playing card

Playing cards are flat, rectangular pieces of layered pasteboard typically used for playing a variety of games of skill or chance. They are thought to have developed during the twelfth century from divination implements or as a derivative of chess. Cards are produced by the modern printing processes of lithography, photolithography, or gravure. In the future, more computerized methods will likely be adopted promising to generate a substantial increase in the playing card manufacturing industry. Future developments in playing card manufacture will focus on new card designs and methods of printing. Since the market for playing cards remains relatively mature, card producers will attempt to increase sales by introducing novel card designs. This might involve using new base materials for the cards, producing three-dimensional designs, or creating novel shapes. With the vast improvements in computer technologies, a variety of new printing methods will be employed. These methods will be used to increase the speed at which cards will be produced. They will also eliminate the need for creating plates as printing can be done directly from computer images. This will make it easier to produce personalized decks quickly and economically.