With a little luck, this link
https://scontent.forf1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v......5981207A
will take you to the IBM Ring 103 Norfolk facebook page and a jpeg of a fanning deck that I just had printed by the U.S. Playing Card Company. I tried to incorporate some of the best features of the classic Unique Studios fanning deck and the Cossari deck with the best features of Abbott's Zinab deck--namely being able to show a fan that is blank on both sides before transforming into a standard fanning deck--a very magical effect.

For a first attempt it came out close to what I wanted. Someone at U.S. Playing Card did contact me asking:
-----quote-----
We noticed the image that you submitted is not properly sized, resulting in a white border around the image. Attached is the current design for your review.
-----unquote-----

They were concerned about the aspect ratio because they thought the white edge was not part of the design, so I sent them a reply with an attachment showing the design with graphic artist registration marks showing exactly what I wanted. The jpeg that I sent them actually had the design extending slightly beyond the registration marks--allowing for what graphic artists call a "safe edge."

Although the Zinab blank-both-sides feature works, I think I should have made the white right edge just a little wider.

The cost for printing three decks was under $70.00--which when you consider the cost of most commercially available fanning decks is quite reasonable.

The shield that I placed in the center of the design is the Narvaez Family Coat of Arms. I figured that if the decks weren't quite what I wanted, I could send them to family members as a Christmas present
:-)

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

Interesting design, and should work for a colorful fanning routine.

I did not know USPCC would print small orders, I always heard they only take an order of 10,000 minimum.

Nice to know they will make small runs.

The advent of digital printing services makes custom playing cards much more possible and affordable than it was just a few years ago.

Apparently you can even have a deck printed at your local Walgreens Pharmacy:
http://photo.walgreens.com/store/playing....../pdpview
The photo on the deck shown at that link does not have a border around the photo, which of course is an essential feature of a fanning deck.

U. S. Playing Cards probably felt that if a drug store chain was offering custom photo playing cards that they should get a piece of the action and offer that service, too. I think FedEx Kinko's probably offers that service as well.

It's kind of ironic that Walgreens offers custom decks of cards, since the Peau Doux deck that Cardini used in his act was from Walgreens.

Based on the design of the King of Spades of the sample Walgreens deck shown at the link that I posted above, it does not appear to be printed by U.S. Playing Cards. I wonder what kind of card stock they use to print their cards. It might be worth investigating.

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

Sonny,

I checked the USPCC website and noticed that the small run services only specified custom backs. Do you know if they do faces only with normal backs, or custom faces AND backs? I did notice custom faces and backs, but only in the 2500 deck minimum. Maybe I overlooked something??

I have a handful of tricks I could bring to market if purchasing the proper gimmicks was affordable.

~michael

I don't know whether USPCC does custom faces _and_ backs.
Chris Kenworthey's MindPower deck comes with specially printed faces but normal backs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pPobr8nSnQ

Chris originally had the deck printed in a bridge-size, generic card back but the deck had such strong potential that Chris eventually had the trick printed with poker-sized Bicycle cards. Chris's deck has such a strong effect that magic shops all over the world carry it. Wayne Houchin, Kreskin and others have used Chris's deck in their appearances.

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

That was a shock seeing Craig Cole. I met him a couple years ago in Wichita. He did a fantastic show at a little close-up theater in his home. He passed away recently.

That deck probably fell into that 2500 deck minimum. My problem is that what I want to make does not use a full deck... far from it. I can make several sets of what I need from the quantity of one deck. Twenty decks would probably give me more than a hundred sets.

I understand the logic, though. Printing backs generally means the same image repeated. Faces are obviously different, unless they are all alike.

Years ago, I made a specially printed deck (full deck) by making each card individually. Just the process of getting copies, photographs, etc. cost me well over $100., not counting my labor, which was substantial. That was a chunk of change back then, and it's obvious that such a deck could never be marketed. It would simply be too expensive.