Have you ever wondered how playing cards are made? Printing playing cards looked astronomically different back in the day compared to today. Below I’ll go over some of the methods used throughout history.
WOODBLOCK PRINTING
Replace Xerox machines with blocks of wood and you’ll get Woodblock Printing. If it’s difficult to imagine creating playing cards with sharp tools and wood, then check out this helpful article: How to Make Your Own Woodblock Print Like the Japanese Masters by writer and art historian Jessica Stewart. Through step-by-step details, she even explains how to transfer any artwork and/or image onto the wooden surface.
Origins
Whether used to create a deck of cards or place images inside of a book, China, as well as Central and East Asia, pioneered woodblock printing. Countries well-versed in Xylography, or the art of printing from carved wood, often transported playing cards to Europe. But once paper became available during the 15th century, European manufacturers were able to print decks domestically using the wood blocking technique.
The Technique
Relief printing is the process of cutting or etching with a stencil onto the wooden surface so all that remains is the printed design.
COPPERPLATE PRINTING
This innovative printing method began around the 15th century. It is a form of intaglio printing, where impressions and designs are pressed into copperplates either through engraving (direct intaglio) or acid etching (indirect intaglio). Master E.S., also known as Master of the Playing Cards, developed this process of playing card printing.
LITHOGRAPHY
Toward the end of the 18th century, Lithography (Latin – litho: stone; graph: write) was invented in Germany by Alois Senefelder. Many artists, as well as playing card creators, adopted this water-and-oil-based technique. Not only did it revolutionize colored impressions through chromolithographs but also introduced a cheaper printing method through limestone rather than copper.
Before
So, what did lithography printing look like? The card’s design was etched onto limestone using oil. The ink was then applied, sinking into the design area, and then transferred onto paper for production. Litho printing never truly went out of style. It adapted as technology advanced.
Offset Lithography
Also known as offset printing, this modern litho process uses rubber rollers to transfer images from plate to paper. As opposed to hand-drawn designs, offset uses a machine to create the image.
DIGITAL PRINTING
The top custom playing card manufacturers in the game like Shuffled Ink use Xerox digital printers to produce playing cards. The first digital printers arrived in the early 1990s and today they reign quite popular in the printing industry. Right now, it may seem like we have reached or surpassed the height of playing card printing, but this is only the beginning.
ABOUT SHUFFLED INK
Shuffled Ink is a multigenerational family business with an unwavering, decades-old mission: to provide an unparalleled experience in customer service and product quality to ensure that all clients’ card visions meet reality. Shuffled Ink has produced millions of custom playing cards for businesses and individuals worldwide. Check out their Google reviews.
