The Colorgrades are a collaboration between NOC, the line of minimalist decks founded by the magician Alex Pandrea, and Art of Play, the publisher run by Dan and Dave Buck, for which they were designed exclusively. The series plays with colour gradients taken from nature: the orange version evokes a desert sunset, and this Tropic Green, the vegetation of a tropical forest.

• PublisherArt of Play, in collaboration with NOC
• DesignNOC (Alex Pandrea) for Art of Play
• PrinterUnited States Playing Card Company (USPCC)
• FinishArt of Play thin card stock
• Print run5,000 decks across the green and orange editions
• Contents52 cards + jokers + gaff card

Design

It keeps NOC’s characteristic restraint, with colour taking centre stage. The tuck box features a laser cut-out that frames the shift from light to dark. The Ace of Spades is custom and carries the Art of Play logo. Each deck includes a gaff card (a gimmicked card for magic effects) to experiment with and a hidden message to decipher.

Manufacturing

It was printed by the United States Playing Card Company (USPCC) on the thin card stock that Art of Play uses for its decks, prized by cardists because it bends and fans easily. The green and orange editions were launched at the end of 2018 with a combined run of 5,000 decks.