Imagemaker
Yes, yes, yes! Every deck I've done looks SO MUCH BETTER!!!
There's a librarian joke: free the bound journals . . . this is "Free the bordered cards!!"
Any bad deck-trimming trips?
Yes, yes, yes! Every deck I've done looks SO MUCH BETTER!!!
There's a librarian joke: free the bound journals . . . this is "Free the bordered cards!!"
Jewel-ry
Bean Feasa,
Have you still not found a corner cutter? Let me know because I could get one and post it to you. I am sure it wouldn't cost that much and the cards are so much better for using one. Even if you have squared off the deck you are doing you can still go back and use the cutter. I did this with one of my decks and it worked fine.
Also guys, I have trimmed the Tarot de Paris, started a post here
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?p=609355&posted=1#post609355
Interested to know if anyone else has trimmed this one?
~
Have you still not found a corner cutter? Let me know because I could get one and post it to you. I am sure it wouldn't cost that much and the cards are so much better for using one. Even if you have squared off the deck you are doing you can still go back and use the cutter. I did this with one of my decks and it worked fine.
Also guys, I have trimmed the Tarot de Paris, started a post here
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?p=609355&posted=1#post609355
Interested to know if anyone else has trimmed this one?
~
rainwolf
Yes--use the corner cutter!
I got mine at Staples and besides making the corners not cut me, they also make it look like it came that way.
Thanks corner cutter!
I got mine at Staples and besides making the corners not cut me, they also make it look like it came that way.
Thanks corner cutter!
Aure
Some important things
I just trimmed two Thoths and they turned out pretty good, but when tried the 'borderectomy' on some of my other decks the results weren't that great (fortunately I tried on the title cards that come with the deck and are pretty much useless, so no harm done). I have to warn you on some things if you decide to cut the borders off:
1) Use a good paper cutter with a sliding blade
2) Use corner scissors for the rounding the corners
3) Practice on a blank card if you can
This is important because you can't be absolutely sure how close the blade will cut unless you try it first (I didn't and ended up with a couple of 'close shaves'). Also, you can't know if the edges of the cards will fray or not. In my experience, some of the heavily laminated decks have raggedy edges after being cut (might have something to do with blade sharpness too)
4) Try to cut as fast as possible but remember to have a firm grip on the card to prevent it from sliding off
If you cut it too slowly, the blade won't cut through the card but leave a small line on the surface. I don't recommend trying to cut by sliding the blade back after cutting the first time because this might make the edge raggedy
5) After rounding the corners with corner scissors pick one card (if you have a card where you sliced off more than from the others, use that one) and align it with another card one at a time and carefully even out the overlapping edges with the card you picked out
Be careful not to cut too much off or to cut the card you use as a guide. Every once in a while align the the cards you have cut already and see if they are even (or as close as they can, they are hand cut).
------------------
So, there's what I've learned yesterday and today. The beginning was nerve wrecking and when I sliced a bit too much... i thought that would be the end of the deck, but it wasn't! The difference was so tiny that now my cards seem like they were born that way! i didn't cut away anything important or make the edges totally crooked, so.. GO FOR IT!!!
I just trimmed two Thoths and they turned out pretty good, but when tried the 'borderectomy' on some of my other decks the results weren't that great (fortunately I tried on the title cards that come with the deck and are pretty much useless, so no harm done). I have to warn you on some things if you decide to cut the borders off:
1) Use a good paper cutter with a sliding blade
2) Use corner scissors for the rounding the corners
3) Practice on a blank card if you can
This is important because you can't be absolutely sure how close the blade will cut unless you try it first (I didn't and ended up with a couple of 'close shaves'). Also, you can't know if the edges of the cards will fray or not. In my experience, some of the heavily laminated decks have raggedy edges after being cut (might have something to do with blade sharpness too)
4) Try to cut as fast as possible but remember to have a firm grip on the card to prevent it from sliding off
If you cut it too slowly, the blade won't cut through the card but leave a small line on the surface. I don't recommend trying to cut by sliding the blade back after cutting the first time because this might make the edge raggedy
5) After rounding the corners with corner scissors pick one card (if you have a card where you sliced off more than from the others, use that one) and align it with another card one at a time and carefully even out the overlapping edges with the card you picked out
Be careful not to cut too much off or to cut the card you use as a guide. Every once in a while align the the cards you have cut already and see if they are even (or as close as they can, they are hand cut).
------------------
So, there's what I've learned yesterday and today. The beginning was nerve wrecking and when I sliced a bit too much... i thought that would be the end of the deck, but it wasn't! The difference was so tiny that now my cards seem like they were born that way! i didn't cut away anything important or make the edges totally crooked, so.. GO FOR IT!!!
Imagemaker
There's a significant word here--born--itrimming is a process where you take an anonymous machine-made stack of cardboard and create a new, living Being in pictures! One that talks more clearly!
Myrrha
The liberated decks look gorgeous, and it is a great solution for decks like the Spiral where (IMO) hideous mistakes were made in the original border design.
What I wonder is how it feels to shuffle and cut.
I often use a kind of waterfall shuffle where the cards fall in a controlled way from one hand to the other. If there are slight differences in the size they might fall all over the place.
Also, if you cut a trimmed deck and one card is just slightly off will it always cut to that card?
just wondering and contemplating my Thoth deck
--Myrrha
What I wonder is how it feels to shuffle and cut.
I often use a kind of waterfall shuffle where the cards fall in a controlled way from one hand to the other. If there are slight differences in the size they might fall all over the place.
Also, if you cut a trimmed deck and one card is just slightly off will it always cut to that card?
just wondering and contemplating my Thoth deck
--Myrrha
thinbuddha
I made a mistake trimming my pocket sized Thoth. One card is a bit slimmer than it should be... the scissors wandered during part of the cut. I got in a groove and wasn't taking my time.
I have trimmed 2 other decks without such errors- for this one, I just tried to hurry the process, and the Prince of Cups paid the price. But it's not that bad- nothing you would notice on a casual viewing of the deck.
TRIM AWAY! (just take your time)
I have trimmed 2 other decks without such errors- for this one, I just tried to hurry the process, and the Prince of Cups paid the price. But it's not that bad- nothing you would notice on a casual viewing of the deck.
TRIM AWAY! (just take your time)
thinbuddha
Myrrha said:
Yes in both cases, but it's not as bad as you might think. I normally shuffle in that waterfall fashion, and I still do it with the decks I've trimmed. Cutting cards, you never get cards that are smaller than the rest of the deck.... It's the price of admission.
Myrrha
thinbuddha said:
OK, thanks for answering this. I'll have to think about it. Maybe I could go back to picking cards or some other system.
--Myrrha
WalesWoman
Next month I'm getting my eyes examined, everytime I read the title for this thread, I see "Any bad tarot trimming tips?" and think of a few, like do it drunk or with your eyes closed, use pinking shears or something equally bad.
I am too much of a chicken to attempt to trim anything but my finger and toenails.
I am too much of a chicken to attempt to trim anything but my finger and toenails.
