In an economy that most are uncomfortable with at best – we have noticed a rise in “inventors” of educational playing card games.  Categories range from Geography to Science, Math, History, Reading and Spelling – to advanced subkjects like Chemistry and Linguistics.  The variety and depth of these New Age Educational Playing Cards is quite compelling.  Although I am not an inventor myself (yet – I keep thinking – that big idea will come someday but not “Yet”) – our clients are quite proficient at inventing. In fact many of them have more than one game- they often have created several.  For some of them it is a process that has taken 20 years. For others – they come up with an idea and move on it right away.

Our job here at Ad Magic is to make the inventor’s dream a reality. To take the chicken scratch and make it artwork. To take the idea and make it a product – on a shelf- for retail sale.  We deliver the complete package- ready to stock on a store shelf – ready t be purchased by the public.

Our prototype service for educational playing cards allows the inventor to test a small run of cards or to photograph product shots while waiting for the larger print shipment to come in.  Prototypes can include custom boxes, rules sheets as well as custom playing cards.

Educational Playing Cards

Some games shown here -

Educational playing cards about the United States and their capitals and other state information

A Math Game with math tricks and conversions

A Multiplication game and teaching deck

I just want to touch on some of the great card decks we are working on that help you to figure out your strengths and what kind of person you are. Recently I have had the honor of working with some people in this area who really seem to know what they are talking about.  While the jury is still out on me – and exactly what kind of personality I am and exactly what my strengths are- with the deck  I am introducing here I would like to think I am the magic one – as the company is – after all – Ad Magic.   I have to admit I find these kinds of custom playing cards especially intriguing.

Most are oversized – like custom tarot cards – but they are not tarot cards – they are actually more like personality cards than affirmation or spiritual cards.  In practical use they are extraordinarily useful teamwork cards.

Braden Kelley is the author of such a deck, and it deals with his methodology of The Nine Innovation Roles.  You can click on that link to learn more about the deck or to help fund it.

This is a deck that helps teams and organizations work better by delving into each person’s role

The Nine Innovation Roles Card Deck comes with a series of simple exercises to assist people to better understand how they currently work together on projects and how they can together improve the overall performance of their team or their organization.  It is fascinating to try to figure out which role you play.  Check these out and let me know what you are

Custom Innovation Cards by Braden Kelley

One of the best uses of the faces on playing cards is to display a beautiful product line.  If you have it – flaunt it. That is exactly what Levian Jewelers – also known as “The Chocolate Diamond” jeweler – has done with this exciting double deck of custom playing cards.  Each face in the 128 card deck features a unique item or set of of jewelry from the jeweler’s new 2012 product line.  This new and exciting playing card deck features Levian jewelry in stunning photographs that capture the essence of each piece perfectly.  Kudos go to Joe Miller and his team at IGS for the incredible photography used in this deck!

Each face of this unique deck features one of Levian's incredible pieces of jewelry

The layout of the piece features a horizontal double wide tuck box.  The double tuck box allows the two decks inside to sit side by side.  Each card deck contains 52 images of jewelry and 2 jokers for a grand total of 108 unique images in this one of a kind double deck.  The card backs on each of the two decks are also different – one features a stunning watch image and the other features an equally impressive chocolate diamond piece.

Both the decks inside the box and the box itself feature a golden pull tab release.  This release makes it easier to open both the deck boxes and the wrapping on the cards themselves.

Custom double playing card boxes and pull tab release

Levian’s product line makes it especially well suited for a catalog on custom playing cards.  Not only is each product eye catching – but each product has been silhouetted to fit perfectly in between the playing card pips on the faces.  There are so many items in the Levian Jewelry line that 108 faces were needed and there were still plenty of products that could not be shown!  Truly a deck to play cards with and maybe drool over at the same time.  I know I am picturing a couple of these items in my jewelry box after working on the deck.  I challenge any woman to look at this deck and not want to own at least one of these gorgeous pieces of jewelry. This line is simply amazing to look at.  Probably even more fun to wear.

1. Place assorted pics of your product line on the card faces or if you have a food or drink line put a recipe on each playing card face

2.  Put a joke on each face of your playing cards

3.  Put a different team player or student on each

jumbo-custom-face-playing-cards-westmont

playing  card face or different activities available at your school or university

4. Put adifferent work of art on each playing card face

5. Put a different local business on each playing card face

6. Put a different golf course hole on each playing card face

7 Put  a different inspirational quote on each card face

8. Create your own custom card game

9.  Create an educational card deck or a training deck or travel deck.

10.  Put a piece of real estate you sold on each playing card face.

Most decks with custom faces fall into one of these categories.

If I think of another I will add it to the list.

Recently Ad Magic was called upon to print sign language cards for the hit television show Switched at Birth – which is a Disney production.  Switched at Birth airs on ABC family and is the story of two teenage girls who discover they were accidentally switched at birth in the hospital. Personally – having had a couple of babies myself  - I cannot understand how someone would mistake their own newborn – but that really has nothing to do with this deck of sign language playing cards that I am talking about here. One of the girls is deaf and lives with a single working mother and the other girl lives with well to do parents.  Disney created these decks in order to promote the use of sign language as well as to promote their hit show.  The cards are a 26 card custom playing card set which feature a different letter of the alphabet on each card and one of the cast members from the television show is shown making the letter in sign language.  The boxes are special size custom full color playing card tuck boxes which were designed and cut specifically to hold 26 cards – so it is a much thinner box than normal.  For educational signing playing cards these are clear, well designed  and easy to follow.  For a novice like me it is nice to be able to see how to make the letters and practice my sign language a bit. I have attached a photo here of the deck, cards and box.  The stock used for the playing cards is our standard pristine 300 gsm stock with a high gloss plastic coated finish on the box.

Sign language playing cards from the hit Television Show Switched at Birth

One of our strongest points is the ability to turn around rush playing cards.   Some clients we have done rush orders for include – HBO, Disney, ABC Family,

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The American Embassy, Ford, Symantec, Criminal Minds, Cards for hundreds of weddings, Events, Tradeshows, all kinds of things that people have waited until the last minute to order.  Because of our ability to manage and deliver custom playing card rush orders  - we have saved many clients from missing their delivery date and going to their event empty handed. At times we step in when other companies have told the client that they can not complete their job after all.  We can even rush jobs that have fully custom faces like those shown here.  If you find yourself stuck and need rush playing cards please do not hesitate to call our RUSH number at 973 713 5155 on eves and weekends.  Otherwise the 888-423-6244 number is fine 9 to 5 EST.

We have printed some great rush decks!  Also if you need rush promotional items or customized promotional items in general – please don’t hesitate to visit our other sites linked here.

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I love my new IPAD 3 for taking pictures – especially of playing cards and custom poker chips.  Now I can show everyone what we are doing with better pics and maybe explain some things about poker chips thay you should understand before you buy them.

I also tried to take some close ups so you can see what they really look like.

These are some samples of the many different custom poker chips we have manufactured and  designed for clients such as FORD, WINDOWS VISTA, CROWN ROYAL, and assorted military personnel, brides and grooms, casinos and wine merchants!

We often pack custom poker chips with custom playing cards or in custom poker chip boxes.  The boxes can be etched, engraved, silkscreened or blank.  They come in leather, vinyl, wood, aluminum, plastic and nylon.  We offer drawstring bags, nylon zipper sets and completely custom set boxes.

We carry several types of chips that can be imprinted in full color in the center of the chip.

The chips I photographed with my I PAD 3 are:

OPTION 1)  8 stripe ABS PLASTIC CHIPS – INLAY CENTER

8 stripe poker chips are a nice and weighty 11.5 gram ABS plastic ceramic blend.

OPTION 2) 6 stripe CLAY BLEND CHIPS – INLAY CENTER

6 stripe poker chips are 12.9 grams and are made of a clay ceramic blend.

OPTION 3) REVERSE 6 STRIPE –  CERAMIC BLEND POKER CHIPS - PRINTED CENTER NOT INLAY

THE CER BLEND CHIPS WITH DIGITALLY PRINTED CENTER weigh 10 grams and come in 13 stock edge colors.

We carry other typesof chips as well – but I will cover them separately.  These chips are all 6 or 8 stripe and all have the option for center printing.  The difference is that the CER BLEND chip is not an inlay.

INLAY CHIPS EXPLAINED:  6 and 8 stripe chips are not made with a paper label – but they do have a plastic laminated inlay placed into the recessed center of the chip. This inlay is customized in full color, die cut to size  and them professionally applied for a long life. THese chips feature a water resistant finish.   Both 6 and 8 stripe custom poker chips are available with RUSH CUSTOM POKER CHIP DELIVERY at a reasonable price.

PRINTED CENTER EXPLAINED: The 10 gram Ceramic blend chips with the printed center have no recess and no inlay and come in an assortment of 13 bright vibrant egde colors.  The centers can be printed right onto the chip.  Even consecutive numbering and variable data  customization is possible with these chips.  The minimum order is 500 chips and they do take a full 3 weeks to manufacture. Generally they are NOT available with RUSH service.  But anything is possible so please inquire.  The quality of these chips is excellent and they are certainly worth waiting for if you have the time to wait.

Custom poker chips with 8 stripes

6 stipe custom clay poker chips

Addams Family Playing card decks

I guess one of the most exciting things in my job is to go to a broadway show or a show in Vegas and see our custom promotional playing cards – the custom playing cards we designed or printed for a client on sale at the show in the concession area. (selling for 8 times more than the client paid LOL of course!).

There is no better feeling. Actually comp tickets do improve the feeling.

Some of the shows we have done – like The Addams Family – have turned out to be big long running shows. Turns out I actually knew one of the cast members in Addams. Family. Of course we had left the theater by the time I recognized her name.   Darn. Probably could have met Brooke Shields.  Anyway it is a super fun part of the job here to actually see how the playing cards we make are finally used. So keep sending in those pics people. We love them.

This makes my staff and I happy:)

Hi Shari

Late one night, I was surfing the ‘Net, trying to find something cool to give to the kids on our hockey team as a memento of the season and I was getting kind of discouraged until I found your web site. And you don’t know how glad I am that I found you!!

I received a (more than) prompt response to my initial inquiry and when I decided that I wanted to place an order, you were awesome at walking me through each step of what was needed to get it done.

We received our order exactly when we needed it and everyone agreed that playing cards, personalized with their team picture on the back, was the PERFECT gift to give 18 Bantam-aged travel hockey players who played Euchre, Poker and Blackjack on every road trip. The price was right, the parents and coaches thought they were cool and I think the kids’ reaction can be summed up by the one kid who looked at his cards and said “These are SICK!!” (not very eloquent but what do you expect from 13 and 14 yr olds?).

And so, with all that being said, I would like to say, yes, those cards ARE “sick” and also, thank you VERY much for the great customer service.  I will definitely be back and will also not hesitate to recommend you and your cards to anyone who is looking for a high quality personalized gift that won’t cost them an arm and a leg!!

Thanks again!

Nanette Peters

Traverse City MI

Use complimentary colors when designing playing cards

Do not use more than 2 typestyles

Keep it simple as less is truly more

Custom playing cards with nice use of complimentary colors

Simple yet elegant card and box design