QOTD {04/10/12}: Printers

stagccva · 04-10-2012, 04:17 AM

Let's talk about printers today! For those of you that print digis and color them, what type of printer do you have? What sort of paper do you use with it?

Do you have success printing digis and coloring with Copics or other alcohol-based markers? Are there any special tricks you do first (heat set the ink, let them dry for a bit, etc)?

Feel free to link us up to your specific printer model online!

UnderstandBlue · 04-10-2012, 04:19 AM

I bought a laser printer so that I could print and color digis and I love mine. It's an HP cmf1410 I think. The downside is that the toner is very expensive, but I don't print much besides postage and images.

stagccva · 04-10-2012, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Understandblue

I bought a laser printer so that I could print and color digis and I love mine. It's an HP cmf1410 I think. The downside is that the toner is very expensive, but I don't print much besides postage and images.

I'm so intrigued by this, because I've always heard from US people to go with a laser printer. But someone from the UK told me yesterday that they stay away from laser printers, and use inkjets!!!

Color me confused

PH in VA · 04-10-2012, 05:57 AM

I use an HP LaserJet 1536dnf - it's an all-in-one printer, scanner, copier and fax machine (we never fax anything, but I wanted the other three features). We just got it last August and haven't had to replace the toner yet.

When I want to use a digital image for a card, I print it first on regular copy paper (usually the back side of something else because I recycle paper whenever I can). When I'm satisfied that the image is sized the way I want it, I cut my cardstock about 1/2" to 3/4" larger all around, use temporary adhesive to attach it over the copy paper image, and put that through the printer's manual paper feed to print the image - rather than trying to put an entire sheet of cardstock through the printer. The extra bit all around allows me to work with the image just in case the printer doesn't pull the paper/cardstock in straight, or cut the image out with a Nestie.

I do like to let the images sit for at least an hour before coloring them, just to be on the safe side. I color with Copics most often, but occasionally I pull out the Prismacolor pencils and odorless mineral spirits.

One of my favorite things about this printer is that you can set it to print on both sides of the page without having the manually feed the paper through for the second side. For sketch challenge layouts, I often copy the sketch to a Word file, then either rotate it or flip it for an additional option, and print it so that I have one option on each side of the page.

Crafty Math Chick · 04-10-2012, 05:57 AM

There is the prettiest little goldfinch feeding at our feeder right now... sigh... such pretty little birds... Korin, we need a set of these... but I digress...

I use a Canon Pixma MX330 for printing onto cardstock - it opens in the back to feed the cardstock in so it doesn't get bent into a U like in other printers. LOVE it! It can copy and scan and save to a stick drive without the computer even being on too - LOVE that convenience as well! The printer was only like $70 but the toner is more expensive - $16 for black and $21 for color ink when it is on sale at Best Buy, so I try to make hubby use that printer only for my craft-related printing.

I use Gina K. Luxury 120 lb. cardstock for coloring with the Copics, and I have not experienced bleeding however I usually print out a bunch of digis in batches and then use them when I am inspired by a particular challenge or for a specific occasion when one comes up, so they have a LONG time to dry usually (don't really know how long the toner takes to dry since I never use them right away).

That's about it from me! Hope everyone had a nice Easter!

StampinAK · 04-10-2012, 07:07 AM

Glad I found this thread! I have been experiencing problems with my HP printer lately. I have the HP photosmart all-in-one and it's a very old model. I am hoping to upgrade this week. My digis have been smearing with Copic Markers. Someone suggested spraying the paper with fixative and letting it set. That hasn't been working for me.

Finally, last week I set the printer to print gray scale with the black cartridge only. I used Stampin' Up! White cardstock and colored with Copic narkers - no smear!

Thanks for all of the tips!

bfinlay · 04-10-2012, 08:24 AM

I'm so interested in this conversation as we just got a new printer yesterday (Kodak one had very poor print quality). So I got an HP and the quality is much better but I was so disappointed to find out that the digi's smeared with my copics - even after I tried heat setting them and letting them sit overnight (though that was SLIGHTLY better). Judi (Crafts) said over in another thread that HP has two different inks available, "regular" and "photo", and she found that "photo ink" did not smear, so I'm adding that info to this discussion!

craftykarla · 04-10-2012, 09:00 AM

I had a canon pixma, ohhh I loved that machine. Now have an HP Photosmart, its okay. I don't use copics, but occasionally use Bic markers and do get some smearing if I go over the lines to often. I use 110 lb. card stock gotten at Staples, Office Max, wherever on sale.

swldebbie · 04-10-2012, 09:03 AM

I have a simple Epson C88 Inkjet printer. I usually print on PTI cardstock. Whenever possible, I print off a sheet or 2 of images a few hours before working with them (or the evening before). So far, I've had no issues with Copics, even with my yellows. I do, however, have to be sure to pull out my regular printer paper and only have the c/s in the feeder, or I have some trouble feeding the heavier cardsotck through.