I have released a new version of my vector playing cards. It turns out the designs for the face cards are in the public domain. I compared several brands of cards and they use the exact same designs. I scanned the cards and vectorized them using potrace. After vectorizing them I did a lot of touch-up work using Inkscape.
12 comments:
I don't have words for thanking you enough for the effort put into these cards. But on the risk of sounding ungrateful (which really isn't the case) I do have a question: is it on purpose that the red queen face cards are the same?
Thanks, I didn't notice they were the same! The queen of hearts is wrong. I will release a new version with this fixed (probably this weekend).
OK, the queen of hearts has been fixed in version 1.2.
I have posted a similar project after working on it for about six months.
I think mine are a lot cleaner and I'm also offering them in a few other iterations (b/w, grayscale)
http://code.google.com/p/vectorized-playing-cards/
Hi Byron, Thanks so much for the energy you put into these cards.
I'm designing a set of cards with a neon-look, and while looking up face card designs I came across these. :) I don't know if my final design will look anything like these, but they are excellent inspiration.
Thanks!
Thanks for the vector.
I didn't have the font you used, so i had to go find it.
I would expand all fonts.
Thanks a lot for your hard work.
Thanks a lot for your hard work!
Thanks a lot for your hard work!
The images are in the public domain. How old is the original design, and who designed the face cards. They are wonderful graphic designs, but I can't find anyone to credit. Please advise.
dagald.walker@gmail.com.
Thanks.
@Dag, the face cards are the same as used by Bicycle Playing Cards. That should make it easier to research the original design origin. If I remember correctly, the design falls into public domain since it was designed a long time ago (>100 years).
Byron, thank you for your prompt response to my note. Very good of you.
The Bicycle Playing Cards Co. was in Ohio, now in Kentucky. It began in 1887 or so. I have written to the company over the past few years inquiring about the artist. I am persona non grata with all the junior clerks who handle inquiries of this sort. I cannot find details about the artist in question.
I am sure that the Bicycle Card Co. will have records somewhere regarding the artist. The company had to pay him for his work. There will be a record somewhere of his name. I hope to find a patent. I hope somehow, who knows, to get his name.
The face card images are iconic. People around the world know the images instantly. No one, to my knowledge, knows who this artist is. Yes, he created images recognised around the world almost 150 years later. He is a fine graphic artist.
The artist is exceptional. Given the success of the playing card images, one is hopeful that this same artist is known and that he had a long and successful career. I am inclined to believe so. I hope to find his name and find out what other works he did. It is my hope that there are many images, probably mostly forgotten now, of equal quality. The artist is good. I hope to bring his work to life again.
If you or anyone you know or can think of is able to locate the artists name, it will set me on the path to reclaiming his work from the ash heap of history.
Again, Byron, thank you for your time and efforts here.
My best from Mindo, Ecuador,
Dag Walker
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