Playing Cards

Trade Cards or Business card - Talk about History

2008-07-25T02:51:00.001-07:00

Visting Cards

Visiting cards (also known as calling cards) first appeared in China in the 15th century, and the earliest European form of visiting cards appeared in France in the 17th century during the reign of Louis XIV – “Le Roi Soleil”. They were normal playing cards on which visitors wrote their signatures, promissory notes and other messages. The cards were just a little smaller than the size of a man’s hand. As time went by, these visiting cards further developed into greeting and other cards.

The business card evolved from the Visiting card over time, but through it’s evolution it’s purpose remains the same.

Trade Cards

Trade cards, another early form of the Business card, existed in England around the same time. Trade cards were used as a form of advertising and sometimes contained a map directing potential customers to merchant stores, as there was no form of street numbering system at the time.

Other printing materials, such as newspapers, has not yet caught on as a vehicle for business marketing, so the earliest Trade cards were printed and issued using a letterpress method. However, copperplate engraving became the most popular method of producing the cards by the 18th century, and up to the 19th century, Trade cards were printed using a single colour (monotone). But as businesses thrived throughout the Industrial Revolution, so did the production and distribution of Trade cards.

Lithography

Around 1830, lithography using several colours became an established method in Europe and was the primary method for printing cards. As printing techniques became increasingly advanced, Trade cards became more elaborate, with pictures and full colour designs. Since colour images were not widely available, these cards became collector’s items, and as the hobby elevated, many tobacco companies put the sporting celebrities on one side and photos with text about their products on the reverse. This was the start of the modern day trading cards. Meanwhile, Visiting Cards arrived in Europe around the middle of the 1800’s.

Calling Cards arrived

Visiting Cards, or “Calling Cards” as they became known, were essential to the 19th century middle classes.

The initial letters on personal Visiting “Calling Cards” denote French words:

p. f. – congratulations (pour feliciter)

p. r. – expressing one’s thanks (pour remercier) – even if one is presented with flowers

p. c. – mourning expression (pour condolence)

p. f. N. A – Happy New Year (pour feliciter Nouvel An)

p. p. c. – meaning to take leave (pour prendre conge)

p. p. – if you want to be introduced to anybody, send your visiting card (pour presenter)

Soon, the Business card evolved from a fusion of traditional trade cards and visiting cards. A distinction between “business” and “visiting” cards quickly developed with the ornate Visiting card serving social obligations only, whilst Business cards on the other hand, were used solely for promoting business. It was considered to be in very poor taste to use a Business card when making a social call.

These days, the modern business card is used primarily for the purpose of promoting a business, but it also serves as a calling card.

First Salesman’s Business card

Whilst Visiting Cards were at first the domain of the upper classes, and trade cards were made to advertise and promote particular firms, the salesman who did the footwork calling on prospective clients needed a means to exchange information in a simple, concise manner. To fill this void the Business card was introduced with address or telephone contact information in fancy printing and graphics.

Today, the salesman’s Business card takes on many forms, including custom die cut shapes and sizes, with glossy coatings and top quality photo graphics.

Business Card Printers Turn to Plastic

Known for their durability, plastic business cards were manufactured using a variety of plastic substrates, including but not limited to: Polystyrene, Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polycarbonate, Polyester and synthetic Papers.

20th century advances in printing technologies and synthetic materials made it possible to print liquid inks onto plastics. In addition to the wide range of commercial applications of this technology.

Today in the 21st century the more adventurous entrepreneur Business card printer has developed an array of sophisticated products. These include Silk art board, single and double sided Business cards, quality labels, complimentary slips, letterheads for all industries in superior quality papers, and laminated single and double sided Postcards for all occasions. All of which can be designed on line and uploaded to your personal computer. A boon to the busy firm requiring special needs.

For the rest of the world, the exchange of business cards has become common even for social introductions. Even today, some people still carry “personal” Business cards which contain only personal contact information and have no relation to their employer or business.

Written for Goodprint Ltd, providors of instant online business cards and matching stationery via their website http://www.goodprint.co.uk.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Geo_W_Smith

Compare - Paper Playing Cards & Plastic Playing Cards

2008-06-30T04:08:00.000-07:00

Paper Playing Cards

Paper cards are the cards most people use growing up. They are cheap, easy to find, and most people are accustomed to their texture, thickness, and flexibility.

Paper cards are usually made of one to three plays of card stock covered in a varnish. This coating protects the cards, but it is not able to withstand everything.

The coating wears off as cards are shuffled and handled. Eventually the coating becomes thin enough that the cards are too difficult to comfortably handle and they need to be replaced.

The coating does not stand up to liquids well. Spilling a drink on a card will most likely ruin it. And, paper cards are not washable, so soap and water is not an option for removing cheese puff residue or any other dirt that the cards might attract.

Paper cards are not very flexible either. It is not difficult for a player to, either accidentally or on purpose, leave creases or marks on the cards. This immediately ruins the card for serious play, and often requires a new deck to be brought out.

Plastic Playing Cards

Plastic cards do not suffer from the same drawbacks as paper ones. First of all, they are very slick. That slickness does not wear away in the same manner as it does on paper cards. They will shuffle and slide easily for tournament after cash game after tournament.

Plastic cards are incredibly flexible and will snap back to form after bending. This means that they can endure more player abuse and not become creased or marked.

And finally plastic cards can be washed. If they become soiled in any way, soap and water will clean them, not ruin them. Of course that means they stand up to wet picnic tables and spilled ice teas as well.

Many makes of plastic cards do not have a texture or feel that resembles paper cards. Often they are too slippery for less than nimble hands to shuffle. They can also feel flimsy when compared to paper cards.

Since many people are accustomed to the feel of paper cards, they are uncomfortable handling plastic cards and would prefer to replace decks more frequently than to make the switch. The truth is that because plastic cards last so much longer than paper ones, they are a much cheaper option per play than paper cards.

As in all things, there is give and take in deciding which type of card is best for you. Purchasing a deck of premium plastic cards is more of a commitment because they cost more and last longer. Paper cards are for many a comfortable short-term solution.

Mongoose sits at a desk in the kitchen, surrounded by hundreds of decks of playing cards. They've become a new obsession. He is webmaster of a website about poker rules and strategy. You can take advantage of his playing card research here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R_Mongoose

Personalized Card Deck for People Who Take Card Playing as a True Hobby

2008-05-19T02:52:00.000-07:00

For people who take card playing as a true hobby, a personalized card deck could be a real joy. There are all sorts of businesses that offer their services of customizing various personal items at very accessible prices. Thus, you should be able to design a personalized card deck without additional extra charges to the regular price the company practices. What exactly are the steps of creating such a gift for a very dear one? You will have to create some art files of your own to pass to the company that will execute the rest of the work: the set up, the design placing, the print films and so on.

Depending on the type of personalized card deck you require, a certain manufacturing procedure will be used. There are special machines used for the process, but you should know that most custom made platforms require a minimum number of decks, which may normally rise over one thousand. Before making up your mind how to customize a special personalized card deck, you can have a look over the catalogs most companies post online. Such items are the property of the designers, that is of the owners who have ordered them, and their presentation on the web pages represents a simple execution sample.

How can one use a personalized card deck? First of all, we should consider the fact that photos are probably among the first items to be used for the matter. You may turn a photo into the right deck for really great and unique gifts. The maximum number of cards is fifty two, including the jokers, and you can have a funny favorite photo on the back of each card. Is someone in your family a great card fan, maybe your father? You'll definitely surprise him with such a unique gift; but the same stays true if you prepare this surprise for a friend or some other family member.

If you choose to work on such a project online and order the personalized card deck to a specialized site, the procedure should be more than simple. After you have selected the photo, the picture or the message you want to appear on the back of the cards, all you need to do is upload it onto the site and follow the complete procedure steps. Most cards are made of plastic, so there are very few chances to actually spoil them in time. The options of using a personalized card deck are unlimited, as some business owners even turn such items into promotional gifts inscribed with the company's logo.

Effective Business Cards for Small Business

2008-05-01T00:39:00.000-07:00

It’s a well-known fact that anyone owning a business or a part of a business carries a bunch of visiting cards to be given away to people with whom there is a possibility of future contact and interaction. A business card usually carries details about the person’s designation, organization that he represents office/factory address, telephone numbers and his email address.

The earliest business cards were actually playing cards on which people put their signatures and other messages. Then slowly trade cards evolved – cards that gave direction to a merchant’s shop or warehouse mainly and advertised the products the trader dealt in. Trade cards underwent modifications and it’s now called business cards.

In a market driven economy, it’s impossible to do business without business cards. Big or small business, business cards are a must.

Contact details of a big business or a big brand can be easily found out from other sources, like the Internet. However, in case of a small business it’s not possible to do so as in most of the times people don’t even remember exactly the name of the organization or person they want to contact. Big businesses can spend more on advertisements and their promotions. Small businesses have business cards to do their advertising. Therefore, business cards are vital when it comes to small business.

By simply having a business card doesn’t help when it comes to small business. As one cloth size doesn’t fit all, similarly one type of business card doesn’t suit all organizations. The business card should be designed in such a manner that it should make a positive statement about the organization or the personality aspect of the person carrying it.

Moreover, there is so much of importance attached to first impressions in networking and sales that it’s unthinkable to have a generic business card. The business card should be designed in such a manner that it would reflect strongly about your personality, the organization you represent, the products you deal with and the kind of service you can offer. For example, a business card made out of recycled material emphasizes the fact that you are an environment conscious person. It would immediately create a favorable impression of you and the esteem with which you are held will definitely go up.

The business card should be designed in conformity with the business you are in. An undertaker with comic fonts and cartoon characters on his business cards should not expect much response. Whereas, a small animation firm can display as much creativity and color as possible on their business cards to make a lasting impact. If corporate clients are the targets, it would be prudent to avoid adding your photo to the business card. Too many words on the business cards confuse people. Similarly, faint fonts do not register well in the minds. All such factors should be considered before ordering business cards, because a well-designed business card can be a ticket to business success.

Natalie Aranda writes about business, sales, advertising and marketing. In a market driven economy, it's impossible to do business without business cards. Big or small business, business cards are a must.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Natalie_Aranda

Poker Cards and Bridge Cards: Should Feminists Make the Sizes of All Playing Cards Equal ?

2008-04-11T23:36:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that bridge cards are smaller than poker cards. In general, bridge cards are about ¼ inch (or about 5 millimeters) slimmer than poker cards. The question is: why? A person could very easily play a game of poker with bridge cards and vice versa. And other card games like euchre, pitch, hearts, and spades can be played with either size deck (an additional question might be: why is there not a different size deck for each of these card games, as well?)

Clearly, size does not matter!

There are many different theories as to why these playing cards are sized differently.

· One of my favorite theories is a feminist theory – bridge is a game for women and poker is a game for men. Women have delicate, small hands while men have big, burly hands, and this is why bridge cards are smaller than poker cards – how can a wee woman handle such manly cards as poker cards? To break free of this playing-card-oppression, women ought to (1) encourage men to admit their femininity by playing bridge (2) encourage men to renounce their manhood by playing poker with bridge cards (3) start playing more poker, or (4) start playing with jumbo-sized cards to show that women are not just as good as men, but better!

Perhaps the question should not be, “Why are bridge cards so small,” but, rather, “Why are poker cards so darn big?”

· The Texas theory – Texas is a big state, right? And Texas Hold ‘Em, perhaps the premier poker game, is named for this big state, right? Well, it only makes sense that poker cards are as big as Texas!

· The American theory – Americans are generally wider than the rest of the world, it only make sense that their poker cards are, as well! (In many countries, the standard size deck is a bridge size).

· Poker is a gambling game, and there are some people that try to win by cheating. Therefore, to discourage cheating, poker cards are larger, making sleights of hand more difficult (of course, at the same time, it is slightly harder to conceal larger cards).

The most likely reason that bridge cards are narrower than poker cards:

· In bridge, you generally have to hold more cards in your hand – around 13 compared to just 5 for poker. It is easier to hold the smaller cards and to keep them concealed. In poker, on the other hand, it is easier to hold the larger cards, since you have so few to hold onto.

Further information on playing cards:

· Magicians generally prefer bridge cards – because they are smaller, they are easier to manage for many different magic tricks and sleights of hand.

· Most licensed cards, like a deck of Coca Cola playing cards, are poker-sized.

· Jumbo index cards are not cards that are even bigger than poker cards – rather, they have large print in the corners so that the numbers are easier to read.

· In many casino poker games, bridge-sized cards are used!

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, recreation, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on poker, please visit Poker Chips and More.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Clarke

Playing Cards - King Of Games

2008-03-06T03:40:00.000-08:00

Playing cards probably, is the best way to while out time. No one can argue that one of the worst feelings in the world is to get stuck in a position when one does not know what to do. A position where in one has time but nothing constructive to do to while that time out. This is the time everyone dares as it is toughest to see it off. And the worst part is that it takes an eternity to get finished. Still people have come up with different ideas to make good such a period. Some of the popular means of whiling out such torturous phase is by listening to music, or reading novels or books, watching favourite, recorded programmes etc. None, of these options, however, are interesting enough. Rather than warding of boredom they actually would further complicate the issue.

All these options are such that they would have been repeated so many times that there wouldn't be any excitement or thrill left in them. The best way to while out time, therefore, is by playing games, especially, indoor games. These can be enjoyed by young and old alike and can be played anywhere. Some such games are chess, Chinese checker, ludo, carom etc. However, all these pale into insignificance when pitted against cards. A game which can justifiably termed as a game for kings and king of games. Indeed, playing cards is the best way of warding of boredom and making good use of time. No wonder it enjoys such a great acceptance across the world.

For a man who is watching people playing cards it might appear to be boring but ask this to people who are playing cards and they would tell you that there is nothing more exciting than playing cards. It is also very taxing for it requires a sound mind to understand the situation and plan in a way that victory does not remain elusive. It requires calculation of highest order without which one simply cannot think of winning a game of cards.

And one who becomes a master of playing cards it can very easily be said that he has a very sound, analytical and razor sharp brain. Without which any card player would be lost. This is perhaps the reason that a game which probably started as a means to while out time has today reached a position where it has become a craze and envy of all games.

Author: Mike Joe is a connoisseur of traveling and entertainment. He loves journeying far and wide in the quest of experiencing different lifestyles and gathering information about the best places to eat, drink and stay in different countries and lands. Over here, Mike talks about playing cards.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Joe