Picture Cubes 

Picture cubes and printed cubes

Picture cubes don't have six solid colors on their faces. Instead, they feature world maps, banknotes, paintings by famous artists, letters, numbers, game symbols and other designs. You solve them the same way as a classic 3x3 cube, but the cube is only solved when the complete picture is visible on every face. Just matching the colors isn't enough. This category mainly includes Z-Cube and Calvin's Puzzle models in 2x2, 3x3 and 4x4 sizes.

How is a printed cube different from a regular one?

Mechanically, it's a regular 2x2, 3x3 or 4x4, so the methods and algorithms are the same. The difference shows up at the very end. If a face has one continuous picture or text on it, the orientation of the center matters too. On a regular 3x3 cube this doesn't matter, but here the cube can look solved even though one of the centers is rotated by 90 or 180 degrees. To fix it, you need to learn an extra short algorithm. It's a good challenge for someone who already knows the beginner's method and wants to learn something new. On a 4x4, each face has four center pieces. With a picture, each of them has to end up in its own spot, which makes solving noticeably harder.

Designs to choose from

• Educational: Calvin's Puzzle world maps in standard and flag versions (3x3 and 4x4), the periodic table and chemical elements, the Solar System, physics cubes with electric circuits and electromagnetism, the English alphabet and numbers.
• Art: Z-Cube cubes with paintings by Van Gogh and from Picasso's Rose Period.
• Games: poker, dice, tic-tac-toe and mahjong.
• Banknotes: the dollar and the 20 and 50 euro notes.
• Other: Halloween, arrows, Grid Chain and the 2x2 Face Cube.

Z-Cube Braille: a cube you solve by touch

Instead of colors, the faces of this cube have raised Braille characters. You recognize the pieces with your fingers, so blind and visually impaired people can solve it. If you don't know Braille, you may initially find it hard to tell similar dot patterns apart.

Who are picture cubes for?

They're mainly puzzles for gifts, for collections and for solving just for fun. Educational designs, such as maps or the periodic table, make a great gift for a child who can already solve a regular cube. Many models have UV printing. The design is printed directly onto the plastic, so there are no stickers that could peel off over time. Only some cubes have magnets, for example the Z-Cube Golden Mahjong in the magnetic version. People buy these cubes for the design, not for fast times. For timed practice, it's better to choose a cube from the speedcubing categories.