printer for creased greeting card material

[suzyjazz]

I would like to try printing my own note cards. I doubt my current printer is the one for the job. It's several years old, but I hardly ever print anything so who knows maybe I am underestimating it. Once I get some blank cards I can see how it does, but printers are so cheap now I can probably do better for not that much money. Anyone have experience with printing greeting cards on nice paper? I would like to buy blank foldable cards and print fronts on them. Preferably a glossy front, and I am envisioning cards that have a 4x5 surface size, not too big. I need to see if Costco has these. Any suggestions on what printer or software to buy is welcome!

[janetg]

i'm not sure if i'm being much help, but i just got my daughter an epson printer for $79 at compusa - it prints beautifully and for the price, it's hard to beat. The software interface is better than what came with my cannon, especially since epson has tons of specialty papers. It prints on cds and dvd's too. I've even considered one for a second printer.

janetg

[suzyjazz]

Thanks Janet -- do you know the exact model? I guess I am looking to see if anyone has experience specifically with cardstock that you fold in half to make a greeting card. Last time I tried to print on something besides normal paper, it was on envelopes and it was so difficult to get the paper positioned correctly and move smoothly all the way through. But cardstock at least is a flat surface. And 79 is cheap, it would help out a lot if I could get one for so little. :)

[Steelsun]

FYI:

I (well, "we", the spousal half and I) recently did a run of about 100 cards for xmas, and I've also done dozens for other projects.

What I found out is that it is actually better not to have the image printed on the card.

Here's what we did:

Purchased a box of greeting card stock (pre-creased, includes envelopes) at Sams. I think is was abuot $12 for 400 or so.

Ran them through our printer (an HP Photomart about 4 years old) to put the inside message. Ran them through again to put the "manufactured by & copyright" stuff on the back side as well as the front side Text.

Had a few hundred copies of the image we wanted on the card printed 4x5 by Sams photo lab - only cost about 18 cents each.

Used scrap bookers glue (acid free and in a pen format) to do the back of the images and glue to the card front.

Overall we found this to be the best, fastest, and least expensive (less than 50 cents each) way to make the cards.
Also they look like the popular "photoglued to front" cards that sell at a premium now at card & gift places.

I had some people see these last year and pre-order some for us to make for them for xmas for them this year. Also had some sets made as "everday" cards (blank inside) by a client.

[janetg]

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/P...aper+%26+Media

that's a link to the cards...

i got her the R200 - and i see it is now listed for $99 on compusa's site...

janetg

[suzyjazz]

Steelsun -- Wow, I never would have thought to glue them. I guess if you do a nice job it comes out smooth and clean. I think I would prefer to glue them than fiddle with a printer and hold my breath while I wait to see that it actually went through the printer nice and straight. I really don't like printing. The "blank inside" cards are what I would like to make. Can I find scrapbook glue at Michael's? I don't know what "acid free and in a pen format" means but maybe when I go shopping I will see.

janetg -- Thanks for the links! I will have to investigate all my options.

I want to make my own cards for Christmas this year and I am also looking to sell some others.

[Detonate]

Not sure what type of picture you are including.

But recently I recieved a Birth Annoucment that was home made. The card had 4 diagonal cuts that allowed a small wallet size picture to be "attached" to the card.

The nice thing about it was that after you read the card, you could remove the photo as a keep sake.

Just a thought. I have no idea where to purchase these cards from.

[Steelsun]

Michael's, Hobby Lobby, even Walmart sells the glue pens.

Pen means it looks like a thick pen/ magick marker, and you just "write/draw" the glue on.

Acid Free is the quality of the glue so that it does not ruin the image.


I started by doing a line down each side and an "X" in the middle, then switche to just a line down each side. After the first batch was done and sent, I heard comments back that people wanted to be able to remove the image also, so I just ended up doing a large zigzag over the photo back, so it stuck well to the card but could be peeled off (albeit with some paper stuck to it) by people that wanted it.

[Steelsun]

There's a cutter that will also make slits in cards/paper to make the cards like what Detonate described also. Most craft shops should have one.

[suzyjazz]

Originally Posted by Detonate

But recently I recieved a Birth Annoucment that was home made. The card had 4 diagonal cuts that allowed a small wallet size picture to be "attached" to the card.

The nice thing about it was that after you read the card, you could remove the photo as a keep sake.

I'm looking to sell cards as stationary, so I'm looking for a card and the photo staying as one. Thanks for the idea though!

[suzyjazz]

Originally Posted by Steelsun

Michael's, Hobby Lobby, even Walmart sells the glue pens.

Pen means it looks like a thick pen/ magick marker, and you just "write/draw" the glue on.

Acid Free is the quality of the glue so that it does not ruin the image.

I started by doing a line down each side and an "X" in the middle, then switche to just a line down each side. After the first batch was done and sent, I heard comments back that people wanted to be able to remove the image also, so I just ended up doing a large zigzag over the photo back, so it stuck well to the card but could be peeled off (albeit with some paper stuck to it) by people that wanted it.

Oh, it's a glue pen. Glue in a pen format, just like you said! Now I get it. Must have been a blonde moment. Thanks again for the info.

[suzyjazz]

Thought I'd post what I ended up buying in case it helps anyone else.... I could not find what I was lookng for at either Costco or Sam's. Costco may carry prescored cards seasonally, perhaps at Christmas, but they do not have them now. Sam's only has 8 1/2 x 11 sheets that fold in half. Too big. Michael's has 50 5x6 1/2" cards in 50 pack with envelopes for 9.99. I would prefer bright white paper, but at this point I am not willing to pay more than this for them. So I will see how these turn out.

[jerrykr]

I don't know if this will help or not, but here is what I do, and have made and sold hundreds of them, on the cheap.

You can buy glue sticks at Sams or almost anywhere. Look for "acid free". These are the regular old glue sticks, not a pen. They hold a photo on card stock rather well.

I used to print a small photo to fit the card front using Qimage and got 8 pictures per sheet of photo paper. I now prefer to print the picture right on the card stock. I'ts just a matter of what you like. Qimage allows you to print custom sizes, and arranges the pictures well on the page. You can get a photo print in just the right size for the front of the card. You are not stuck with a standard size.

I designed and made my own "blank note cards" with "The Print Shop". (I know it is basically considered a kids software, but it is quite capable). I don't use their pre-designed cards, I started from scratch, and have both horizontal and vertical orientations depending on the pictures. I usually print a border on the front of the card for the picture to sit in, and my "mfg by" info on the back which ends up on the same side of the card stock. You could also print messages on the inside of the card if you want to. I get 2 cards printed on a single sheet of 8.5x11 card stock.

Office Depot has a nice assortment of heavy card stock, and has the "invitation" envelopes to fit a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 folded card.

I bought one of those Fiskar's rotary wheel cutting boards (about $35). I have a regular cut wheel, a deckle cut wheel for the front edge of the card, and a crease wheel to make the fold line. Works well to cut the cards apart, as well as to cut the pictures apart.

It's not that much work to make them once you get designed and set up. I figured I had around 20 cents in each card/envelope set and that was using the photo paper pictures. I was including the cost if printer ink in the estimate too.

I use an older (now) HP 932C printer. Handles the flat card stock very well.

Hope this helps.

-=- Jerry -=-

[suzyjazz]

Originally Posted by jerrykr

I bought one of those Fiskar's rotary wheel cutting boards (about $35). I have a regular cut wheel, a deckle cut wheel for the front edge of the card, and a crease wheel to make the fold line. Works well to cut the cards apart, as well as to cut the pictures apart.

Jerry, thanks for your response. What are these wheels? Could you take a pic of the crease wheel so I know what I am looking for? I have the HP Deskjet 952C and if I get good enough paper, I think it will print well, so all that is left to do is crease and fold the cards after cutting.