22 cards of the Major Arcana and the 4 Aces. The Major Arcana are the heart of the tarot; they trace the path of The Fool through the rest of the deck. The Aces are the distillation of the meaning of each suit; the alpha and the omega of each of the four paths of mastery. This deck of 26 unique cards is a fully working deck; you could call it the "speed-reading" version, because it provides you with great insight using less cards than the full deck. The PDF poster, one-month Creative Alchemy membership, and unlimited Transformational Tarot game access.
-------------------
I will have to set these up in TGC as two separate decks, and won't make much profit at all on the $22 version, but I figure that offering a 26 card version at half the price of the full deck makes it easy for people to invest in the project.
I printed out a deck using TGC and photographed the cards for some of the photos I use in my KS movie and story. You can see the quality from the photos I took here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/467702680/the-tarot-of-creativity
PS
I have only a few days more to make my goal. If anyone has suggestions on how I can make the project better, please let me know! I hope this helps people who are hoping to get their decks in print.
TOP 5 REASONS TO USE THE GAMECRAFTER TO PRINT YOUR TAROT DECK
1. you can publish very small quantities, even 1 deck (be careful how you price this). The price gets cheaper the more decks you print.
2. the color print looks closer to what you see on the computer.
3. you can "proof" your deck for the cost of one deck.
4. you have the option of selling through the company's website or your own.
5. AND THE BEST REASON OF ALL: I can promise ALL my Kickstarter supporters a deck before Christmas!!!! TGC offers bulk pricing AND drop shipping to individuals, saving me both money and time.
--------
I am very pleased with the quality and service of TGC. I am an experienced designer and know that often what you see on your screen is NOT what you get in print.
TGC is a POD publisher: Print on Demand. As such, they use digital printing techniques like laser printing. I am very happy with the color of the deck I received as a proof. My original paintings have very saturated colors, which renders quite well using their printers. If I have to offer any criticism, I'd have to say that the colors are a bit darker than the originals, but not something anyone else but me would notice.
The cardstock they use is a good thickness for shuffling, and the cards themselves are neither too sticky or too slick.
Since their costs are pretty substantial in small quantities, I had to price my full deck at $44, but I have made an alternate version of my deck to offer my supporters a choice in price-points at $22:
-------------------
Pledge $44 or more
THE DECK!
78 cards includes 42 unique picture cards: 22 major arcana, 16 minor arcana (royalty cards), and 4 aces; plus 36 minor Arcana cards that have a single suit image and two words each. The PDF poster, one-month Creative Alchemy membership, and unlimited Transformational Tarot game access.
--------------------
Pledge $22 or more
THE ESSENTIAL TAROT
A 26 card streamlined version of the PRINTED deck consisting of the 22 cards of the Major Arcana and the 4 Aces. The Major Arcana are the heart of the tarot; they trace the path of The Fool through the rest of the deck. The Aces are the distillation of the meaning of each suit; the alpha and the omega of each of the four paths of mastery. This deck of 26 unique cards is a fully working deck; you could call it the "speed-reading" version, because it provides you with great insight using less cards than the full deck. The PDF poster, one-month Creative Alchemy membership, and unlimited Transformational Tarot game access.
-------------------
I will have to set these up in TGC as two separate decks, and won't make much profit at all on the $22 version, but I figure that offering a 26 card version at half the price of the full deck makes it easy for people to invest in the project.
I printed out a deck using TGC and photographed the cards for some of the photos I use in my KS movie and story. You can see the quality from the photos I took here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/467702680/the-tarot-of-creativity
PS
I have only a few days more to make my goal. If anyone has suggestions on how I can make the project better, please let me know! I hope this helps people who are hoping to get their decks in print.
tarotbear
Yes! But that is not what the person on TGC said:
No where does he say he copyrighted it. All he says is 'Talk It Up.' Talk means nothing. Anyone can say anything about anything. If I was a certain 'type' and found a game/deck/whatever that I thought was worth ripping off AND it wasn't labeled as being copyrighted anywhere - the first thing I would do is copyright it myself ... which is easy to do. If Mr. Talk It Up decided to do something about it - he would have to produce proof. IF all he did was 'talk it up' - even if he mentioned it in a blog - the courts would look at who has the copyright (not that they don't see fraudulent copyrights all the time).
Not only is my deck copyrighted, but it is the illustrations in a book which also has a copyright date. It would be difficult to claim you created the deck before I published the book.
Lorelei Douglas
Just a clarification
My understanding of the copyright law (and I'm not a lawyer so I'm prepared to be corrected on this one) is that your published work is automatically your copyright. You don't have to lodge any forms. The only time you would do this is if someone else attempted to publish your work as part of the process to get them to stop.
However, I do sympathise with you on the cavalier attitude of the guy you spoke to at TGC. It's good to make sure you have all the right words on your deck.
My understanding of the copyright law (and I'm not a lawyer so I'm prepared to be corrected on this one) is that your published work is automatically your copyright. You don't have to lodge any forms. The only time you would do this is if someone else attempted to publish your work as part of the process to get them to stop.
However, I do sympathise with you on the cavalier attitude of the guy you spoke to at TGC. It's good to make sure you have all the right words on your deck.
Lorelei Douglas
POD
I agree with most of the points you make Aliyah except this one. I checked out both TGC and Printer Studio. I was delighted with the colour result from TGC - the PS deck was washed out in comparison.
My only disappointment with TGC was the card stock - it is OK but the PS stock was much nicer. But other feedback I've had is that some people prefer the TGC card stock. Horses for courses I expect. I still use my 30 year old RWS so I guess I like that style of card.
I have posted before about possibly seeing if we might put some pressure on TGC to offer different card stock - or at least more options.
Anyway - good luck with your campaign - I hope you reach your goal.
I agree with most of the points you make Aliyah except this one. I checked out both TGC and Printer Studio. I was delighted with the colour result from TGC - the PS deck was washed out in comparison.
My only disappointment with TGC was the card stock - it is OK but the PS stock was much nicer. But other feedback I've had is that some people prefer the TGC card stock. Horses for courses I expect. I still use my 30 year old RWS so I guess I like that style of card.
I have posted before about possibly seeing if we might put some pressure on TGC to offer different card stock - or at least more options.
Anyway - good luck with your campaign - I hope you reach your goal.
tarotbear
Yes - if you publish something it is understood to be 'copyrighted' by you - BUT - you don't have to do a registry or all that to have it copyrighted - but you do have to have the © - year - your name on it somewhere - and do the 'mail it back to yourself routine' so that it has a postmark on the envelope (and NEVER NEVER OPEN THE ENVELOPE).
