Bicycle Spectrum is a deck conceived by magician Cosmo Solano and manufactured by the United States Playing Card Company. Its distinctive feature lies in the backs: each card has a different colour, ordered so that when a seemingly shuffled deck is spread on the table, the backs form a continuous gradient like a rainbow. The idea dates back to 2001 and grew out of the colour-change routines Solano had been performing for years.

• PublisherBicycle
• DesignCosmo Solano
• PrinterUnited States Playing Card Company
• Formatpoker
• Contents52 cards, 2 jokers and 2 gaff cards (gaff cards for magic effects)

Design

The faces keep Bicycle’s classic 808 design (the brand’s standard face design), with an Ace of Spades and jokers designed specifically for this deck. One of the jokers includes a revelation built into its illustration. The printing order was changed at the factory from the usual one so that the spectrum appears with the faces seemingly out of order, and the deck is designed so that it can be presented as a red- or blue-backed deck without spoiling the colour sequence.

Manufacturing

Printed by the United States Playing Card Company. Most sources indicate the Magic Finish (a surface treatment designed for magicians that promotes a smooth, even glide).