The Symbolic Language
of Tarot Cards
Home Reference Manual
of Tarot Cards
Home Reference Manual
What I did for this project / I chose a topic suitable for a manual, researched about it and worked out a structure of the book, for both the contents and their visual organization. I worked on layout, grid, typesetting, diagrams, illustrations and the cover design.
Dust jacket turn in
Prelims
Title Page
Table of Contents, page one
Table of Contents, page two
Illustration: original black and white woodcut, digitally colored
Illustration: original black and white woodcut, digitally colored
Introduction, 'Reading Roman Numerals'
Each Major Arcana card (the most important cards in the deck for divination) is identified with a roman numeral. This spread is designed to help the reader understanding roman numerals in order to use the Major Arcana correctly.
Part Two, The Major Arcana
Opening of Part Two
Illustration: original black and white woodcut, digitally colored
Illustration: original black and white woodcut, digitally colored
In this part of the book each spread is dedicated to a Major Arcana card.
The left-handed page has a fixed layout and a standard set of contents: the card is placed at the center, with two text columns on its sides (kabbalistic interpretation on the left, and astrological explanation on the right); a box at the bottom with two group of keywords (possible meanings of the card if it's upright, left, or reversed, right) close the page.
The right-handed page has a different structure, with a more flexible grid. The content change from one arcana to another, illustrating the most complex and important symbols depicted in the card.
The left-handed page has a fixed layout and a standard set of contents: the card is placed at the center, with two text columns on its sides (kabbalistic interpretation on the left, and astrological explanation on the right); a box at the bottom with two group of keywords (possible meanings of the card if it's upright, left, or reversed, right) close the page.
The right-handed page has a different structure, with a more flexible grid. The content change from one arcana to another, illustrating the most complex and important symbols depicted in the card.
'Major Arcana' Spread, The Tower
Typefaces: Chaparral Pro (titles), Auto 1 (main text)
Typefaces: Chaparral Pro (titles), Auto 1 (main text)
To be consistent with the style of the Marseille Tarots, I draw a set of illustrations with a black ink pen, and then colored them digitally with basic colors, imitating the woodcut feel of the original artworks.
'Major Arcana' Spread, The Moon
Part Four, 'Reading a Spread'
This part of the book is dedicated to the task of divination. To read the future with Tarot Cards it is necessary to lay them down according to tradition. There are several established arrangement, called 'Spreads', involving a different number of cards and devoted to different forecasting purposes.
The interpretation of a Spread is explained through four pages: two pages show how to place down the cards, the meaning of each position, and the general symbolism of that particular game; two other pages demonstrates the previous theory looking over a reading example.
The interpretation of a Spread is explained through four pages: two pages show how to place down the cards, the meaning of each position, and the general symbolism of that particular game; two other pages demonstrates the previous theory looking over a reading example.
The Mirror Spread First double-page: the diagram of the Spread and its symbols
The Mirror Spread, left-handed page: the diagram shows arrangement, order and meanings assigned to the cards; right-handed page: two important symbols related to this Spread are discussed.
The Mirror Spread, Reading Example. The left-handed page shows the card arrangement for the case taken as example. The righ-handed page is a reference table: for each card and its position occupied in the Spread a brief interpretation is given.
Reference Table, detail: a small icon help the reader connecting the position of the card with the order of placement.
The Horoscope Spread
This Spread involves 12 cards, the maximum number of cards considered in the book.
The arrangement area is very large as well, so I selected this case as the worst possible situation, in terms of layout structure, and worked it out to find the righ
This Spread involves 12 cards, the maximum number of cards considered in the book.
The arrangement area is very large as well, so I selected this case as the worst possible situation, in terms of layout structure, and worked it out to find the righ
The Horoscope Spread, another example of 'Reading a Spread' section layout.
Dust Jacket turn in, back cover
