Hi everyone,

 

Our reprinted shipment of Vibrating Tarot arrived last week.

Over the past seven days, I’ve been opening units, and the cards look spectacular!

None of the manufacturing defects I reported from the first batch are present in this batch.

So, we’ve started printing labels and getting everything ready for shipping.

 

We're getting everything out as fast as we can. A shipment of several dozen units are actually going out this afternoon. 

 

Keep an eye on your email over the next few weeks for your shipment confirmation and tracking number.

Colouring Book and Vibrating Font: We'll be fulfilling these digital items as soon as the cards have been shipped out. Watch for updates on these items in the coming weeks.

  

There was only one compromise that was made during the printing process. Now that the deck is here and I’m happy with the results, I want to discuss this detail.

 

It concerns the finish that was applied to the surface of the cards. 

The printer changed the finish on the cards from my originally selected Semi-Gloss finish to a Matte UV finish. 

Knowing that there were complications with the first printing, they did this to have greater control over their process and output quality.

And the cards came out excellent. 

 

So, for this First Printing of Vibrating Tarot, we’re all getting a vibrant and very mature looking deck of cards with a Matte UV finish. 

 

Matte UV is actually the more popular choice for Tarot cards, and many decks out there are made with a Matte finish. It cuts down on the glare, offers more durability, and protects against fingerprints and scratches.

The difference between Semi-Gloss and Matte can be seen in the way the deck looks under direct light, and in the way the deck handles in your hands. 

Let’s get down to the details.

 

 

In order to make a Matte finish, the card is coated with microscopic peaks and valleys that diffuse the light and scatter it in many different directions, thus creating a Matte finish with absolutely no glare. 

By contrast, the Semi-Gloss has an ultra-smooth surface and reflects light to a greater degree especially when directly opposing a light source. This can be distracting and cause fatigue for people who are reading cards for longer periods of time.  

Our new finish is also the camera friendly option as Matte UV significantly cuts the glare out of the picture. Because Matte cards are easier to photograph, this satisfies the high number of people who want to photograph their card reading.

Going back to my peaks and valleys metaphor, this formation causes the cards to grab hold of one another during the deck’s first handling. 

These peaks and valleys act like little fingers, with each card reaching out, grabbing at its neighbour and holding onto one another during the “factory seal” portion of the deck’s life.  

So, the deck can feel kind of stiff right out the box. It can be a bit clunky as soon as you open it up for the first time because it has never been handled before and it needs to break free from its rigid packaged formation. 

But the deck learns to loosen up as it explores the world. 

After it’s been shuffled from its initial formation, the deck starts to feel better in your hands and becomes more fluid with each use. 

With time and use, Matte cards offer a superior shuffling experience because of microscopic air pockets that form between cards, and this finish is often associated with a smooth, fluid, and professional feel. 

 

 

Greater protection against scuffs and scratches: Because the Matte application is made up of a tightly woven cross-hatching structure, it coats the card in a shield giving it protection against scuffing. Regarding outright scratches, while a Semi-Gloss finish will accentuate a scratch, making it pop out against the card’s otherwise smooth surface, the Matte card’s surface naturally works to hide a scratch and cause it to blend into the card’s network of microscopic cross-hatching.

 

Reduction of total surface contact: The microscopic peaks and valleys create small pockets of air, so the cards glide across one another, never really touching down on each other’s actual surface. Reducing the surface contact with its neighbouring card prevents the cards from ever sticking together if left untouched over long periods of time in a room with high humidity. 

 

Resists oil absorption from finger smudges: The textured surface allows finger oils to be distributed across many peaks, keeping it away from the deeper card surface. Across many readings, these natural finger oils build up on glossy cards and can become permanent smudge marks. 

 

Protection against warping due to atmospheric conditions: Matte UV also vastly improves the card’s structural integrity and significantly protects the card against warping due to humidity because of the way it keeps moisture away from the core of the card. 

 

 

 

There were complications with the first printing that resulted in several manufacturing defects. 

Part of the solution was to observe higher quality control, and the other part of the solution was to switch the finish from Semi-Gloss to Matte UV, which results in a better overall product with fewer complications during production.

I originally ordered Semi-Gloss. The proof was done in Semi-Gloss, and the (botched) first production run of 1000 units was in Semi-Gloss. 

 

As you all know, significant smudging occurred on several card surfaces in the first production run due to the printer’s manufacturing process.

 

Because they knew how crucial it was to get this reprint of the project right, as it had already been delayed due to their negligence, our printer recommended to change the finish from Semi-Gloss to a Matte finish, a superior finish that they are more experienced in producing, and a finish that they have more control over in their factory.

 

The change was serendipitous because of all of the added benefits of a Matte finish described above. 

A lot of people prefer a Matte finish and in this case, the Matte finish is a pleasant surprise. 

I hope it’s a pleasant surprise to all of us. 

A ton of Tarot deck creators select Matte for their finish. If you are a collector, it would be a good experiment to see how your own collection breaks down. 

Do you own more cards with a Matte finish? Or Semi-Gloss? 

Which finish do you prefer?

 

As I said, I’ve been printing out labels and packing up boxes, and as you read this, I’m standing in line at the post office sending out the first wave of this brand-new deck of cards called Vibrating Tarot. 

I hope it brings a smile to your face. That’s all I ever really wanted. 

Look forward to our October update, where we'll begin to see the deck of cards out in the wild, and I'll share where you can find Vibrating Tarot in the retail world.

All the best,

Frank Lawrence

Vibrating Tarot

by Pallor Publishing

 

@vibratingtarot

@pallorpublishing