Protégé Custom Card Design!

[Trav]

Originally Posted by Magus 23

Okay, here's my idea for a "Protégé" ambigram, which could reside on the center of the card backs, thereby making the whole thing symmetrical.

I tried to keep the design consistent with the stroke style used in the original Protégé design (and now the Joker design), which actually led to some interesting variations from my original concept.



Comments? Do you all think this would work on the card back?

Personally, I REALLY like this design! If you don't end up using it on the card backs, I think it should definitely find it's way into something (plaques maybe ). Fantastic job, as usual!

[Magus 23]

All right, so I've made some tweaks in at least an attempt to address some of the concerns raised, and to incorporate some of the really good suggestions I've gotten so far.

As I'm probably going to have to call it a day (still got some real work to do, and then I'm heading out for the weekend), I wanted to post a complete version of the customized cards as they currently stand. So we've got two card backs, two jokers, an Ace of Spades, and a cut card. For now, these are still in Bridge size, so for the initial run (which will be poker-sized cards), I'll have to widen the designs slightly; I just figured it'd be easier to design at the thinner size.

So without further ado, here goes:

Edit: A slightly tweaked version here, with brown and green card backs as well.


Comment away!

[TheEMan]

That is some f-ing nice designs =)

[FL70]

Excellent design. I like that you got away from fading to black on the card backs - it made them look too similar. Any chance we could see other colors? Brown/Green maybe?

Good idea with the cut card, but unless it's white on both sides you could use the Joker just as easily. The reason I say white on both sides, is that in the inevitable circumstance the card gets shuffled in to the deck, it will be easier to locate by looking at the card backs.

I'd have to repeat my point on the ambigram - to the novice eye it will look a lot like a Rorschach test.

[Magus 23]

Originally Posted by FL70

Any chance we could see other colors? Brown/Green maybe?

I'll see what I can do -- I designed them with spot colors, so I could actually change them relatively easily. For the first run of the cards, though, Sidepot did mandate red and blue backs (and in Poker size, standard index). Not that anything's written in stone, of course.

Originally Posted by FL70

Good idea with the cut card, but unless it's white on both sides you could use the Joker just as easily. The reason I say white on both sides, is that in the inevitable circumstance the card gets shuffled in to the deck, it will be easier to locate by looking at the card backs.

Not sure if it's going to be white on both sides. But my understnading is that a separate cut card is part of the package.

Originally Posted by FL70

I'd have to repeat my point on the ambigram - to the novice eye it will look a lot like a Rorschach test.

Point well taken. But I'm still leaning toward using it. It may not be particularly obvious, but on the whole, I don't think it's taking away from anyone's experience with the design. One change I've made even since I posted this version was to add a line "Protégé Playing Card Set" to the Joker and cut card text -- which does make it less critical that the logo be so clearly readable. (I also added a "design by" credit on the cut card -- I figured nobody would begrudge me a little shameless self-promotion.)

Edit: Just replaced the last version with a slightly updated one.

[circlencircle]

Originally Posted by Magus 23

Edit: A slightly tweaked version here, with brown and green card backs as well.


Comment away!

This is perfect... dont change a thing...

[circlencircle]

Actually, I take it back. I don’t like the way "Joker" looks... The placement seems off and the style doesn’t exactly match protégé.... Just a thought...

[EmptyPocs]

If you are really big up on that mirror image thing you can also do it with the left Joker, just shrink him a little and add a 2nd

[Magus 23]

Originally Posted by EmptyPocs

If you are really big up on that mirror image thing you can also do it with the left Joker, just shrink him a little and add a 2nd

Hmmm... I could, but I'm less concerned with the card faces than I am with the card backs. And traditionally, Joker images (unlike face cards) aren't usually mirrored.

As for the concern about the "Joker" text itself, it's closer to the base typeface from which the "Protégé" ambigram is derived; still, I might be able to tweak a couple of characters (notably the "o" and "e") to more closely resembled the altered versions I use in the ambigram.

[circlencircle]

Originally Posted by Magus 23

As for the concern about the "Joker" text itself, it's closer to the base typeface from which the "Protégé" ambigram is derived; still, I might be able to tweak a couple of characters (notably the "o" and "e") to more closely resembled the altered versions I use in the ambigram.

Don’t get me wrong... Your work makes me feel like I shouldn’t even waist my time... Just great work all the way around!