Trimmed off borders of decks: Worthwhile? Tips & Pictures.

[tatsi]

Trimmed off borders of decks: Worthwhile? Tips and Pictures.

I've read several times where people have said that trimming off the borders has improved the overall deck. In some cases making a so-so deck more likeable and useable, and in others making a good deck even better.

I'm creating this thread in the hopes of consolidating the following information on this topic:

Has trimming the borders off improved your deck? If yes, which deck and why? Equally important: If not, which deck and why?

I was hoping that people who have trimmed their decks can also post pictures of the end-result here. If you wish, you can post a before and after shot.

For those who have trimmed their decks are their any tips or concerns people should be aware of before deciding on doing this? Such as the need to keep the cards size uniform, especially if you like to riffle-shuffle. Ideas or products you have found useful in maintaining size uniformity and for corner cutting.

Thanks.

tatsi

 

[Tarotphelia]

A paper cutter is a must for making it easier, faster, and uniform.

 

[Imagemaker]

Here's some pics of some of my trimmed decks:

Robin Wood

Spiral

Thoth, Robin Wood, Rohrig

 

[jumptothemoonyea]

Imagemaker thanks for posting the pictures -

looking at them I feel like without the borders all the charge carried by the card is spilled outside, is merging within and without, no matter what, like an animal breaking out of a cage...

 

[rainwolf]

How did u make the cut so clean and how did u make the edge so perfect? I cant cut that clean, so i would be worried about making cards look uneven.

 

[Imagemaker]

I use long, super-sharp scissors, then a corner trimmer (from a craft store or stationery store like Staples). You could practice cutting on other paper first.

After I take the borders off, I put the deck together, tap the bottom to push up any card that's slightly taller, and trim a sliver off. I shuffle, and do it again.

Then I do the same thing on the side, tapping the deck to push out any card that's wider. With some patience and care, the cards come out perfectly smooth and identical.

Idea--practice on a cheap deck of playing cards before you cut a tarot deck.

 

[DollieAnna]

I would never cut the borders off of my cards. It seems the artist put them there for a reason. To me, it is sacreligious (whatever your religion or path is). But that is me. I don't think the cards would like it either.

 

[shaveling]

Advantages for Marseilles readers

I trimmed my Ancient Tarots of Liguria-Piedmont a little while ago. The cards came with a narrow border on the sides and top and a wide border at the bottom, where the name of the card was printed in four languages. This is a Marseilles type deck, with non-scenic pips. I prefer the odd sword in the cards of that suit to point upwards in every instance. But the publisher has them sometimes up and sometimes down.

So, by trimming my deck, I gained two major advantages. I now have a Marseilles type deck of a size I wanted, but couldn’t find on the market. ( This was my original goal.) And I can use the orientation I prefer without the cards appearing to contradict me. (This was really the more important gain.)

Sorry I can’t show the results. I don’t have a scanner.

-shaveling

 

[Ulfdis]

I'm working on cutting down my Osho Zen. I have about 30 cards done so far. I'm quite pleased with it, but with that little diamond at the bottom center of each card image, it posed a bit of a challenge. I chose to just cut straight through it, following the thin white inner border as a guide. It leaves a triangle poking up at the bottom of the image, but that doesn't really bother me. I may decide later to trim further to get rid of it, if it bugs me once I start reading with it. In fact, I am more interested in getting rid of the keywords than the borders themselves. I wish I had a scanner to show off my keywordless cards. They really pop without the black borders, and somehow the colors and images seem more vivid. As for technique, I'm just using a pair of scissors and eyeballing it, using the white inner border as my guide.

 

[Little Baron]

I would never cut the borders off of my cards. It seems the artist put them there for a reason. To me, it is sacreligious (whatever your religion or path is). But that is me. I don't think the cards would like it either.

Cards are, at the end of the day, a tool; mass-produced pieces of card with ink on them. The 'tarot' is within. They just help you access that. If trimming helps access easier and the tool more efficient, I think it makes sense.

Also, a lot of artists never included borders on their designs - they were something included by the publishers. In some cases, they have been put there so that they can be sold to a wider market.

LB