VXD Vegas Diffractor

[VXD]

Hi STL

No worries at all about the question. I'm a tech / science type of guy anyway....so very happy to explain:

Diffraction is one of the key processes that helps to create holograms. It is a holographic foil, correctly spotted. The particular holographic foils that we use (to be fully invisible at most angles - and thereby create a kind of 'secret' artwork layer) are transparent holographic foils. They are stamped, with heat and pressure, into the fronts and backs of the cards, over the traditional ink artwork.

We have patented this manufacturing step for playing cards (only), for the general, immediate, purpose of customising playing cards in this novel way for whoever wants to customise / personalise them.....and the eventual purpose of advertising brands / logos on casino table games.

Due to us patenting it, we thought we better name them: hence the name 'Diffractor' Playing Cards coming about.

Very glad you like them and I'll be happy to ship some your way, naturally!

Cheers

[drifter779]

Very nice deck. Can’t wait for it to launch.

[VXD]

Thanks Drifter, really appreciate your support!

[Bradius]

Diffraction is one of the key processes that helps to create holograms. It is a holographic foil, correctly spotted. The particular holographic foils that we use (to be fully invisible at most angles - and thereby create a kind of 'secret' artwork layer) are transparent holographic foils. They are stamped, with heat and pressure, into the fronts and backs of the cards, over the traditional ink artwork.

We have patented this manufacturing step for playing cards (only), for the general, immediate, purpose of customising playing cards in this novel way for whoever wants to customise / personalise them.....and the eventual purpose of advertising brands / logos on casino table games.

Due to us patenting it, we thought we better name them: hence the name 'Diffractor' Playing Cards coming about.

Zzzzz......zzzzz.....zzzzzz......

I thought it was made by leprechauns at the end of a rainbow that made them. Sounds easier to understand anyway.

[VXD]

Haha thanks for that Brad

I was explaining to STL (self-proclaimed noob)...

[theCapraAegagrus]

Haha thanks for that Brad

I was explaining to STL (self-proclaimed noob)...

Brad is a n00b!

[Bradius]

A n00b is one of the nicer words to describe me.

Actually, to be more serious, here is another description on the back-story and technology from the thread on the first deck, which also might prove helpful for some newer members.

Playing card factories make playing cards. Until now, there has been no need for any of them to invest in a module or fully separate machine that can also lay down transparent holographics, in volume and at the registration (precision of alignment) required for our process. On the other hand very high-end print-finishers make labels for expensive champagne bottles, they make secure ID cards and even the passports we treasure personally so much. So when people ask why we have to produce in Germany at a secretive and hence extremely expensive facility, I simply explain: Playing card factories make playing cards, print-finishers...print-finish. There is no overlap in what either of them do. Until now.

I actually, believe it or not, did not even follow what was happening in the playing card market at all until late 2016 / early 2017, when I started googling the custom playing card market and found UC. I was at this point already 6-7 years into the design and development mission for Diffractors. Then I saw that the playing card industry was on the cusp of it's own revolution, which un-coincidentally was going to come about alongside a (digital) revolution in the general printing and wider manufacturing world. We are right now in the transition period. Factories (some ahead of others of course) are, or are about to, replace or certainly compliment their in-line, mechanical modules and machines with new digital machines....with all kinds of new capabilities and precisions and speeds available. And of course - the ability to PERSONALISE on super short runs (as little as one unit). It is quite an exciting time and will go down in the the printing and manufacturing history books as the transition into the digital age of printing. Look at Nike ID for instance, making personalised Nike trainers for individuals that can afford it and have to have it. I read a lot about Nike ID...as VXD is going down that route currently, as a side-strategy. That will be quite normal in 10-20 years time from now - we will all be wearing one-off clothes, tailored, printed and customised just for us, at affordable prices (as the availability grows). It is inevitable.

I digress, but I'm excited. I'm excited to be part of this new age. I feel blessed that I thought of the Diffractor playing cards concept back in 2009 and followed it through over the last 8-9 years and that it has got me here now, riding the digital wave sweeping across the industry. You need a digital surfboard btw, for digital waves

I've been a professional structural engineer for 18 years before this.... I have designed Highway and Railway bridges and repairs for them (for the British government) for that whole time.....so believe me when I say....I know my technical stuff and as an engineer you have to be passionate about solving problems. Well I can tell you that VXD has really tested my patience! The print-finishing factory we use in Germany has never made playing cards before, as noted already... so of course I expected problems. I researched the playing card production process myself over many years and wrote all the specifications and was there at every step to help develop the process. To be fair to them (and I've been told as much by one or two of the playing card manufacturers already), they have done an amazing job. Germans are known for their innovations and machine precision etc of course, but this was a test for sure. I can say that it took me 90 hours of QC to check just those 71 units + an additional 40 'Black' decks which were delivered. Being an engineer myself and with this being my baby, I am extremely picky too with precision and technical quality. I rejected the first full run, rightly I may add, but it cost the two German factories about 40.000 Euro to redo the whole 1100 unit run (299 red, 299 blue, 499 black) and a lot of additional time. I also personally sacrificed all the materials and we lost a lot of money in the company at this stage and A LOT of time in the process too. To get those units out to backers in November, I missed flights, lost a lot of sleep and left our relationship with our factories hanging by a thread. That saga goes on still.

As we are dealing with (half-invisible) transparent holographics, the QC involved sitting at a big table, blocking all daylight out of the room, with one bright light to carefully go over every card and sift out the random errors in registration. On top of that - I will not get started on the Ace of Spades, but suffice to say....those holographic signatures caused one hell of a bust-up. This is on top of all the usual concerns, such as normal print errors, cutting and borders, sorting and ordering the cards into full ordered decks etc etc. A further partial QC session happens in May in Germany and I honestly don't know how many full decks we will get in the end after all the QC sessions finish by the end of 2018.

Of course, I've not even spoken about the coating process we developed and could also have patented (I nearly pursued that) and the bespoke metal cases which I designed and have their own story as long as this one. I can tell those stories another time maybe.

[VXD]

Dear members

If you have a YouTube account and like our new video:

https://youtu.be/Wp8YAapc8dM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Please SUBSCRIBE and LIKE.

Cheers

[VXD]

It's a pity to not be able to add GiF's here. These will do though for now...

[Azid]

I'm excited to back this project (again.. ). Nice Video.
The borders on the backs look very large at the picture, i hope the final product has a little thiner borders.

[STLBluesNut]

I'm a sucker for foil and this is like foil on steroids. It is also probably move impressive in person as well.

If the price is right, I'm sure I will be in.

I agree with the comment above with the border on the card back being too thick.

Sent from my Galaxy 8 using Tapatalk

[Magic Tapp]

I backed your cancelled project and while I was bummed that you did so at the time, I can now see the benefit of spending all this time on working on the deck. I will be backing you for sure.

[LanceTMiller]

Hi all,

Glad you're liking my artwork for the new version of the Vegas deck. I have even more in store for you on some fully hand illustrated, Kickstarter exclusive, tuck cases...

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp2c3wxBazW ... qax1ld7nqz



Thank you all for your compliments, it's nice to be back in the forums sharing my art with you once more.

I know some have asked for custom courts, there are other things in the works I'm not yet able to share, and while they may not be included in this deck, the VXD team and I have some great things headed your way.

[MagikFingerz]

Thanks for sharing, Lance! Really great to have you back

I edited your post to embed the image directly, hope you don't mind.

[VXD]

Thanks to all of you....Magic Tapp, Azid for your support previously and now...it is YOU guys who make this happen and take the industry forward with it!

Can't wait to launch this thing now...it's been such hard work with the factories, which we changed - from Germany to The Netherlands to keep the prices within reason and with Lance (oh man is that guy hard work! Haha - kidding) to get our artwork at the top of the game (Cheers Lance - You da man).

We seem to be on track for a Friday (9th Nov) launch.

Please back this project guys and gals....it won't happen without your support!

Thank you!

[aznh]

"If" the price is reasonable count me in for a few decks.

Do you have a launch time?

[VXD]

aznh

The price is, in all honesty, too low. Particularly when compared to other decks that are very advanced. But I'm sick of nobody opening our decks because they are too valuable to be opened. I guarantee our margins are currently lower than the other 'super top end' producers...guarantee it. We made a huge loss last time. It doesn't bother me though....it's about the creation and development and making THE deck of all time....let's see.

But for now, I want people to enjoy what we've made and USE these decks, as well as collect and preserve some of them of course for value.

I spent years and years making sure the 'bling' we created didn't affect normal game-play. The proof as always....will be in the pudding...but, please, someone, sample the pudding!

I believe it will happen this time, with the prices we are offering. I hope anyway...

[VXD]

No launch time as of yet....nearly submitted. Then we await the KS check and go-ahead. But Friday should be GO!

[STLBluesNut]

I open all decks lol. I don't even buy extras to keep closed. They don't get used for games necessarily. I don't really see this hobby as an investment that I buy these cards to keep closed and sealed and packaged away for some sort of future return.

I buy them to display and look at the art on the cards as well as the boxes. Your pudding will be sampled, sir.

Sent from my Galaxy 8 using Tapatalk

[VXD]

STL

Maybe you should keep a couple of these closed....you know, to pay your kids through college etc in future.

[VXD]

Time to put the whiskey down and go to bed....tomorrow should be submission day

[VXD]

I know there are tuck-only people to cater for these days...Oh boy did I find that out the hard way here ....so (as you may have guessed by Lance's pic) we have got a new tuck design for all you hardcore tuckers...a 'Vegas Classic' one and a 'Vegas Gold' one. I love the Hoover Dam, maybe partly because I was a Structural Engineer for 18 prior to starting VXD, but I'd love to hear others thoughts. What do you guys and gals think??

N.B - Holographics will be added as a Stretch Goal, if we get there.

[Bradius]

Hoover Dam is not what comes to my mind when I think of Vegas, but at least it is different than the card backs. The artwork is good and it has consistent design with the deck. I would probably have instead gone for a pure desert scene (visions of tall blooming cactus to add greens to desert and sunset colors) or with Vegas in the deep background. If you can add holographic images on the tuck all else will be forgotten as the shifting sunset and desert tones flash around.

I don’t see it on Kickstarter yet.

[VXD]

Cheers Brad

Yeah I'm with ya....but all I can say is, there would be no Vegas these days, without the Hoover Dam, that's for sure! It's been a big part of the creation and maintenance of the city. Looser connections are kinda cool sometimes too...I'm not a fan of the overly obvious.

Transparent holographics will make a sweet stretch goal for sure!

[VXD]

Folks

WE ARE LAUNCHING TOMORROW (9TH NOV) AT 6PM EST.

Hope to see many of you there to support us. Oh and....there are EB's this time too btw!

Thank you!

[Magic Tapp]

“Hardcore tuckers” - that is a phrase that I have not heard before and my T9 is having a hoot with this one... [emoji3]

[VXD]

Hardcore tuckers mate innit.

[VXD]

Oh...I just googled T9 and now I see why you were laughing....and the hole I'm digging!

[Magic Tapp]

Oh...I just googled T9 and now I see why you were laughing....and the hole I'm digging!

Yep - it is called autocorrect these days. Btw, any chance you can launch a tad earlier tomorrow to make it slightly easier on us Europeans?

[STLBluesNut]

The design of the tuck is ok. The style is nice though. Holographic foil would definitely be needed to make it a stand out. Some embossing would go a long way as well.

Not sure how the holo foil would look on matte stock or if it is possible technically, but matte just usually looks better for tucks in my opinion.

You are correct though, speaking for myself, there are some of us where the tuck is an important part of the purchase. Thank you for the consideration. As tucks get more and more intricate with foil and embossing on more decks, it really make the tucks that are on flat glossy stock just... meh. Even if the art is great.

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