Printing Q -- unusual materials
 

I've recently gotten a latest generation photo printer to replace my 3-year
old one and it offers many options for media type, most of which I've never
heard of. One that intrigued me, however, was "canvas". I found some
"canvas paper" in a sample pack from Legion and it's neat, but I've started
looking for less expensive solutions too. I found in Michaels (the craft
store) a pad of artist "canvas paper" which even by feel is substantially
different from the photo stuff. I tried printing on it anyway and while I
got an image, it's clear that the artist canvas doesn't absorb ink the way
that the photo paper does (no surprise, but I hoped ... anyway). The entire
image is fainter, as if there wasn't as much ink put down -- or the paper
absorbed it too well and not as much stayed near the surface.

The question, then, is as follows: are there any web sites or publications
that cover the use of alternate media with photo printers or am I stuck
doing my own experiments and keeping the results as trade secrets?

TIA
Norm

Printing Q -- unusual materials
 

"Norm Dresner" wrote:

The question, then, is as follows: are there any web sites or
publications
that cover the use of alternate media with photo printers or am I stuck
doing my own experiments and keeping the results as trade secrets?

There's quite a bit of stuff out there. Google around on "digital" and "fine
art" and "printing".

Most producers of fine art paper provide "profiles" for their papers and the
printers that can use them. (I have the Japanese models of the printers, and
worry that the profiles won't work right with them, so haven't gone down
this road yet.)

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

Printing Q -- unusual materials
 

"Norm Dresner" wrote in message
...
I've recently gotten a latest generation photo printer to replace my
3-year
old one and it offers many options for media type, most of which I've
never
heard of. One that intrigued me, however, was "canvas". I found some
"canvas paper" in a sample pack from Legion and it's neat, but I've
started
looking for less expensive solutions too. I found in Michaels (the craft
store) a pad of artist "canvas paper" which even by feel is substantially
different from the photo stuff. I tried printing on it anyway and while I
got an image, it's clear that the artist canvas doesn't absorb ink the way
that the photo paper does (no surprise, but I hoped ... anyway). The
entire
image is fainter, as if there wasn't as much ink put down -- or the paper
absorbed it too well and not as much stayed near the surface.

The question, then, is as follows: are there any web sites or
publications
that cover the use of alternate media with photo printers or am I stuck
doing my own experiments and keeping the results as trade secrets?

TIA
Norm


You can do one of two things Norm.
1. Buy some "Photo coating" and treat your own canvas or...
2. Buy Textured vinyl (canvas look alike) from some stores and be happy with
that.

Alternative:
If you have a dye ink printer, you can stretch some canvas and coat it with
"gesso" a traditional material artists use as an undercoat. The stuff I'm
talking about is made from the resin of rabbit hides and chalk, not the more
modern "titanium" gesso. You can buy it at most art suppliers.

When it dries, remove it from the frame and use "watercolour paper" setting
on your printer. I used to do this with a Designjet 130 (24" wide) printer
before I got my suppliers organized. The results vary a little but they are
colour fast.

Douglas