Inkjet printing both sides

  • Thread starter Thread starter Terry Pinnell
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Terry Pinnell

Somewhat OT for both groups (I'd appreciate a pointer to a more
appropriate one), but I imagine there's some expertise on this subject
here.

I want to make a birthday card by folding a sheet of the A4 'Super
quality photo paper for inkjet printers' that I have at hand, bought
from WH Smith. But I find that on the non-glossy side I get a smeary
wet mess with all the 'paper type' settings I've tried. Plain, Matte -
Heavy, Photo, Premium Semi Gloss - even Inkjet Transparency! If the
ink will stay on a transparent sheet of plastic with that last option,
I'm darned if I can see why it won't do so on this stuff? Is it
deliberately 'waxed' or something?
 
Most (probably all) card programs print on one side and then you fold it
appropriately.
Old Bob
 
Terry Pinnell said:
Somewhat OT for both groups (I'd appreciate a pointer to a more
appropriate one), but I imagine there's some expertise on this subject
here.

I want to make a birthday card by folding a sheet of the A4 'Super
quality photo paper for inkjet printers' that I have at hand, bought
from WH Smith. But I find that on the non-glossy side I get a smeary
wet mess with all the 'paper type' settings I've tried. Plain, Matte -
Heavy, Photo, Premium Semi Gloss - even Inkjet Transparency! If the
ink will stay on a transparent sheet of plastic with that last option,
I'm darned if I can see why it won't do so on this stuff? Is it
deliberately 'waxed' or something?
Click to expand...

It's probably deliberate. They want to sell you "double sided photo paper"
at outrageous prices. The Japanese fine print on my favorite Epson matte
photo paper says (loose translation) "Don't even think about trying to print
on the back side".

David J. Littleboy
Who named his printer "Ink-sucking pig"
Tokyo, Japan
 
Terry Pinnell said:
But I find that on the non-glossy side I get a smeary
wet mess with all the 'paper type' settings I've tried.
Click to expand...

I trick I've used to work around this: If you have access
to a laser printer, print the back side on that first,
then the color on the photo side.
 
Some inkjet coatings, and the glossy are more likely, can be a type of
plastic that will melt with the heat of a laser printer fuser. Some
people have ruined their laser printer's fuser doing this, so beware!

Obviously, some inkjet paper coatings survive the heat, but you need to
be careful.

Art
 
Terry said:
Somewhat OT for both groups (I'd appreciate a pointer to a more
appropriate one), but I imagine there's some expertise on this subject
here.

I want to make a birthday card by folding a sheet of the A4 'Super
quality photo paper for inkjet printers' that I have at hand, bought
from WH Smith. But I find that on the non-glossy side I get a smeary
wet mess with all the 'paper type' settings I've tried. Plain, Matte -
Heavy, Photo, Premium Semi Gloss - even Inkjet Transparency! If the
ink will stay on a transparent sheet of plastic with that last option,
I'm darned if I can see why it won't do so on this stuff? Is it
deliberately 'waxed' or something?
Click to expand...

Use matte 'watercolor' paper instead. It's really nice stuff and there's
no coating to worry about.
 
David J. Littleboy said:
It's probably deliberate. They want to sell you "double sided photo paper"
at outrageous prices. The Japanese fine print on my favorite Epson matte
photo paper says (loose translation) "Don't even think about trying to print
on the back side".

David J. Littleboy
Who named his printer "Ink-sucking pig"
Tokyo, Japan
Click to expand...

Nonsense, paper is coated on one side to keep costs down.
There is double sided photopaper, e.g. Kodak Picture Pater CAT 807 7448,
which is reasonable priced.
You can also glue 2 sheets together.
 
I trick I've used to work around this: If you have access
Some inkjet coatings, and the glossy are more likely, can be a type of
plastic that will melt with the heat of a laser printer fuser. Some
people have ruined their laser printer's fuser doing this, so beware!

Obviously, some inkjet paper coatings survive the heat, but you need to
be careful.
Click to expand...

Right, I've had problems with a laser printer after feeding a page that was
previously ink-jet-printed on the other side.

But what about the opposite? Is there any problem first printing one side
with a laser printer (or copier for that matter), then ink-jet-printing the
second side?
 
Terry said:
Somewhat OT for both groups (I'd appreciate a pointer to a more
appropriate one), but I imagine there's some expertise on this subject
here.

I want to make a birthday card by folding a sheet of the A4 'Super
quality photo paper for inkjet printers' that I have at hand, bought
from WH Smith. But I find that on the non-glossy side I get a smeary
wet mess with all the 'paper type' settings I've tried. Plain, Matte -
Heavy, Photo, Premium Semi Gloss - even Inkjet Transparency! If the
ink will stay on a transparent sheet of plastic with that last option,
I'm darned if I can see why it won't do so on this stuff? Is it
deliberately 'waxed' or something?
Click to expand...
I find that "presentation paper" works well for greeting
cards. I use the HP brand on my HP printer.
 
Terry Pinnell said:
Somewhat OT for both groups (I'd appreciate a pointer to a more
appropriate one), but I imagine there's some expertise on this subject
here.

I want to make a birthday card by folding a sheet of the A4 'Super
quality photo paper for inkjet printers' that I have at hand, bought
from WH Smith. But I find that on the non-glossy side I get a smeary
wet mess with all the 'paper type' settings I've tried. Plain, Matte -
Heavy, Photo, Premium Semi Gloss - even Inkjet Transparency! If the
ink will stay on a transparent sheet of plastic with that last option,
I'm darned if I can see why it won't do so on this stuff? Is it
deliberately 'waxed' or something?
Click to expand...

I would guess that the back coating has a function - possibly to keep the
paper flat. Coating one side only may cause a different amount of moisture
absorption and warp the paper. I've used Epson Glossy Photo paper and
printed on both sides successfully. It does have a very faint logo repeat
pattern printed on the back side, but no one who has received these cards
noticed it at all. I currently use Staples Supreme Double Sided Matte paper
for printing two sided cards. Because it is a paper specifically coated for
receiving inkjet photo images, it looks quite good and is also a very decent
weight and stiffness for cards. Although glossy photo papers print a more
vivid photo, this matte paper is a close second best.
 
OpaPiloot said:
Nonsense, paper is coated on one side to keep costs down.
There is double sided photopaper, e.g. Kodak Picture Pater CAT 807 7448,
which is reasonable priced.
You can also glue 2 sheets together.
Click to expand...

Thanks both.

I suspect 2 glued sheets would be too hard to fold neatly.
 
Burt said:
I would guess that the back coating has a function - possibly to keep the
paper flat. Coating one side only may cause a different amount of moisture
absorption and warp the paper. I've used Epson Glossy Photo paper and
printed on both sides successfully. It does have a very faint logo repeat
pattern printed on the back side, but no one who has received these cards
noticed it at all. I currently use Staples Supreme Double Sided Matte paper
for printing two sided cards. Because it is a paper specifically coated for
receiving inkjet photo images, it looks quite good and is also a very decent
weight and stiffness for cards. Although glossy photo papers print a more
vivid photo, this matte paper is a close second best.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the replies. I have a fair stock of this glossy paper,
but looks like I'm not going to get anything printed on its back. (No
laser.) I'll try some of the alternative paper types at a later date,
but meanwhile I'm tackling the project on a couple of fronts.

1) Folding the sheet twice, which gets all images onto one side,
albeit smaller. Then using all four sections to the maximum.

2) Have glued some plain inkjet paper to back of the glossy, and will
try that with the 1-fold design.
 
rjn said:
I trick I've used to work around this: If you have access
to a laser printer, print the back side on that first,
then the color on the photo side.
Click to expand...

Bob, please stop posting misinformation that can intentionally destroy
someone's fuser by them unknowingly using glossy paper that has a plastic
type coating! Yes, it does happen as I've had the misfortune of seeing it
firsthand. Now go back to the eBay group and write a dissertation about who
leaves feedback first since that's more your speed.




Rita
 
Arthur said:
Some inkjet coatings, and the glossy are more likely, can be a type of
plastic that will melt with the heat of a laser printer fuser. Some
people have ruined their laser printer's fuser doing this, so beware!

Obviously, some inkjet paper coatings survive the heat, but you need
to be careful.
Click to expand...

Art, thank you for correcting the situation. The aftermath is something you
don't want to see first hand. Bob's a good guy, but he likes to spread
misinformation without thinking of the consequences it would have if someone
actually listened to him.




Rita
 
Arthur Entlich said:
Some inkjet coatings, and the glossy are more likely, can be a type of
plastic that will melt with the heat of a laser printer fuser. Some
people have ruined their laser printer's fuser doing this, so beware!
Click to expand...

I would expect any papers not suited to laser printing
to say so on the carton, although perhaps inadequately
emphasized as "Use only in inkjet printers" or some such.
Obviously, some inkjet paper coatings survive the heat,
but you need to be careful.
Click to expand...

I've never had a problem doing it, but that could be just
the luck of the draw on the media. I do have some early
HP JetSeries stock that is clearly a plastic base, and
that I stuff I never fed to the LaserJet for this very reason.

Of course, if the OP doesn't own a laser printer, and
buys an old LaserJet cheaply on eBay, then not much
is at risk :-)
 
Terry Pinnell said:
Somewhat OT for both groups (I'd appreciate a pointer to a more
appropriate one), but I imagine there's some expertise on this subject
here.

I want to make a birthday card by folding a sheet of the A4 'Super
quality photo paper for inkjet printers' that I have at hand, bought
from WH Smith. But I find that on the non-glossy side I get a smeary
wet mess with all the 'paper type' settings I've tried. Plain, Matte -
Heavy, Photo, Premium Semi Gloss - even Inkjet Transparency! If the
ink will stay on a transparent sheet of plastic with that last option,
I'm darned if I can see why it won't do so on this stuff? Is it
deliberately 'waxed' or something?
Click to expand...

My once favourite paper supplier (good deliver, reasonable prices)
recently blotted its copybook with me, by moving to the Channel Isles,
now the service is like other off shore companies.

However I have enjoyed the Think double sided matt paper for some years.
My last delivery was at increased price and the thickness (but not the
weight) has decreased. However, I still think the following may suit
you:-

http://www.choicestationery.co.uk/Product.asp?Prd=17342

Mike

[The reply-to address is valid for 30 days from this posting]
--
Michael J Davis
<><
Some newsgroup contributors appear to have confused
the meaning of "discussion" with "digression".
<><
 
Paul said:
Use matte 'watercolor' paper instead. It's really nice stuff and there's
no coating to worry about.
Click to expand...


That was my guess, that the "papaer" (substrate) in impregnated with
plastic (like many photographic papers) and coated on one side with a
water-permeable coating. Hence the smeary mess on the back, which adsorbs
little of the ink.

I don't mind sacrificing some saturation in exchange for a truly flat look
and use card stock, which doesn't have a "side" since it is all paper.
I'm in the US and like Xerox vellum, but I'd think watercolor paper, which
is meant to hold color on the surface, would work well.

Brendan
 
Terry said:
Somewhat OT for both groups (I'd appreciate a pointer to a more
appropriate one), but I imagine there's some expertise on this subject
here.

I want to make a birthday card by folding a sheet of the A4 'Super
quality photo paper for inkjet printers' that I have at hand, bought
from WH Smith. But I find that on the non-glossy side I get a smeary
wet mess with all the 'paper type' settings I've tried. Plain, Matte -
Heavy, Photo, Premium Semi Gloss - even Inkjet Transparency! If the
ink will stay on a transparent sheet of plastic with that last option,
I'm darned if I can see why it won't do so on this stuff? Is it
deliberately 'waxed' or something?
Click to expand...
You don't mention what printer you are using. Some modern inkjet
printers are designed so that the ink and paper react chemically, and
you NEED to use the recommended papers in order to get the best results.
Using paper not designed to be printed on both sides can result in
poor results, as you have noted. I can only suggest that you print the
side that smears first, and give it some time (several minutes) to dry
before printing the other side. This may give acceptable results.
 
Paul said:
Use matte 'watercolor' paper instead. It's really nice stuff and there's
no coating to worry about.
Click to expand...

My wife often prints cards on both sides, and we have found that Kodak
'Semi gloss' paper works well for two sided printing on our HP printers.
Other ink formulations may not work as well. Giving one side time to
dry before printing the other side is essential when using coated papers!
 
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