talkmagic.co.uk

Does anyone know of a UK printer or card manufacturer that does one-off requests such as my own photo on the back of a regular deck.

I looked at a couple of companies on the Internet but they all had minimum orders of 500 packs (eg for business promotions etc.) I only want a couple of packs.

Does anyone print their own cards using home computer printers (laser, injet etc.)?
what paper/card do you use?
does a laminator produce cards that fan/slide etc without generating static.

any advice welcomed.

If you are going to have cards printed on playing card stock (blank faces or blank backs) even having it professionally done can be a problem.
Card stock is typically slick and the ink just will not dry quickly enough, or stay on permanently.
You will waste a LOT of cards due to smearing of the ink, whether done on a computer or by a printer.
Newt's Playing Cards is located in the U.S. but they can do personalized cards. See their site (http://www.newtscards.com/)
I've dealt with them in the past and was always satisfied.

Dis,
If you want to try printing your own cards you could look at a dvd called Versatile Monte and Beyond it was featured on the forum some time ago.
Spike.

I might help: http://www.magicbycardmaker.com/pageID_2850155.html

CardMaker, I don't want to step on any toes, but is it legal for you to charge for printing on Bike stock?

Demitri wrote:CardMaker, I don't want to step on any toes, but is it legal for you to charge for printing on Bike stock?

Why not? Do I miss something?

There's always 'The Art of Card Splitting' which shows you how to make gaffed cards, although you can't beat the real deal. Why not just go straight to the United States Playing Card Company and have them print the cards for you? I may be wrong, but they have a 'Custom Cards' page on their site and so they may be fine to print gaffed cards for you, though don't take this as definite - I may be wrong. Either way the link is this http://www.usplayingcard.com/uspccustom.html

Maybe some of the pros can advise?

There was also a DVD that taught you how to print your own cards, but what this was called or where it was from I don't know - I saw it ages ago, haven't seen it since.

I don't know of any places in the UK, and printing cards can be a costly business (getting the printers running etc.) which is why they tend to be done in bulk.

Demitri wrote:CardMaker, I don't want to step on any toes, but is it legal for you to charge for printing on Bike stock?

It's bound to be ok. So many companies/individuals do it.

I'm only asking because you are selling items that have a trademark on the back design of their cards. You can't use or sell another person's trademark without permission.

Try the search function

There should be no legal problems with printing on Bike stock, once you've paid for the cards they are yours to do with as you wish - even write on them or tear corners off. What you perhaps can't do is try to pass your printed items off as originals or made by USPC which would clearly be incorrect.

SPC will do specials but only in large quantities and, as the original request was to find a source for small quantities, ones and twos, it needs a 'home printing' or specialist printer type of process. Folks like Cardmaker are probably the best chance of getting professional work done in small quantities. I've tried printing on card stock many times and even if I get something which looks good, the ink soon smudges.

Mandrake - yes, once you own them, you can do as you please. But, writing on them, tearing them for an effect and burning them with a lighter is completely different from printing on them and selling them.

For instance - you can buy a movie at any store. Once you own it, you can bring your friends over to watch, you can even make a copy in case the original is destroyed. However, if you charge money to someone else for that movie, that's illegal.

The same is true with any product protected by a copyright or trademark - it's the very reason why such laws are in place.

As I said before, I'm not trying to step on toes. I appreciate guys like CardMaker, who do such things for others - but I just thought he should be aware of such things.

If you ever read the writing on the flap of any Bicycle cardbox, you will understand what copyright protected is.

I do not print the Ace of Spades, Jokers or backs.
I use original cards and print e.g. a mismade queen onto that card which has a real back.

Plus I am not the only one offering this service - regarding the whole world. Dunno how many offer this service in Europe....

You should test me

writing on them, tearing them for an effect and burning them with a lighter is completely different from printing on them and selling them.

Sorry to disagree but, in this context there isn't any difference.

You've bought the items, they are your property and you can do what you want with them. If you take a blank face card and print something on it, something like a fake 24 of Hearts, there's nothing to stop you selling that card for what it is - a fake or gag card. If you claim that USPC did the work then you'd be in the wrong and ought to be taken to task for it. If you sell it openly under your own name and make no dubious claims then you're legally OK - at least this is the case in the UK. If you copy the back design of the card or anything which USPC print on them and change it to the detriment of their brand then you'd equally be at fault. It's all in the intention behind any printing work etc. What Cardmaker does is perfectly legal and there are many other firms who sell a range of gaffed cards on Bike stock etc - not all are done by USPC. Check out cards4magic.co.uk - the choice is staggering!

By the way, the law in respect of videos is almost the same here as over your way but the idea of being allowed to take a back up copy isn’t valid - I thought the same applied to recordings everywhere as most US professional videos start off with that large warning about copying being theft etc. Any copying is illegal, (although we all know it happens!). What really intrigues me is that when computer programs and software were sold on floppy disc, the first thing you were advised to do by the software authors/publishers was to take a back up copy and store the original in a safe place in case you needed to reinstall the software for some reason. As soon as programs were sold on CD, all this changed and taking copies was not only illegal but prevented by the anti-copying features! Anyway, that's getting off topic, sorry!

Many thanks for all the advice. This is very helpful. I think I shall have a go at printing my own (the cheapest option) but suspect that I will run into quality problems and will end up using the services of cardmaker (the next cheapest option.)

I could not find any reference to the DVDs mentioned above. could anyone suggest a supplier.