Designers: Encarded's Paul Carpenter

Name: Paul Carpenter
Age: 36
Location: Sarasota, FL
Career title: Creative Director at an internet development firm, Founder of Encarded
Company: Encarded Custom Playing Cards
Years In Design: 20+
Years Designing Playing Cards: 2
Playing Card Decks Created: Tendril, Aurum
Upcoming Project: Deco (printing July 2013)
Favorite Playing Card Decks: I have a lot, but a few that come to mind are Seasons, JAQK, Curator, Artisans, and Bohemia
Website: www.encarded.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/encarded
Twitter: www.twitter.com/encarded

In just 2 years, Paul Carpenter has carved out a nice section for himself in the playing card industry with his company Encarded. Paul has designed and brought to market not only custom playing card decks with unmatched design but collector's items and playing card accessories of the same caliber. In March 2012 on Kickstarter, Paul raised over $40K or 200% of the original goal when he launched his company's first deck, Tendril. Tendril eventually paved the way for Encarded's second and most luxurious deck yet, the mystical "Aurum." The success of Encarded's first two playing card decks lead to the upcoming Deco playing cards, which are set to be released this summer. Deco pays homage to casino-style decks of the past, such as the highly in-demand Jerry's Nugget. Along with playing cards, Paul is also at the forefront of technology, marketing and overall branding strategy when it comes to companies in the industry with Encarded's fully branded e-commerce website and involvement in social media and industry forums.

"I like to pursue new ideas, trying things that other designers might not have thought of. Holding a deck of custom cards in your hands is a wonderfully tactile experience, and I want to bring a little sense of wonder to each deck I make." - Paul Carpenter on playing card design.

Upcoming Project Photos: Deco