June 1st Update
almost 4 years ago
– Mon, Jun 01, 2020 at 10:55:35 PM
Hey everyone,
I hope you are doing well. I have lots of news to share.
The printer of this deck (PrintNinja) is back to normal production times for their products. Full production of the decks was approved on May 22nd and is estimated to be completed by June 16th. Once all the decks are printed, PrintNinja's process (on orders of this size) is to expedite 1-3 decks to me for final approval. After I receive the sample and approve it, PrintNinja will then go ahead and ship the entire order.
It took me some time to approve/reject the proofs (presented in the previous update) due to an issue with the brown edges. I've recently learned that during the edging process, some inks may bleed on to the front and back surfaces of the cards. The result (on the proofs) was small, fuzzy, brown spots along the borders. My account manager informed me that normally these spots wouldn't be obvious, but because the card face (in my case) was white and card back was light grey, the contrast made the spots more noticeable.
I was disappointed, but also extremely grateful for discovering this before mass production was approved. I loved the brown edges, but I didn't want to compromise on the quality of the card face. To me that was most important and the spots were a detraction in my eyes.
I reached out for some advice and debated ordering an additional proof from PrintNinja with a lighter edge color. I ultimately decided against this idea because I didn't want to create a further delay in production and there was no guarantee that the spots wouldn't be noticeable even if I chose a lighter ink. So, I asked for the decks to be printed without a painted edge.
If you're disappointed about this change, fortunately there are many YouTube videos that will demonstrate how you can add an edge color to your deck. Just search, "How to Edge a Tarot Deck". If you are going down this route, be sure to bleed-test your markers & inks before applying to the cards.
I know some people (including myself) really liked the brown edges, but I know others preferred silver or black for this deck. By leaving the card edges white, anyone is free to modify the edges with any color they desire. Or you could leave them white if you think that looks best. :)
TLDR - Due to an issue with ink-bleeding, decks will be printed without a painted edge. Full production of the WilderWoven Tarot was approved on May 22nd and estimated to be completed by June 16th. After receiving & approving an expedited copy from the full production, the full order will be shipped to me.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please write below or send me a message.
Thanks again to you all. The next update will occur when I receive/approve a copy from the full production.
Final proofs have arrived!
almost 4 years ago
– Sat, May 09, 2020 at 04:41:18 PM
Hey everyone, I hope you're doing well. :)
I was so happy to see a package from UPS on my doorstep this afternoon. The final proofs for my deck have arrived from the printers. Yay!
I'm really happy with how the cards, guidebook, and two-piece box look and feel. Much higher quality than the earlier prototypes I had made. So nice to see the deck with brown painted edges. It was suggested by one of my backers and I think it's a great touch. The final version of the guidebook ended up being 130 pages and it fits nicely on top of the deck. The cards are 350gsm, so they feel heavy and thick.
I'll be doing a thorough inspection of the cards and re-reading the guidebook (for the 100th time) to look for any imperfections/errors. From my initial scan, everything looks good. Once I'm certain, I'll give the okay to the printers to begin mass production.
Thank you to everyone that has filled out the BackerKit surveys. Again, I won't be charging your cards until the decks are printed and on there way to me. So if you have moved recently, you are still able to update your survey with your new address.
Thank you so much for your patience with the extended timeline. I hope you're able to take some time this weekend to do something nice for yourself. As always, please leave a comment or send me a message if you have any questions.
Greg
April Update
about 4 years ago
– Wed, Apr 01, 2020 at 06:43:05 PM
Hey everyone,
I hope you and all those you care for are staying safe and healthy. I read this morning that the number of new virus cases in Italy has begun to decline. Welcome news and a sign that the physical distancing over there is working.
A couple days ago I received an e-mail from the printers. I'm happy to report that the hardcopy proof of the WilderWoven Tarot is now being made. Yay!
The hardcopy proof should arrive within two weeks. If all looks good, mass production can begin once I give them the okay.
Thank you for your patience and to those that have written supportive messages.
As always, comment below or send me a message if you have any questions.
Warmly,
Greg
March Update
about 4 years ago
– Tue, Mar 10, 2020 at 02:51:19 AM
Hey everyone,
I spoke with the customer service representative for PrintNinja late last week and the Coronavirus continues to cause delays for their production team. A limited crew has returned to work and they are working on a backlog of orders. At this point, there is no firm date when operations will return to normal.
I hope you're all managing to stay healthy. Remember to wash your hands often and stay home from work, school, or crowded places if you're experiencing flu symptoms.
As always, comment below or message me if you have any questions.
Warmly,
Greg
February Update
about 4 years ago
– Fri, Feb 07, 2020 at 07:14:20 PM
Hey everyone!
I hope you're doing well. Time for an update on the progress of the deck.
First of all, thank you to all of you that have filled out the backer surveys so far. Over 80% of you have completed them, which is fantastic! If you haven't yet, please check your inbox for an e-mail from BackerKit and fill it out with your shipping information when you have a moment. Your credit cards won't be charged until we move closer to the shipping date, so if you change locations between now and then, you'll be able to update your survey with your new address.
If you haven't received a backer survey, please send me a message and I will resend it.
For the people that live in Nelson, B.C., you have the option of a local pickup instead of paying for shipping. In the backer survey under the drop down menu "Select your country for shipping", please select "Local Pickup". You can edit your survey if you've already filled it out. Under the drop down menu "Address Country", please select "Local Pickup".
In regards to the production of the WilderWoven deck itself, we are waiting for the Chinese partners of PrintNinja to return to work. They were shutdown for a couple of weeks in January for New Years and then that shutdown was extended due to the coronavirus outbreak. The customer service representative has told me they anticipate returning to work on February 10th.
Specifically what I'm waiting on receiving is a template for the two-piece box that will hold the 80 cards and 128 page guidebook - both of which are complete. Once I receive that template and add my designs to it, the final prototype of the deck can be printed. After I give the okay to the final prototype, mass printing will begin.
As always, if you have any questions/comments please leave them below or send me a message.
Have a great weekend. :)
Greg
