Understanding Tarot Card Designs: Core Principles and Significance

Are you looking to create your own unique tarot deck? This guide explores the foundational principles of tarot card designs, examining the essential concepts in tarot art and the deeper meanings that underpin tarot illustrations.

 

Basic Tarot Card Design: Composition

 

The arrangement of visual elements in a tarot card is crucial for its overall aesthetic and impact. Composition refers to how the different components are positioned and balanced within the card's frame. A well-designed tarot card not only communicates its intended message but also provides meaningful insights.

 

We recommend closely studying a range of tarot decks, both classic and modern, to understand various approaches to composition. Additionally, exploring the work of artists who create tarot decks can offer valuable insights into their unique design styles and artistic choices.

 

1. Positive and Negative Space

 

Positive space refers to the areas occupied by objects or figures, while negative space encompasses the empty regions surrounding them. In tarot art, effective use of negative space helps to maintain clarity and focus, ensuring the tarot reader can easily understand the card's message.

 

Incorporating gaps, openings, and areas for the eye to rest within a composition can significantly enhance the visual impact.

 

2. Axes: Center Line and Rule of Thirds

 

Axes are invisible lines that divide a composition based on key geometric points. In any design, the primary axes include the vertical and horizontal center lines, which intersect at the midpoint of the surface, ensuring an even distribution of elements.

 

Additional axes are drawn through areas that divide the surface into thirds and along the diagonals connecting the corners. In tarot art, where the format tends to be narrow and elongated, it's common to align significant symbols along a central axis.

 

Many tarot card compositions utilize slender, vertically oriented frames with a figure centered on this axis. A classic example is the High Priestess tarot card, which features a central figure closely aligned with the vertical axis.

 

 

3. Space and Geometry

 

The underlying geometry of a composition can add depth and complexity, enhancing the appeal of a seemingly flat, two-dimensional axis.

 

Diagonals and triangles inject energy and movement, while curves and arches create a sense of harmony and balance. Squares and rectangles evoke stability, and circles and ovals symbolize completeness.

 

In tarot art, these geometric shapes play a crucial role in storytelling and guiding the viewer's attention. The triangular arrangement is particularly common, as it conveys motion and suggests action—themes that align with the broader concepts of change and relationships in many tarot decks.

 

4. Perspective

 

"Distance" in composition refers to the perceived proximity or remoteness of objects from the viewer's perspective.

 

The foreground contains elements that seem closest and most immediately visible, while the background consists of those appearing farther away. The midground includes anything between the foreground and background.

 

Tarot card artists use this sense of distance to create the illusion of depth and space, as seen in the Judgment tarot card, where there's a clear distinction between the foreground and background. Some cards embrace pronounced depth, while others keep all elements on the same plane, demonstrating a flatter perspective.

 

These choices are deliberate and require careful thought during the design process to ensure they align with the intended narrative and visual impact.

 

 

Next Level: Framework and Fundamentals

 

Once the composition of a tarot card is established, the next step is to determine the framework within which the main imagery will be positioned.

 

1. Size and Dimensions

 

A standard tarot deck typically uses a flat, two-dimensional, vertically oriented, rectangular card format. The most common size is 2.75 x 4.75 inches (70 x 120 mm) with rounded corners having a radius of 3.5 mm. Some decks use mini, playing card, or jumbo sizes.

 

When deciding on a size, consider the practical experience of tarot readers. They need to shuffle, flip, and reverse the cards regularly, so the size and feel of the deck must be conducive to these activities.

 

2. Bleed Area

 

In printing, the bleed area is the extra space around the card's edge to ensure a clean cut after printing. Because printers cannot print right to the edge, the card must be trimmed, and a 3 mm (0.12 inch) bleed area is common. For a tarot-sized card (70 x 120 mm), ensure that the background design extends to at least 76 x 126 mm to avoid white edges after trimming, keeping essential elements within the 70 x 120 mm area.

 

3. Color Mode

 

Printed materials use the CMYK color mode for mixing colors and final output. Before starting your design, switch to CMYK to prevent color discrepancies that can occur when converting from RGB to CMYK later on.

 

4. Resolution

 

Resolution is measured in dots per inch (dpi) in the CMYK color mode. For best results, provide prints with a resolution between 300 and 600 dpi. This range allows for high-quality prints and maintains clarity. It's critical to set the resolution at the beginning of the design process; increasing pixels after completing the design doesn't enhance the actual resolution and can lead to blurred prints.

 

5. Additional Considerations

 

The above guidelines form the foundation for tarot card design. For further details, you can visit WJPC's Pre-production page, which contains comprehensive insights into these principles.

 

It's important to remember that these guidelines are flexible, not strict rules. Creative tarot artists often experiment with conventions, bending or breaking them to create unique designs and visual atmospheres.

 

To deepen your understanding of tarot card symbolism and improve your ability to convey meaningful messages through imagery, it's valuable to explore traditional tarot symbolism and its historical context.

 

Print With Acelion With Your Tarot Card Designs

 

 

Are you ready to create a unique collection of high-quality tarot decks and value excellent customer service? We at Acelion are thrilled to discuss your project and help turn your most innovative tarot deck ideas into reality!

 

If you're just starting on your design journey, jumpstart your creativity with our free printable tarot resources. We're here to guide you every step of the way.