Which Paper to print on? Photopaper? Regular Cardstock?

[jbgarrison72]

So right now I'm using a budget inkjet printer with regular bright white 65lb cardstock paper and the results are pretty good. Only downside is that the ink will smear if I try to varnish or mod podge it, so I'm using packing tape to "laminate" the minifigs before cutting them out.

Would photo paper be a better solution or does that smear too? Also is photo paper too weak compared to heavy duty cardstock?

I'm actually happy with regular cardstock, but I'm always looking for advice on best practice so any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks.

[David Okum]

Jul 19, 2018 17:18:39 GMT -5 jbgarrison72 said:

So right now I'm using a budget inkjet printer with regular bright white 65lb cardstock paper and the results are pretty good. Only downside is that the ink will smear if I try to varnish or mod podge it, so I'm using packing tape to "laminate" the minifigs before cutting them out.

Would photo paper be a better solution or does that smear too? Also is photo paper too weak compared to heavy duty cardstock?

I'm actually happy with regular cardstock, but I'm always looking for advice on best practice so any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks.

I have had much success with lamination (packing tape). I don't do it very much as things get a bit shiny, but what the heck.

[kgstanley81]

I've had very good success with regular card stock I've used it for most of the miniatures I've printed.
Had my wife pick up some matt finish photo paper at Staples (65 weight, Staples brand), and OMG do the colors pop, big difference.
Not sure on the mod pog, I'll have to try it out. Maybe over the weekend. I don't normally do anything to protect them, I can just print out more

[emergencyoverride]

I don't usually do anything to protect them either, but I hadn't thought about Mod Podge. I may have to give it a go! I started using 80lb cover stock a few years ago and think it is a great middle ground between the flimsier card stocks and the super thick 110 lb. I have used matte photo paper in the past and the colors were super great, but I could never find a thickness that I felt comfortable with as I use the cover stock for both minis and terrain and the photo paper was too thin for that for me. Plus with the new epson ecotank I just got, the colors are awesome! Its mostly about trying several different things and finding what works for your tastes. I have changed around alot over the years and have finally settled in on a glue, paper and printer that I love. It was a wild journey to get here but thats the fun of it!!

[David Okum]

Jul 21, 2018 13:25:35 GMT -5 emergencyoverride said:

I don't usually do anything to protect them either, but I hadn't thought about Mod Podge. I may have to give it a go! I started using 80lb cover stock a few years ago and think it is a great middle ground between the flimsier card stocks and the super thick 110 lb. I have used matte photo paper in the past and the colors were super great, but I could never find a thickness that I felt comfortable with as I use the cover stock for both minis and terrain and the photo paper was too thin for that for me. Plus with the new epson ecotank I just got, the colors are awesome! Its mostly about trying several different things and finding what works for your tastes. I have changed around alot over the years and have finally settled in on a glue, paper and printer that I love. It was a wild journey to get here but thats the fun of it!!

Oooooh, this looks good! I will have to give it a try.

[whisper31]

I've never had any problems with 110lb stock, a cheap inkjet printer(other than running out of ink halfway through a print), and some sticky-backed clear shelf paper.  The one minor downside to that shelf paper is that it is shiny and makes it a little difficult to see at certain angles of light.  But, if you don't mind that too much, that is how I do it.

[alloydog]

My old printer, an HP Photosmart C4380 could print on almost anything, so I used to print directly to water-colour paper, which is in the region of 180 to 200 g/m² (120 lb), but that died earlier this year.

Our new printer, an Epson XP-247, was chosen as it has separate reservoirs for each colour, but it seems not to feed the heavier paper through properly. So, I need to print to either plain paper and glue it to the water-colour paper or to A4 label paper.

Either way, the goddess, Maisa, says it feels fine on her butt...

[alloydog]

And here are said Imperiax Investigation team, after getting the cat to shift her butt:

They were printed on A4 label paper and then stuck to 200 g/m2 (120 lb) water-colour paper. I actually print up two copies. The first, I make the basic figure, which being folded over, becomes twice as thick as the basic card. The second print, I cut out certain raised details from the front and back, such as guns and capes, and stick them on to the figures to 2.1 D them.

[David Okum]

May 17, 2019 16:03:16 GMT -5 alloydog said:

And here are said Imperiax Investigation team, after getting the cat to shift her butt:
View Attachment
They were printed on A4 label paper and then stuck to 200 g/m2 (120 lb) water-colour paper. I actually print up two copies. The first, I make the basic figure, which being folded over, becomes twice as thick as the basic card. The second print, I cut out certain raised details from the front and back, such as guns and capes, and stick them on to the figures to 2.1 D them.

That's a cool idea!

[alloydog]

Thanks.

Here's a "work in progress" picture I took while making the Imperiax figures:


and here's a close-up of some the finished ones:


Paper figures are ideal for me, as I used to love making and painting 1/72nd scale models and figures, but these days I don't have the time, money or space and even the eye-sight to them. With the paper figures, I can still do a bit of "modelling" with them. To me, paper figures are reminiscent of the old metal "flats" you used to get for wargaming figures - OK, I'm not that old, but they were still around in the '70s (but I am that old...) My technique is evolving, as I come up with another idea each time I do a batch. If anyone is interested, I'm going to do a write-up on my webpage soonish, the next time I make a batch of figures - the next lot on the production conveyor belt are a bunch of aliens from One Monk/Mayhem in Paper

The Imperiax Investigation team will be checking out an abandoned alien space ship, found drifting at the edge of their explored space. However, something else is also lurking... But that's another thread.