USPCC Die Line versus Dotted Line

[AdamF]

Does anyone have experience using USPCC die line templates?  I have submitted art that extends right up to the dotted lines on their templates (i.e., past the safe zone), but that is within the (solid) die line.  Do folks know how important it is to keep image within the safe zone?  Seems like a very large safe zone to me.

[sprouts1115]

That should give you an Idea.  Just know that the back of card is centered while the front of card takes the shift hit....

[Don Boyer]

Does anyone have experience using USPCC die line templates?  I have submitted art that extends right up to the dotted lines on their templates (i.e., past the safe zone), but that is within the (solid) die line.  Do folks know how important it is to keep image within the safe zone?  Seems like a very large safe zone to me.

The tighter you go in terms of a margin's width, the greater the chance that registration errors will ruin some portion of your print run, perhaps even a large portion.

As stated, USPC focuses on getting as good a registration as possible on the card backs.  These days, the fronts are almost never completely centered, but that's less critical - an off-center back can make a two-way back design into a one-way back.  As much as customers love getting really thin borders on their card backs, it's a dance when dealing with USPC, getting them to accept the art then having them tell you that they accept no responsibility for registration errors if your margins are that tight.

For the faces, stay within the border for everything but perhaps the indices, and even with those, don't go too close to the edge.  Better to have a bit of wiggle room than an index that's cut in half, with the other half appearing on another card or falling off with the deck sheet's trimmings.

Consider using a different printer if you want better registration.  Expert and Legends PCCs both accomplish some very good work in those aspects of a print job.  Of course, there's still a limit, but they might be able to more accurately line up faces to backs, allowing you to go tight on faces as well.  You'd have to talk to them to make certain, but it doesn't cost anything to ask questions.

[AdamF]

That should give you an Idea.  Just know that the back of card is centered while the front of card takes the shift hit....

Thanks, Sprouts (and Dan).  Sprouts, do you have an example, perhaps from your own designs, that shows how far outside of the dotted line you're comfortable going?  Your profile pic, for example, shows an index that goes outside the line.  I am interested in seeing how far out you'd be willing to go on the front of the card.  (Backs don't concern me as much, as I'm not even doing a border on my backs.)  Any help would be super appreciated...

[Don Boyer]

That should give you an Idea.  Just know that the back of card is centered while the front of card takes the shift hit....

Thanks, Sprouts (and Dan).  Sprouts, do you have an example, perhaps from your own designs, that shows how far outside of the dotted line you're comfortable going?  Your profile pic, for example, shows an index that goes outside the line.  I am interested in seeing how far out you'd be willing to go on the front of the card.  (Backs don't concern me as much, as I'm not even doing a border on my backs.)  Any help would be super appreciated...

First, I'm DON, not DAN. 

The backs should concern you a good deal, actually, unless you're doing a one-way design to start with and aren't concerned about proper centering.  Few people like an off-center back, and poker players won't use them at all.

[sprouts1115]

There you go.  It's basically half way to the cut border.  I was told to modify the spades.  They are at the absolute edge of no mans land.  My fat club extends well into the left side edge.  I had to make it to where all the ranks were in the same spot in all the cards.  I tried to stay close to the old suits of the Bicycle 808 series.  In the future, I wish to make custom suits that are slightly bubbled in shape.  In doing so, I might be able to move the indices a little farther toward the cut border and in theory a person could have 1 or 2 more cards in their hand.   

[AdamF]

DON -- yes, I know your name!  95% of what I know about playing cards come from reading your posts on this forum!  Sorry about the misspelling.

Reason I'm not concerned about the backs (mine is two-way) is that I don't have any borders.  The design looks kind of like white noise on an old television screen. 

The cards are so unusual and heterodox anyway that only a folks who want a very different poker playing experience will use them.  I'll share the designs on the forum in about a week...

[AdamF]

There you go.  It's basically half way to the cut border.  I was told to modify the spades.  They are at the absolute edge of no mans land.  My fat club extends well into the left side edge.  I had to make it to where all the ranks were in the same spot in all the cards.  I tried to stay close to the old suits of the Bicycle 808 series.  In the future, I wish to make custom suits that are slightly bubbled in shape.  In doing so, I might be able to move the indices a little farther toward the cut border and in theory a person could have 1 or 2 more cards in their hand.

Thanks for sharing this -- this is super helpful.  I'll use this to help guide my layout. 

Nice design, too!

[Don Boyer]

DON -- yes, I know your name!  95% of what I know about playing cards come from reading your posts on this forum!  Sorry about the misspelling.

Reason I'm not concerned about the backs (mine is two-way) is that I don't have any borders.  The design looks kind of like white noise on an old television screen. 

The cards are so unusual and heterodox anyway that only a folks who want a very different poker playing experience will use them.  I'll share the designs on the forum in about a week...

Even with a two-way borderless back, an off-center cut will make the back one-way.  Ask anyone who knows a lot about Bee Diamond Backs.  (Those are also terribly easy to mark as well, and do a good job of concealing certain bits of sleight of hand because of the optical-illusion effect that occurs when the cards are handled.  In a spread, you can't tell where one ends and the next begins.)

Try not to go too far off the beaten path if you're trying to appeal to poker players.  While the guys playing over a beer-and-pretzels neighborhood nickel-ante game are more tolerant, most players are very conservative about what they want in a deck of cards.