Typographic Playing Cards
Typographic Playing Cards designed by Jim Sutherland, c.2010.
Playing cards and typography share a deep connection through the history of printmaking, visual clarity and the creative use of graphic elements such as symbols and fonts*. Each card design in this ingenious pack is composed of letters and numbers in a specific font which is named at the bottom of the card. A different font, or typeface, was used for each card. The court cards, aces and jokers use letters and the rest are created using numbers.
The idea of making a deck of typographic playing cards arose during an idle moment while Jim was on holiday in Crete in 2007, where he produced his first sketches . The playing card designs involve repetitions and superimpositions of type. Curiously, the indices are placed at the top right-hand side, as though for left-handed players.
* The rise of playing cards in Europe paralleled the development of woodblock printing, which paved the way for movable type and typography. Both playing cards and early printed books were among the first products of this technology. The numbers, letters and symbols on cards rely on clear, legible typography, often using bold sans-serif or simple serif fonts for easy recognition. The design of playing cards, especially court cards, incorporates graphic design principles like symmetry, repetition and negative space — key elements shared with typography, where balancing form and readability is crucial.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
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