Different Editions

Very soon (in May although it may be available at the end of April) Llewellyn will be releasing the Anna.K Tarot. This deck was originally self-published by the artist. I heard her on a podcast and was intrigued. I looked up her deck and bought one directly from her. Then I used it for years as my primary reading deck. I was smitten. That deck sang to me like no other (until my believed Steampunk Tarot was published).

Because I was so in love with it, I wanted it to have a wider audience (although, honestly, Anna was doing great on her own!). So Llewellyn acquired publishing rights.

I just received an advance copy of the deck and was so surprised by the difference between the two editions. Our art director flies to the printer to check all decks while they are on press to make sure the color and clarity best matches what the artist says is his/her vision. In this world of viewing things on screens (which always have different calibrations) it can be challenging to know that the artist intended. But our art director works closely with the artists.

So the Llewellyn edition was able to achieve a brightness and clarity that is just stunning. It reminded me of when I first saw images of when they cleaned the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Here are some side-by-side comparisons. The self-published edition is on the left. The Llewellyn version is on the right. For collectors, I have the second edition of the self-published deck.