Tales from the Trade

Playing card images are pure art

by Shari Spiro

February 2, 2013, 5:42 am

I had never seen this done before a client sent me this photo of the Magic Hat Playing cards we sent him.  Since then I have never seen such a good job of fanning anywhere – even in google images!

For our second colorful deck – I love the design work in the Oranium deck.   A lovely Tarot card deck – the face images are vibrant and colorful.

A deck that features some of the most well recognized cartoon images was created by Rivoli Design.  Each of the faces features one of their client projects.

Another beautiful custom card deck is this periodic table of elements card deck.  This oversized square deck with rounded corners features stunning photos of the periodic table elements and vivid descriptions with colorful charting on the back of each of the element cards.

I also absolutely love the beauty in this custom playing card deck by Tait Towers. Tait – in case you did not know –  is one of the leaders in staging for most of the largest concert touring bands in the world.  Featuring stunning photos from 54 concerts these decks have a linen texture which enhances the beauty in each photo.  Stunning vivid stage photos of tours for stars like Madonna , Metallica, Kelly Clarkson, Bruce Springsteen. The Olympics, Rhianna and Lady Gaga, the printed sheets for this job are absolutely framable.  Tait made custom cases for the decks which fits the cards sleekly –  to within 1/128 of an inch tolerance.  Metal – like road cases – these custom playing card boxes are truly exceptional and set off the deck to best advantage in keeping with the overall concert theme.

Shari Spiro founded Ad Magic in 1998, turning it into one of the largest independent tabletop game printers in the U.S. She has worked with renowned clients like Cards Against Humanity, Exploding Kittens, and household names such as HBO, Delta Airlines, National Geographic, and McDonald’s.

Shari’s expertise spans manufacturing, logistics, marketing, and long-range planning, making her a driving force behind Ad Magic’s success. Under Shari’s leadership, Ad Magic has become a trusted partner for global brands and independent creators.

Beyond work, she’s a musician and an award-winning entrepreneur—in 2016, she was recognized as Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year.