The Grid playing cards are a three part collection based on the design principals of the International Typographic Style, otherwise known as the ‘Swiss Style’ of graphic design. Series Two has been reworked from its original launch because I wanted to refine the design and bring the whole deck closer to the original concept set out by Series One. I feel now, the whole deck has a cleaner more precise and elegant look, one that is important to have in every collection.

Originally starting in the 1920s in Germany, the Netherlands and Russia, the ‘Swiss Style’ later developed in Switzerland in the 1950s. It’s main principals are readability and cleanliness, with most creations adopting an asymmetric layout, always based on the use of a grid. These grids, usually made up of hidden columns and rows, are used to align words, numbers, pictures and patterns and so each series in the Grid collection adopts these principals. The works of designers such as Ernst Keller and Josef-Müller Brockmann have been a real inspiration from a graphic point of view.

The cards are poker size and printed by USPCC but are far from traditional. These cards will be printed on linen, magic air cushion stock which I know first hand really does feel like nothing else with fully customised tuck box and seal. As a graphic designer more than an illustrator, as well as a card collector, I wanted to find a way to combine two of my biggest passions and make a collection of decks which truly stand out from the crowd. I fully appreciate the incredible work of designers of other playing cards currently in the world, I am often drawn to the cards with incredible detail and illustration. After all, I am a Kickstarter backer as well as a creator. Personally, I see the detail of my decks as ‘less is more’, doing away with traditional pips and instead adopting a typographic format, with each card acting like a miniature poster, with bold words setting the theme rather than illustration and numbers.

I have tried to keep the design minimal but functional, even the back of the card is super stripped back to just the name of the deck, with full colour bleed for real impact of colour. If, for example, you look at my version of the picture cards, they each have a diagonal line introduced as a minimal graphic, like a poster, but it replicates the diagonal line often found on traditional picture cards where the suit is duplicated and rotated. It’s a small detail but it’s my way of reflecting tradition.

With Grid Series Two, as well as vertical and horizontal alignment like in Grid Series One, I have introduced the circle to create a dial effect and explore how different grids can be adopted on playing cards. Each card has a bespoke set of alignment with the numbers and letters that sit on the edge of the circle so that they visually look to have the same alignment, whilst not always sitting in exactly the same place on each card.

Full deck scan by macstrat @ https://cardscans.piwigo.com/index?/category/21-grid_series_2

Since 2012, simplicity and elegance have defined the NOC series. With each edition, we strive to make it better and better. Teaming up with USPCC, we believe this is our best version yet! Our NOC Original series by House of Playing Cards comes in FIVE brilliant colors. Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, and everyone's favorite- Black! These playing cards are MARKED for suit - that's right - you can tell if it's clubs, hearts, spades, or diamonds just by reading the marking system on the back. The NOC's have proven to be a top choice for workers, card collectors, and card enthusiasts. Whatever your preference, NOC's are the answer.

From the Theory11 Website: Ultra Limited Edition NOC x Midnight Edition. Crafted in collaboration with Alex Pandrea, creator of the NOC brand, with a custom Ace of Spades, Joker, package, and sticker seal exclusive to this edition. The deck itself features an all-black, ultra-thin border back design... with a hidden secret contained within. Immaculate Production Quality The most elite NOC playing cards ever produced. Featuring a heated blind deboss, gold foil package - and a deck of cards inside that is true to NOC minimalist style, with a little theory11 flare. Midnight Release Windows Only available during limited, one-hour release windows. If you miss a release window, you won't find these anywhere until the next window. Act quickly.

YOU have passion for everything you do. Ok, maybe an obsession. Every minute practicing, every book you have read, every person you have studied... have all prepared you for this. Your heart beats faster as the blood rushes throughout your body. Your eyes intensely scan their faces as you take in every detail. This is YOUR moment. You begin to handle the snappy, crushed card stock, and your fingers are the first to realize - these are the Reno Red Cherry Casino Playing Cards. It is your trusted tool as you approach the card table. This is your element. This is your stage. Printed by U.S. Playing Card Company, it is clear why all versions of Cherry Casino Playing Cards continue to be sought after by magicians, collectors, and gamblers worldwide. The pearlescent red of the Reno Red Cherry Casino Playing Cards is symbolic of your lust for greatness. Your craving is not to be good... it's to be the BEST.

The 6th installment of the Orbit Deck is finally here. This deck is a result of a team effort by the entire Orbit Crew, and it's our most ambitious design to date. We took the best parts of the V4/V5 and combined them to make the V6. Our shared love of space, aliens, and trees made this design a beautiful harmony of things we love. The new Orbits will have the same crushed premium stock, same matte box, and same traditional cut as the V5s. Here's what we have updated: New alien Jokers who have abducted Carl and are now riding his bike! New one-way back design that will be a puzzle to solve We feel that the traditionally cut, crushed premium stock, made on the web press, creates the best feeling deck, ever. There are only around five decks out there that have this exact recipe -- two of them are Orbits. If you've felt the V4s and V5s, then you probably know what we're talking about. Since we have the feel finely tuned, we are spending a lot more of our time on design now. The entire Orbit Crew sat down and spoke about design theory along with what makes playing cards look good up close and from afar. We made more renditions of this edition than all previous back designs combined. We believe we have a formula for what makes a deck aesthetically pleasing. After months of brainstorming, we came to this final design. We couldn't be happier and it's our favorite deck to date. One of our rules is, we don't create a new Orbit Deck unless it's going to be our new favorite. If you're counting V1-V5, we have sold out of approximately 60 thousand Orbit Decks in total since the release of the V1s back in 2015. They are found in every country across the planet and the demand is only getting higher.

Bicycle Standard Gold Bordered. USPCC International Edition.

2009 edition (year in the bottom)

Bicycle Standard Gold Bordered. USPCC International Edition.

2009 edition (year in the bottom)

The Bicycle AVES Uncaged Playing Cards is a limited print run through USPCC (United States Playing Card Company) on luxurious Bicycle card stock. This beautiful deck is hand-illustrated by Russian artist Karina Eibatova, now based out of London. Its works of art are inspired by birds of the world. 56 cards, including a full 52 card deck, 2 Jokers, a LUX card, and a double-backed card. Card backs feature a whimsical pattern of feathers. Each of the deck's royalty cards displays a different bird, from the penguin King of Clubs to the swan Queen of Hearts -- all drawn in Karina's delicate, detailed style. The tuck case is embellished with a raised texture to further accentuate the design.

Full Deck Scan: https://cardscans.piwigo.com/index?/category/854-bicycle_aves

Scans of each card can be seen at www.marytcusack.com/maryc/decks/html/Cards/52Proof.html

View all cards here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/167981955@N07/albums/72157703976777935

Whiskey is as American as apple pie. The oak tree on the front of the tuck box and seal - a symbol of the aging process for fine bourbon, matured in charred oak barrels to develop the distinct smoky flavour. This oak motif continues throughout the cards, from the Ace of Spades right around to the back design.

 

While bars before prohibition were predominantly male domains, in the 1920's many women flocked to speakeasies in their best flapper attire. We've taken inspiration from images of the era to design the court cards, the art-deco was very in-vogue at the time.

Part of the Prohibition collection from Ellusionist

 

Full Deck Scan: https://cardscans.piwigo.com/index?/category/93-bicycle_52_proof

Papilio Ulysses V3 Playing Cards (printed by US Playing Card Company) encourages all who hold this amazing deck to experience its beauty and "Alis volat propriis" - Fly with your own wings. When in flight, the female Ulysses butterfly can be seen hundreds of meters away as sudden bright blue flashes. In honor of this phenomenon, metallic blue and gold ink is strategically speckled throughout the deck on the tuck case, card backs, court cards and Jokers. The value and quality of Papilio Ulysses Playing Cards is undeniable. Every card was thoughtfully modified to represent the stages of metamorphosis and flight. Each of the court cards are customized with royal beauty and class. The numbered cards delightfully include a customized pip, while retaining the familiar design of the key indices. The simple white and metallic blue tuck case cocoons the beauty and the unique color of the deck inside. The tuck also fittingly includes a prediction element for magicians.

Memento Mori by Chris Ramsay and Murphys Magic.

Innocence Playing Cards is the third USPCC deck release from the lead graphic designer of the Orbit Deck, Daniel Schneider. Extremely detailed dot drawings, in combination with familiar looking face cards, astonish without giving you the feel of an overloaded deck of cards. A very close friend of Daniel drew the woman you see on the back design more as a sketch. She showed it to him and he loved it. A picture is worth a thousand words and this is the best example of it. Daniel couldn't resist. He had to design a deck around it. Even though the face cards of this deck look like standard USPCC courts, the pips are slightly different. The court cards have reduced colors in black, grey, and red to match to the rest of the design. One of the two Jokers reveals an Ace of Hearts. Perfect for your magic routine. Also included is an 8 of Spades duplicate with a gold metallic inked back.