Cult of Tarot Forum

Okay, I've been messing with this frame for a while and I'd really like to settle on something.

I've gone back to the grey, but made the image area larger and changed the font to match the inner frame.

I also have some interesting news, I spoke to my printer and she confirmed for me that it is possible to make the inner frame (the gold) actual gold-foil, like the gilt edging you often see, but on the actual card face. It's also possible to make the text in gold foil as well, but I'm not 100% sure that's a good idea technically.

But she agreed that making the inner frame gold foil would look amazing.

Anyway, please have a look at these few cards I made and compare the new frame to the old one. If we can settle on this I can start the process of converting every card we already have into it's final versions (original composite, another for the screen and another for printing). It's a considerable amount of work and I would really prefer to not have to do it too many times.

So I would appreciate at much input as possible about these right now.

Thank you so much!!! I'm really excited about this whole project.

Beautiful. Really. My preference is for the thinner inner golden frame. The other looks sort of chunky.

Thanks so much for all you're putting into this. You're truly our Queen of Batons (Wands).

Marigold wrote: ↑27 Sep 2019, 12:08 Beautiful. Really. My preference is for the thinner inner golden frame. The other looks sort of chunky.

I finally got these all posted right.
So you prefer the middle one.

Thank you!

Yes, the middle is definitely the best: larger image area, matching font color, not too wide border. And I always like bling on my cards!

Second / middle is best

Middle one is Best! maybe lift that 9 up a bit?
imo it will look awesome even without actual gold foil as we have good contrast yellow gold effect on gray?
& actual gold foil will mean extra work for you & more possibility for printing error so personally I can live without it?

reall wrote: ↑28 Sep 2019, 10:47 Middle one is Best! maybe lift that 9 up a bit?
imo it will look awesome even without actual gold foil as we have good contrast yellow gold effect on gray?
& actual gold foil will mean extra work for you & more possibility for printing error so personally I can live without it?

This font prints the numbers dropped a bit like you see with the 9. TBH, I kinda like it. It's such a sort of plain font, that tiny bit if style is just enough in my opinion.

The thing about the gold, is in the online version it's all shiny and nice, but in print it will look a bit flat. Using the gold-foil will really make it look like the online image does. My printer, Ivy Feng, does this effect all the time (foil on card faces) and she anticipates no problem.
You can see her deck on my Rabbit's Moon Tarot website where she has done this effect on her own decks. here is am image of a card back from her deck with brass-foil:


Yes, it is more work to set up the files for this, something about vectors, but she'll help me get it right. And I think it is worth the extra effort.

I appreciate you raising these concerns. It helps to think everything through.

Ok! Happy you have it All Covered! I don't mind Extra Bling!

We want gold foil! We want gold foil ! We want gold foil !.... cry the hungry tarotists.

I actually like the first one where the gold part is slightly thicker. It really brightens up the images, they "pop" more as it adds light which makes the colors look brighter. Especially if it was foiled!

I like the middle one. It's elegantly understated and it focuses one's attention on the art itself and not on the bling.

I know it is not an option..
but what about getting rid of the grey ,, expanding the gold on the left to the outer.. and make the image more bigger to the outline of the inner thick gold foil.
I would like to see that.. doing devils advocate, outside the box.

HOLMES wrote: ↑02 Oct 2019, 00:41 I know it is not an option..
but what about getting rid of the grey ,, expanding the gold on the left to the outer.. and make the image more bigger to the outline of the inner thick gold foil.
I would like to see that.. doing devils advocate, outside the box.

hey HOLMES,

Gold foil to the edge doesn't work. I've already inquired about that for something else. It's a technical issue. I think it has to do with the cutting. I think it would tend to peel. Not good.

We have experimented with lighter, gold-ish colour frames. And you are right, they do look nice, but they tended always to dominate, whereas the grey tends to recede into the background and visually pushes the images forward. On a deck like this with such wildly differing palettes, styles, and, well everything, that becomes an important design consideration: not having the art competing with the frame.

Also, the images are as wide as they can be and still have a frame. Again this is a technical consideration related to cutting. If the frame gets too thin, then when the inevitable slight drifts take place, (take a close look at any indie-deck you have and you'll see) if the frame is too thin it becomes a real flaw and not just a slight "drift" in printing or, actually cutting, that goes largely unnoticed.

I know the trend these days is "borderless," but this deck does require a unifying element to transform it from 78 individual beautiful pictures into a deck of tarot cards.

I haven't started the process yet of converting all these, but I will soon. So I do appreciate any last minute ideas. Even if I shoot them down!
(Sorry, I really do appreciate all the ideas and feedback. )

I prefer the thinner frame. It's elegant, and the proportions just look 'right' to me. It sets off the image without dominating. I actually like the borders - I know a lot of people prefer borderless, but if the image is designed for the size that it's reproduced - so that you don't get that feeling of loss of detail or distortion - a frame can work well.

I like the middle ones as well, in agreement with Archimedes, it is proportionate and elegant. Just enough bling to complement the image without overpowering.