Presto Printo by Daryl

Type: Close-up

Skill Level:

Retail Price: $25

Effect: The magician begins with playing cards that are blank on both sides. A card "randomly" selected from a full deck of cards is used as a printing plate for the demonstration. That is when the fun begins. As the blank cards are printed, bizarre incidents occur such as double exposures, partial printing and fallen pips. The magician isn't very careful and smudges a card.

Performance Time: 4 minutes

Reset Time: Less than 1 minute

Angles:

Quality: The cards are printed on Bicycle cards. The instructions are well written and illustrated.

Dr. Mitch: This is a great routine and if you have a little bit of timing and acting abilities (I know most magicians lack this..hahaha) this routine becomes even more powerful. I've found that the real trick in the routine is to make the mis-printings "look accidental". When I do my close-up show, Presto-Pinto is usually in it. Experiment a bit with the handling, and use what is most comfortable. Again, look casual and make it look like the magic is happening independent of the magician and you have a big winner.

SPECIAL NOTE- Mike and I debated over this effect. I said it used Bicycle Cards, Mike said it used an "off brand". So, I dug through all of the old instructions that I save for EVERYTHING. "Presto Printo" is by Daryl. It uses Bicycle brand cards. "Printing" is by Dominique Duvivier. It uses Atlantis brand cards.

To quote Daryl here: "...as different from "Printing" by Dominque Duvivier as "Printing" is from the original "Wild Card" by Peter Kane. The "Presto Printo" improvements are as follows:

1) You begin with a packet of blank card stock. Apparently all of the cards are blank on both sides.

2) A regular card produces a mirror image duplicate. The mirror image card is the used to create "regular" copies.

3) The card that is duplicated is apparently selected at random from an ordinary deck of fifty two cards......""

Well Mike, it seems like this time I was right. I may have misremembered about who was first on the Slate of Mind, but I did get this one right. : )

Mike Maione: Everybody gets one right once in a while, and so it is with Presto Printo and Printing. But I'm glad Mitch did a double check for us, because Daryl's version very good, far superior and worth reviewing right.

I saw Daryl perform his version at a lecture and should have purchased it then, but for some reason... I think it was money... I decided to hold back. Well, I couldn't find it, and I wound up with the Duvivier version. I don't like it and it has remained banished in a draw somewhere in my mess of a magic room. (I promise Barbara, I'll clean it next weekend.) Anyway, because Daryl's uses Bicycle cards it is awesome. You can have the spectator select a card from the deck (read force a card on the spectator) to start the illusion. Try to find those Atlantis cards here in the states... no too easy. Then do the routine. It's powerful and fun.

What I also like about this effect and what makes it better than regular Wild Cards, is that it is completely examinable afterward.

I heard that American Playing Card Co. is not going to print anymore custom cards. So I guess, if you find a Presto-Printo you should grab it, I don't think Daryl will be able to make more.

M&M Magic Review © 1998