Update: Epson Durabrite and UltraChrome and 3rd party Pigment Based inks DO NOT SUCK for button making.
(You're welcome to keep reading this long-winded rant about the suckiness of inkjet, but please keep in mind that I wrote this before I became fully educated on the wonders of Pigment Inks and the following is only in reference to Dye based inkjet)
I know, I know. This is very bad news. On the upside it doesn't really affect every button maker out there. Those of you printing photo buttons and things that will for the most part be kept indoors, are fine using inkjet. But for those of you making buttons that are to be worn on the clothes, the buttons need to be able to withstand moisture, rain, or even a trip through the wash. All things inkjet just can't do.
Inks are water soluble. Period. It is impossible to create a waterproof inkjet print unless you laminate it. Inkjet prints are much much more susceptible to sun damage as well - meaning that your amazingly bright Epson colors look like ultra faded crapola after just a few months of wear.It is very tempting to go into business making buttons using an inkjet printer. After all the price is right, the color replication is awesome, and the resolution is impeccable. BUT you have to buy expensive paper to produce the right color and resolution. AND once that amazing color button you just made hits the real world, it runs and looks awful. Even if the design holds up by some miracle, after a while these weird brown stains start to seep in. Some people refer to these stains as "rust." But trust me, that ain't no rust! It's the moisture interacting with the inkjet paper. I have yet to see any of these problems occur on buttons made with a laser printer.
Inkjet Pro's
- Inexpensive
- Beautiful colors
- High resolution
- Expensive paper required to obtain all the pro's
- Water soluble. The colors ruuuuunnnnnn when exposed to moisture
- Browning paper (even the expensive kind when it gets wet, then oxidizes)
- Fades quickly in the sun. (We're talking months, not years folks)
- Prints very slooooooooowly
- No fancy paper required. Regular office paper achieves the same quality.
- Not water soluble. Can withstand normal exposure to moisture just fine.
- Good color longevity even in the sun.
- Prints very fast!
- Acceptable color reproduction
- Expensive initial investment
- Expensive toner refills
- Not very high resolution
So maybe you are still on the fence. Maybe you've seen some inkjet buttons that seem to be holding up. Maybe you've compared the resolution and just can't part with your hi res inkjet. Maybe you've seen the price tag on that laser printer and are still picking your jaw up off the floor. I don't know. But before you go into business using an inkjet printer, think about this:
Your first rush order for 10,000 buttons that you stayed up all night working on so your very best customer could have them for an event the next day, arrives.... wet.... ruined.
or this:
"Hey you know those buttons you made for my store? We'll my customers are all returning them because the colors are all running and faded and there are these brown spots appearing on them. This makes me look really bad and I threw away most of them. Can I have a refund?"
yeah. bad news. get a laser printer. seriously.
23 comments:
I print using an epson r200, the dreaded inkjet but the colours come out alot darker on some of the ink heavy badges, and it seems to be much to do with the paper, is there a recomended type of paper?
Every paper has it's own color ICC color profile. If you use a profile that is mismatched to your paper, chances are your color representation is going to be off.
Most of the more inexpensive Epson printers have the profiles built into the printer drivers. So when you select the paper type you are using, it will use the profile for that paper. Some of the printers though, allow you to add new profiles and change them accordingly.
If you are using a non-Epson brand paper, you may be experiencing color compatibility issues. Check with the paper manufacturer to see if they have a profile available for your printer.
I have also found that converting the image colors in the printer driver sometimes yields strange results.
For example, in Photoshop you do all of your editing in the Adobe RGB color space, lets say. Then you go to print and you select Epson Matt paper heavyweight. In theory the printer software should be able to convert your Adobe color space to the Matt paper space and produce accurate color. And I have seen this work successfully. But for some reason on my Mac with my Epson 1280, this is NEVER the case. I actually have to convert my file in Photoshop PRIOR to sending it to the printer to get accurate results.
This is what I do:
1. I do all of my editing in Adobe RGB space (this is set in the Photoshop preferences).
2. Once I am all finished, in Photoshop I go to Edit - Convert to Profile.
3. In the Convert dialog I select the profile that was designed for the exact printer / paper combination that I'm using. In this case it's the Epson 1280 Matt paper heavyweight profile that I downloaded from Epson.com. (warning converting to profile flattens your image)
4. Then I select File - Print
5. In the print dialog, I make sure that the Matt paper is selected as the media and that NO COLOR ADJUSTMENTS are selected. (that means all those options for photo-realistic, vivid, ect. should all be deselected. this is very important)
6. Then I print. And to make sure I've eliminated all possible variables, I always use Epson brand paper and ink.
If you are using a different brand paper or ink, you have a huge set of variables to contend with in order to get accurate color. So you'll just have to do some experimenting.
hope that helps.
Also, an additional thing to note is if you are using non-coated paper or paper that is not specifically designed for inkjet, your prints will look like complete crap no matter what profile you use. -- Not only will it be darker, but all of the ink will run together and just look awful.
The coating on inkjet paper is what keeps the ink droplets contained in such a small space (this is called low dot-gain and is what gives the paper its high resolution or photo quality). And if your paper does not have this special coating at all the ink just spreads throughout the paper.
If your paper does not say that is it for an inkjet printer, it will not yield acceptable results for graphics.
How are color copies? What if you printed out high res on the inkjet and go to your local kinko and have a color copy made. Would that fade or discolor?
Hi Jane,
The standard 8.5x11 - 11x17 color copies from copy machines and shops use Laser technology. So you are fine there.
The photo enlargments from those kodak kiosks typically use dye-sublimation printing, which is also a million times better than inkjet for photo reproduction in terms of longevity.
Inkjet is probably used at kinkos and other copy shops to make large format photo prints (posters, banners, etc.)
But again, for button making, if you are getting your master reproduced on a standard color copy machine, your graphics will be A-OK.
Have you tried a protective spray for the inkjet prints, such as Hahnemuhle? I haven't, but the product info says that it will protect the print against moisture, light, & atmospheric contaminants in the atmosphere...wonder if that would be a cheaper alternative to buying a laser, although I think the inkjet master/kinko's repro is a good alternative.
Hi Lola,
Yes, I actually bought a case Premier Art Print Shield after talking to a sales person there, but I was really disappointed when I tested it. I saw no visible difference in coated and non coated buttons that I wore on my jacket for a couple months. Both of the inkjet buttons faded, badly.
Then I started doing more research and consulted with local sign supply shops. These places use super high end, large format inkjet for POS displays and commercial use.
They about laughed me out of the store when I told them I was trying to "weather-proof" inkjet prints for (mylar covered) outdoor wear.
Even the super high end commercial inkjet prints are only said to last for 5 years, and most of the pro's even scoff at that. "It's more like 1 year, and if it's in the sun.... well... just don't expose inkjet to the sun." Say's a professional sign maker friend of mine.
There are some "archival" inks as well, but none of these are made for buttons. They are "archival" for photos that you put in a dry dark trunk in the attic. And I'm not fully convinced of that either, judging from some of my photo prints from several years ago.
There simply is no way to make inkjet water proof, short of laminating it. There is no way to make inkjet more stable in the sun for out door ware.
You are setting yourself and your customers up for disappointment if you use an inkjet printer to make buttons. I hate to say it.
Many Epson inkjets, even low-end printers, use pigment inks that are not water soluble & have a 100+ year UV resistant lifespan. Although you'll get optimum sharpness & richness with coated papers, I've printed on all kinds of stock, from standard copy paper to printmaking paper, brown kraft - you name it, I've tried it - with good results. So not all inkjets are created equal...go for the Epson DuraBrite Ultra or UltraChrome & you won't get bleeding, smudging or fading.
Hi Anonymous,
Thanks for pointing that out.
Epson DURAbrite Pigment Based inks are supposedly waterfast and weatherproof. But ONLY the DURAbite inks make this claim.
I have yet to fully test this though and, honestly, I'm skeptical....
I think this calls for a thorough test and additional blog entry....
I've been using my Cannon MP780 inkjet for about 4 years now. I've never even come close to having a problems like this. No color matching problems nor "Getting them wet" problems.
I would like to know which Photo Paper is the best to use.
I used an HP everyday Semi Gloss but the neven back make it Choppy in the button.
The i Used an HP Super Gloss which looked AMAZING. However half the time the buttons broke because it was 10.5 thickness.
Any ideas?
Anonymous -
Please see the paper post:
http://buttonmakers.blogspot.com/2007/06/what-paper-is-best-for-buttons.html
whew!............. good thing I read all this tonight. I want to make mostly buttons that will be used inside........crafty stuff like. Well, I had earrings and hair ties in mind. Those could get subjected to weather some .. I'll have to look into the weather type laminate I can buy.
I can't do a laser printer ...
Joyce :)
Hello,
Could you advise me a good printer for buttons (max. $250)? I see you use Epson 1280, would you recommend it?
Hi Maudlin Merchandise,
Well, the 1280 is an inkjet printer that does not use waterfast inks, so no I would definitely not recommend it for button making. (I had to modify my 1280, install custom color profiles, buy bulk inks, and still I usually use my laser printer instead)
If I had to go buy a button-specific printer right now, with a $250.00 budget, I might select the HP Color LaserJet 3600n Printer.
I've never used this printer, but I've heard good things about HP. It's color, it's fast -- it's relatively low resolution though. But you get what you pay for.
If you had $100 extra bucks to spend, a much better choice would be Konica Minolta 2530DL. I have an older 2300 DL and I love it. At 2400 DPI, you're customers will love it too!
Hey Rebecca, I have an Epson stylus NX515 inkjet printer. What paper would you recommend for me to use to get the best quality button my printer can dish?
Hi MinD Ova Matter..
I pretty much recommend using the thinnest possible paper you can. Epson High Quality Ink Jet paper will suffice:
http://tinyurl.com/yfbjaao
There really shouldn't be much difference in color or clarity between the glossy papers and the thinner mat papers - as long as you are using the correct printer settings.
Thanks!
Rebecca
Hey rebecca...I used the epson presentation paper matte 3 paper with my graphics for my buttons. The results arent what I expected. My problem is when I print my image it doesn't have that clear crisp better then scan look. The colors look fine but i see all the dots in the image and it looks amateur. Would a laser printer solve this issue? If so I think ill just dish out the cash for that. If so whats a decent laser printer under $300 you would recommend?
Hi MinD Ova Matter..
Laser printers are lower resolution than ink jet. So, there would be more visible dots from a laser print.
Without actually seeing your prints it's tough to say what might be going on here.
You want to make sure that your printer is set to the highest resolution using the proper paper settings and color profiles. Make sure your print heads are clean and are passing the color bar tests.
You also need to make sure that your image is high enough resolution for print (300 pixels per inch is standard).
You also mentioned a scan here - which makes me wonder if perhaps your original image has some film grain that is coming out in your reproduction.
Ultimately it's impossible to know what the problem is without seeing the print. Can you post a scan of it?
But (as long as your print heads are clean) it is most like not the printers fault.
(nor is it the papers fault... unless you printed on the wrong side of the paper that is...)
Rebecca
Hey Rebecca,
YOU ARE GENIUS!!...lol....I fiddled with my color setting as well as my paper settings. Next thing I know my image was more crisp then i ever seen. I just wanna thank you for all your advice and help. Im going to be making buttons for all my Co-worker and our badges.(im in clothing retail).. thanks again...You rock...
Hi MinD Ova Matter...
Yay! I'm glad you got it figured out!!
Rebecca
I have started a home embroidery business & would like to make monogrammed mirrors. From what I can deduct it looks like I need a button making machine (@ a 3"). $200-$300 dollars is waaaaayyy too much for me to spend on mirrors. Where can I look for a used 3" button making machine? I've searched Craigslist, ebay, & google. This blog is my last hope for answers.
Hi ************,
If you're in Seattle, we can rent you a button maker for a day.
Every once in a great while we get used machines in the store. Though, it is very rare. We announce when we have used machines available on our twitter account. Also, our machines retain their value really well which is why used machines are not all that much cheaper than new ones.
But other than that I can only say that $200-$300 is not really that much to invest in your business. This machine will last your whole life and all you have to do is sell 100 or so of those mirrors and it's all profit from there.
Good Luck!
Rebecca
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