Amy here
Tip 1: If you want better printing without the drawbacks, use The PERFECT CRAFTING POUCH! For information on the “Pouch”, visit our website to check out ALL the videos, FAQs, and the complete product description. You’ll find TONS of tips, techniques, and projects!
12 MORE TIPS
(IF you don’t have the Perfect Crafting Pouch)
Tip 2: Use only “inkjet vellum”. These are made specifically for this ink and will produce a crisp image.
Drawback: Inkjet vellum still takes a long time to dry!!! Also, it can only be made in plain pastels. No pearly coating, no embossed images, no metallic coating, no designs., no sparkle. These tend to be more expensive.
Tip 3: Use the “right side” of the vellum. If you can find a side that has a less shiny side, use it.
Drawback: You will probably be frustrated trying to find that side. It probably doesn’t even exist.
Tip 4: Don’t use big, wide fonts as thinner lines won’t show the resisting as much.
Drawback: If you want big, bold fonts for your title, who wants to crimp their style?
Tip 5: Since the ink takes a long time to dry and is apt to smear when it’s wet, do not touch it until it is totally dry, or use embossing powder and a heat gun.
Drawback: Waiting to use your vellum–sometimes for hours or days–can be a drag. And while embossing can be attractive, who wants to have to do this everytime you write your journaling?
Tip 6: Buy markers specifically made for vellum.
Drawback: It is expensive to buy special markers and your storage space may be limited.
Tip 7: Buy pre-printed vellum and transparency quotes and titles.
Drawback: Pre-printed supplies can be expensive and are not personalized for your projects. When you buy packs of quotes, you may find some you love and discard the rest (or forever store them).
Tip 8. Buy transparencies made for inkjet printers,
Drawback: inkjet transparencies may not be acid-free and the ones that are may be expensive and difficult to find. (While Polyester film, such as film negatives and ‘write-on’ transparencies are acid free and archivally safe, most ink jet transparencies are treated with acid to make the matte surface and are not acid free. Copier films are acid free but the coating may not be archivally safe. If archivally-safe is important to you, use uncoated ‘write on’ film, or make sure the film specifies archivally-safe. You may still choose to use copier transparencies knowing that it is acid-free but may not be archivally safe, or use inkjet transparencies which may be neither acid-free, nor archivally safe.)
Tip 9. Since most ribbon and twill tape bleeds when printed on with inkjets or stamps, buy pre-printed supplies.
Drawback: Pre-printed supplies are expensive and may not say the words you want.
Tip 10: Reserve mulberry paper, shiny holographic papers, cool acrylic-coated, flocked papers, other specialty papers, clay and wood for backgrounds and embellishments and don’t try to print on them.
Drawback: Limiting your usage means you’ll have fewer opportunities to use these cool materials.
Tip 11: Buy shrink plastic specifically made for inkjet printers or use sand paper to rough up the surface so the ink adheres better.
Drawback: Inkjet-specific shrink plastic may me less commonly available and more expensive. You may already have non-inkjet shrink plastic in your child’s supplies and sanding helps but can only do so much as the surface may still resist the ink.
Tip 12: Use stamp ink specifically designed to stick to more difficult surfaces.
Drawback: Buying special inks in all the colors can be costly, and your storage space may be limited. In addition, the pouch even improves the crispness of STAZ-On on acrylic.
Tip 13: For vellum and other shiny papers: Try printing on transparency setting as this puts out a lot less ink.
Drawback: The printing is not so bold and dark and still takes a while to dry; it may not be an improvement over normal settings–especially if you smear them while waiting for them to dry.
