If you read tarot cards, you likely wondered at some point if you should laminate them. In order to be a good reader, you need tarot cards that are easy to shuffle and work with. Many people feel that laminated cards do both of those things better than unlaminated cards.
Besides making your tarot cards waterproof, are there other advantages to laminating these cards? And how do these compare to unlaminated cards? Keep reading to find the answers.
Tarot Card Types and Lamination
There are several different types of tarot cards and this is what you have to look at first before deciding if you want to laminate them. Tarot cards can be homemade, preprinted and already in a deck, or cards that you print off from a computer.
The card stock of the paper used will affect your decision to laminate. There are also different types of lamination, mostly affecting the thickness of the clear laminate cover used. If you have a deck of tarot cards that are thin, which is possible if you print them off yourself and you’re using standard paper, laminating them might be a great idea. In this case, the paper will be very thin and the cards will be much easier to work with once they’re laminated.
The thicker your tarot cards are, the thinner your laminating covers should be. You may even want to skip the lamination altogether if the cards are relatively thick.
Basically, if you want to laminate your deck of tarot cards, make sure that when your cards are thick, your laminate cover itself isn’t too thick. While thin cards can handle a thick laminate material, thick cards usually can’t.
Why? Because with thick cards and a thick laminated cover, the cards will just be too thick to shuffle properly and may be uncomfortable. Thick cards and thick lamination often make the cards too thick and nearly impossible to work with, even being uncomfortable at times. For thin cards, use a thicker laminate cover, and for thick cards, use thinner lamination. You’ll want to be able to shuffle the cards without them escaping from the deck and spewing all over the place, which can happen when the cards are too thick. Some readers make the cards so thick that they can’t be shuffled at all but instead have to be mixed together some other way.
What Are the Advantages of Laminating Your Tarot Cards?
Laminating tarot cards offers numerous advantages. For one thing, the cards become waterproof after being laminated.
This means if you’re reading tarot cards or just shuffling them or practicing with them, you don’t have to worry if you have a glass of water nearby. If the water spills on the cards, the cards will still be safe. Indeed, the waterproof factor is one of the main reasons why many people laminate their tarot cards. Making the cards waterproof gives the card owners great peace of mind.
Another advantage of laminating tarot cards is that it protects the edges of the cards from becoming too tattered and torn. Over time, this can happen with tarot cards, especially if you do a lot of readings on a regular basis.
The more you use your cards, the more torn up they become. However, if they’re laminated, they stay smoother for a much longer period of time. Smoother edges also make the cards a lot easier to work with, and this is a huge advantage.
Yet another advantage is that the color of your tarot cards stays brighter and more vivid a lot longer. Let’s face it; a lot of tarot cards come in very elaborate and ornate designs, which often includes brilliant colors and images.
Over time, those colors can fade, making the tarot cards less attractive. With laminated cards, you won’t have that problem. The laminate material protects the card from too much lighting and too much use, protecting the colors so that they look good for a lot longer. With laminated cards, many people claim that the cards are easier to work with and easier to shuffle, but this will depend on you making sure that the cards are neither too thick nor too thin when you’re finished laminating them. When they’re laminated the right way, they’ll be super smooth and easy to work with every time.
Are there any disadvantages to laminating your tarot cards? That depends on who you ask. For some people, working with laminated tarot cards is more difficult than working with regular cards. They find the cards have an “unnatural” feel and would prefer cards that aren’t laminated. And, of course, if the cards are too thick, they might not be that comfortable in any circumstance.
Types of Lamination
If you’re interested in getting your tarot cards laminated, you essentially have two options. The first is to take the cards to a print shop of some type and let them laminate the cards for you.
The second option is to buy a laminating machine and the clear sleeves and laminate them yourself. Either way, it shouldn’t cost you a lot of money, but you can save a lot of money over time if you laminate the cards yourself.
After you buy the laminating machine, all you have to do is make sure that you have enough laminating covers from that point forward.
The laminating covers you use come in various sizes, including 8.5” x 11.” Depending on the size of the cards, you can usually fit several cards on each sheet, so your per-card lamination price is usually very small. The sheets also come in many different thicknesses, so finding the sheets that are right for you isn’t that difficult.
Conclusion
The decision to laminate or not laminate your tarot cards doesn’t have to be difficult. Some people like laminated cards and some people don’t, so it’s up to you to make the right decision.
Just keep in mind that both options have pros and cons, but laminated cards stay better looking longer, are more protected from everyday wear and tear, and may be easier to work with and to shuffle. Other than that, it’s up to you to decide what works best for your own tarot card deck.
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