WHAT SETS US APART
We started at the beginning, delving into the history of the playing card’s Chinese roots, and tracing the evolution of its manufacturing process, from chromium lithography printing in the 1800s, to modern offset printing to rediscover lost arts and styles. Most printers know what affects the quality of a card -- humidity, equipment settings, coating. But only Legends cares to use it to our advantage, because we want to print the best, not cheapest, product.
INNOVATION AND DETAILS
Constantly staying on top of worldwide printing advances, we seek to apply these to playing card manufacturing. The LPCC perforated stamp-seal is expertly printed with exquisite detail and perfect alignment so you can open a deck cleanly. Our tuck cases pay homage to the ‘80s with their functional long tongue, far superior in design, but challenging to manufacture and assemble. As a finishing touch of luxury, we typically modernize our tucks with die cut elements, deep embossing and stunning foil accents.
SUPERIOR PAPER
The foundation of a playing card. Our card stock is made from top-tier imported paper that is thinner, yet stiffer than the competition’s. We source our paper from various suppliers around the globe, and are constantly experimenting with new paper stock and tweaking aspects of production to improve handling and offer variation in our range. Quality and consistency is paramount when dealing with paper, and when you print with us we can closely match the feel and durability of any of our in-house decks.
A CUT ABOVE
One of our crowning achievements. A closely guarded secret that distinguishes our playing cards from all other brands; the ‘glass like’ edges of our signature ‘Diamond Cut’ process. The edges of our in-house decks feel like they have been buffed smooth, enabling difficult sleight-of-hand techniques like the Faro shuffle to be executed with ease. Veteran card handlers will instantly recognize the superior features and handling of a Legends ‘Diamond Cut’ deck of playing cards (see below for a comparision between the competition and Legends).
Above: Two new decks, Competition (left), Legends (right)
THE MAGIC INGREDIENT
The finishing touch. Playing cards without coating aren’t really cards, they are just rough paper stock and unusable in card play. Traditionally cards were coated in varnish or waxy substances to aid in handling. These formulas are closely guarded secrets which take years to perfect.
The Legend's coating was created to produce a slip factor that isn’t too slick as to make shuffling difficult, yet easy to spread between the hands. This coating also improves as the cards are handled, a rare quality reminiscent of Jerry’s Nugget’s, which sell for over $300 per deck.
The Legend's coating was created to produce a slip factor that isn’t too slick as to make shuffling difficult, yet easy to spread between the hands. This coating also improves as the cards are handled, a rare quality reminiscent of Jerry’s Nugget’s, which sell for over $300 per deck.
FACTORIES AND SUPPLIERS
Legends has a primiary factory located near Hong Kong, soemtimes we will outsource some print runs depending on the customer's needs, in this case we only work with manufacturers who can re-learn the ropes and adhere to our strict quality control. Our production process require new techniques and a willingness to experiment. Once the right fit comes along, we build strong relationships with owners and management. Every factor of the printing and design process must be accounted for. If one step slightly off or executed incorrectly it can ruin an entire print run.
When you buy a deck of cards produced by Legends Playing Card Co. you can feel the difference our meticulous attention to detail makes.
When you buy a deck of cards produced by Legends Playing Card Co. you can feel the difference our meticulous attention to detail makes.