Playing Cards Patent Print in the aged paper colourway, framed
Playing Cards Patent Print in the aged paper colourway, framed
Playing Cards Patent Print in the blueprint colourway, framed
Playing Cards Patent Print in the blackboard colourway, framed
Playing Cards Patent Print in the white colourway, framed
Playing Cards Patent Print in the navy colourway, framed
Playing Cards Patent Print in the burgundy colourway, framed
The frame colours available for Nostalgia prints, shown as corner samples
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Playing Cards Patent Print

Playing Cards Patent Print

£15–£117£0

The humble deck that has fuelled a thousand games and quiet evenings.

This is the original patent drawing for playing cards, granted on 29 May 1906 as patent 821,781 to inventor Bassett Cadwallader. The sheet sets out the pack with careful clarity — the arrangement of pips, indices and corner markings laid down as a proper technical scheme rather than mere decoration.

There's real charm in seeing something so familiar, so casually shuffled and dealt, treated with the seriousness of an engineering document. It carries the faint whiff of smoky card tables, family gatherings and rainy afternoons rescued by a simple deck.

A lovely gift for the poker player, the bridge enthusiast or anyone who loves a good hand of cards. Choose from six finishes — vintage Old Paper, architect's Blueprint, chalky Blackboard, crisp White, deep Navy or rich Burgundy — to suit any games room, snug or study wall.

Order today and you can expect delivery 25th September - 1st October.

Print size & quality

Every piece is printed on thick, 175gsm fine-art matte paper with archival inks — so the colours stay rich, deep and true for years, with no fading and no fuss. Before it heads your way, it's wrapped in soft tissue to keep it scratch-free and sent out in a sturdy kraft tube or a robust triangular kraft box (never plastic).

Available sizes

A0 — 84.1 × 118.9 cm
A1 — 59.4 × 84.1 cm
A2 — 42 × 59.4 cm
A3 — 29.7 × 42 cm
A4 — 21 × 29.7 cm
8 × 10 in — 20.3 × 25.4 cm
11 × 14 in — 27.9 × 35.6 cm
12 × 16 in — 30.5 × 40.6 cm
12 × 18 in — 30.5 × 45.7 cm
16 × 20 in — 40.6 × 50.8 cm
16 × 24 in — 40.6 × 61.0 cm
18 × 24 in — 45.7 × 60.9 cm
20 × 28 in — 50.8 × 71.1 cm
24 × 32 in — 60.9 × 81.2 cm
24 × 36 in — 60.9 × 91.4 cm
28 × 40 in — 71.1 × 101.6 cm
30 × 40 in — 76.2 × 101.6 cm
Framing options

Fancy it ready to hang? Add a solid pine frame — sturdy, handsome and built to last. Take your pick from black, natural wood, or white. Each one is 20–25mm deep and 10–14mm wide: the sweet spot between strength and understated good looks.

We finish every frame with shatterproof, crystal-clear plexiglass to keep your print pristine — and it arrives already framed, so it goes straight from the box to your wall with no faff.

Framing is available for these sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, 8x10, 11x14, 12x16, 12x18, 16x20, 18x24, 20x28, 24x32, 24x36 and 28x40.

Shipping & returns

Designed in Edinburgh, printed close to you. We've teamed up with trusted print partners across the globe, so your order is made and posted from wherever's nearest — order from the US, for instance, and it's printed and shipped by our US partner. That means it reaches you sooner, and travels a lot less to get there.

Changed your mind? Not a problem. Every order is covered by our 30-day, no-quibbles money-back guarantee — if it's not quite right, send it back within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked.