The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
Bob Farmer
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The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Bob Farmer » January 30th, 2021, 6:23 pm

Save up your bucks. The solution is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XILRF-s5L8E

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 30th, 2021, 8:19 pm

So expensive you can't even find out the price!
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Jackpot
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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Jackpot » January 30th, 2021, 9:39 pm

I think I'll Just get my Bammo Monte Monster refills the old tried and true way.
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AJM
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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby AJM » January 31st, 2021, 8:18 am

Don’t knock it folks - the unit cost of producing only one deck with this gizmo is still likely to be cheaper than those offered by CARC or Ellusionist.

Bill Mullins
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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Bill Mullins » January 31st, 2021, 1:53 pm

I'd like two, please. And one of the flatbed cutters.

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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Joe Lyons » January 31st, 2021, 2:21 pm

Bill Mullins wrote:I'd like two, please. And one of the flatbed cutters.

You should get them Bill. Those are cheap when you consider some folks spend $15,000 for a single effect.

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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 31st, 2021, 3:03 pm

Anyone dope out how much the printer and cutter are?
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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Ted M » January 31st, 2021, 5:57 pm


Bob Farmer
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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Bob Farmer » January 31st, 2021, 6:07 pm

Bill Mullins will find out the costs and find out who in the U.S. has this setup!

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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Bill Mullins » January 31st, 2021, 11:56 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:Anyone dope out how much the printer and cutter are?


See my previous post. The printer (or at least, one variant of it) is $13,649 and the cutter is $14,500.

If you want to go in this direction, check out Wasshuber's supplies and the instructions he provides.

And instead of the flatbed cutter, Cricut markets programmable cutters to crafters. Smaller scale, but much cheaper.

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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Bill Mullins » February 1st, 2021, 12:20 am

I'm not sure that the cards, as printed, would really be comparable to Bikes. The printer is toner-based, instead of liquid ink. There was no coating applied. It's not obvious that registration (alignment from the front surface to the back surface) is any better than you can do with a home printer (I don't think it was printing both sides in a single pass).

One nice feature of the cutter was that it appeared to be locating itself to the printed material from the witness marks on the corners before actually cutting anything. If that's the case, the cards should be (at least on the top surface) well-centered.

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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Jonathan Townsend » February 1st, 2021, 1:02 pm

If the thing could produce a satisfactory playing card it might be worth it for a special occasion show or TV appearance.

effect (the usual impossible...)

method: have the printer next door use an image captured by the room security system as template to produce the needed cards including signature image. The printer is web enabled and will use the internet connection to arrange courier delivery of the specially printed pack of cards within minutes. Use the patter story as included in the web link, or let your phone AI do the talking. Note: when using the phone AI to narrate; it will include key words to indicate any error conditions or delays in the process.

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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Bob Farmer » February 1st, 2021, 2:50 pm

That is a great idea, Jonathan.

In the meantime, I have had my custom gaffs made by Dustin at makingmagictoo@gmail.com

There is no website; you must email him.

Here are some tips on how to treat gaffed cards and packet tricks so the cards last.

Anyone who does packet tricks knows that the cards quickly deteriorate and end up gummy and dirty. Applying fanning powder (zinc sterate) makes the dirt problem worse. Powdered Teflon (available from piano repair suppliers and bicycle stores and Amazon) works much better.

I have experimented with all kinds of so-called protective sprays and every one I tried just made a mess. However, I just found one that seems to be working very well:

Hahnemuhle Fineart Protective Spray for all inkjet media and fine art prints P/N 400400. See: http://www.hahnemuhle.com

Available on Amazon.

I sprayed several of my packet tricks with this and then, after it dried, applied Teflon powder. The result, so far, fantastic. The cards look normal, don't get dirty, and the handling is not affected.

And you also need powdered Teflon:

http://www.howardpianoindustries.com/mi ... fe-powder/

Or simply Google PTFE powder.

Wrap two chalk board brushes in velvet not felt (felt grabs the powder—not the result needed). Glue the stuff on. Put the Teflon on one brush, put the brushes together and wrap with an elastic. Push the cards through one by one.

Wear a mask when applying the Teflon--it's not good stuff to inhale.

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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Tom Moore » February 1st, 2021, 4:04 pm

Bill Mullins wrote:I'm not sure that the cards, as printed, would really be comparable to Bikes. The printer is toner-based, instead of liquid ink. There was no coating applied. It's not obvious that registration (alignment from the front surface to the back surface) is any better than you can do with a home printer (I don't think it was printing both sides in a single pass).

One nice feature of the cutter was that it appeared to be locating itself to the printed material from the witness marks on the corners before actually cutting anything. If that's the case, the cards should be (at least on the top surface) well-centered.


Oki specialise in highly accurate, niche industry specific print on demand printers. If they say these machines can accurately and quickly print a deck of cards then I would be inclined to believe them without question as this kind of highly specific unusual printers is literally what they do.
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Richard Kaufman
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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Richard Kaufman » February 1st, 2021, 4:07 pm

Jonathan is late to the party: this has been done, with playing cards and other things, for years.
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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Bill Mullins » February 1st, 2021, 11:34 pm

Tom -- I have no doubt that the printer can print a deck of cards (we just saw it do so in the video). I just don't think that the qualities that are important to us as magicians will necessarily be present in the cards it prints. Heck, sometimes even USPCC doesn't get those qualities right.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Richard Kaufman » February 2nd, 2021, 11:13 am

I am assuming that USPC coats the stock after it is printed. It appears to be that way when you look at the surface of a playing card.
This printer can't do that, so the ink sitting on the surface must increase friction.
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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Jonathan Townsend » February 2nd, 2021, 12:01 pm

Print On Demand decks from a video image after the card was signed still amuses. It's exactly the sort of wishful thinking audiences want to believe magicians / technology can do. :)

James Riser mentioned having a way to make cards slippery.
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Bob Farmer
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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Bob Farmer » February 2nd, 2021, 2:15 pm

I have some cards that James Riser coated and they are excellent. I don't know his process.

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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Bill Mullins » February 2nd, 2021, 2:21 pm

Knowing Jim, the coating itself is probably very simple. It's the precisely-machined device to apply it that makes it unique . . .

Bob Farmer
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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Bob Farmer » February 2nd, 2021, 4:00 pm

Yes, Bill, that must be right because the coating is very even and smooth.

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Re: The Ultimate Gaffed Card Printing System

Postby Chris Aguilar » February 3rd, 2021, 1:07 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:I am assuming that USPC coats the stock after it is printed. It appears to be that way when you look at the surface of a playing card.
This printer can't do that, so the ink sitting on the surface must increase friction.

I believe the finish of UPSP cards is a combination of both dimpled stock and a coating.


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