I wanna print some logos and I want the paper to be completely transparent after wetting. Anybody know of a source in SoCal where I can get some rice paper that will not show any shadows after it’s laminated?
There’s been much talk about printers and shoe box tissue paper, etc. but I’m looking for a place where I can buy some that’s going to work and not leave shadows.
Rice papers varies and from the posts I’ve read the result under glass varies too. Does anybody have a brand, type, store where they know they can get the right paper?
Howzit Ryan, Try a crafts or stationary store, they usually have it. As for a brand name unfortunately the ones I’ve seen are all in Japanese. One stationary store I get some from told me to bring in the wrapper from a brand I want them to start carrying. If you are doing clear boards the tissue paper will work fine, it’s when you have dark colors that the paper will show. Even the paper that the silk screener pro guys use sometimes shows.Aloha,Kokua
I just bought a big roll at Mitch’s in Solana Beach. I just cut it to fit on an 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper and feed it though the laser printer. Voila… perfect laminate logos.
Whew! Man, you guys are good. Thanks for all the feedback.
There’s an art supply store here called Pearl that’s got about a thousand different papers and a handful of different rice papers. As I recall they were all pretty expensive. Maybe they’ll let me get some samples to test before I buy a whole pack. Any tips on what good paper vs not so good looks like? Thick, thin, coarse or fine fibers, flat white or more see through? Might help me to sort through the options.
I don’t need the 8.5 x 11 format. I’m going to use a local sign guy. I think he’s got a printer that runs solvent based, pigmented inks that are rated to be colorfast for a couple years outdoor. Will probably be pricey for a couple sheet but worth it.
As far as the papaer shadow showing goes, I think I’ll test a couple papers by painting a scrap of foam dark then laminating the paper samples to see how they work.
Uncle D, I actually had that thread bookmarked. Reread it before this but I can’t find that same paper. A lot of the discussion in that thead is about the printing, I’ve got a different plan for that. Very generous to offer to send me some paper. I really appreciate that but I’ll try to solve the problem with what I can find here before I ask you to go out of your way like that.
Kawika, in case I can’t find one I like at Pearl, how well does that paper from Mitch’s work over dark colors? Does it go all the way clear or are you mostly laminating over white?
I am just returning the favor for all the other Sway brothers that helped me. Manoa glued up blanks for me; Shark Country and Oneula balsa skinned a board for me, CarveNalu taught me how to SUP paddle, Balsa and I exchange laminates, PaulBoardman gave me FCS screws and not to mention all the words of encouragement and advise I have received here (I can go on and on). We all have a love for surfing, surfboards and building surfboards. That is what makes this a fun place.
Though it’s been a while since I’ve been down to Mitches in Solana Beach, I’ve bought individual sheets of Silky Heavy from them which will glass completely transparent-even on dark colors. The sheets are 30" x 44" and around $2.50 a piece. Depending on your printer you may need to tape on a leader edge or a backing sheet to help with how the paper feeds into the printer. The fibers in Silky Heavy are unidirectional so make sure they are lined up parallel with the feed of your printer-not perpendicular to it or it will jam. Remember with the exception of black, inkjet inks are transparent. So if your placing your print out on top of color, that color will mix with the color in your print out.
Thanks for the tips. $2.50 for a sheet that size is pretty cheap and it will go far. Completely transparent on dark colors sounds perfect.
Where is Mitch’s? Any chance he’s open on Saturdays? I’ll be at San-O Saturday so I’ll be half way there. I could easily keep going to pick-up the paper.
BTW Stewart sells rice paper too. But it is the kind that looks like the stuff you find in shoe boxes. It’s much thinner than the Silky Heavy but it does’nt completely go transparent on top of dark colors. Michaels Craft Stores sells something called Oriental Rice Paper which comes in 50’ rolls which I like to roll feed thru the Epson plotter at work. It looks like bond paper and takes ink well. It doesn’t go completely clear on top of dark colors so it’s best for clear areas of the board. A 15" wide roll Cost about $12.
Great tips. Since I do so little work, I’m gonna try for the stuff that works in all cases which sounds like Mitch’s because it works on dark colors as well as clears. I’ll call them today to make sure it’s in stock for pick-up tomorrow.
The sheets they sell specifically for surfboard use are transparent when laminated … I’ve used them … the roll stock that I used on my recent project leaves some shadow (but I will be hiding that with rail paint anyway, I was more concerned about having a 12’ long sheet to print.)
The Logo Paper we carry is considered silky medium and works great for any situation (light or dark). It goes completely clear and is the same stuff we’ve been selling for the last thirteen years. This is what most if not all the screen printers in the HB area use to print logos. We keep it in stock at all times and it comes in 2’ x 3’ sheets so you get a lot for your money.
I’ve been in your store many times so I’m quite familiar. Meets most of my needs and thanks for having Saturday hours. A couple years ago I used some of your logo paper. I was dissappointed. The image was fuzzy around the edges. I have to admit, I knew a lot less back then. I used my Epson inkjet and may have even printed on the wrong side. Can’t remember.
I took the advice of Atomized and went to Mitch’s and bought a couple sheets of what I expected to look more like paper than your stuff. I surprised to see that what they gave me was pretty much the same as what I’d bought from Foam EZ in the past. They said it’s what they’ve been selling for a long time and what a lot of pro’s use for their lam’s.
Clearly I screwed something up when I tried yours in the past. If I get this to work, I’ll buy it from you guys. Solana Beach is a long way to go for paper and you guys are just a couple miles away. I just happened to be down there.
So, print the smooth side, not the fuzzy side. Right?
That paper has a smooth side- thats the side to print on. The paper is really absorbent so depending on the printer you’re using the ink will tend to spread (what they call “dot gain” in the print world). The Epson and the HPs inkjets are pretty good for keeping it to a mininum. A long time ago some guy brought in some art that he had printed with an Encad Novajet on the same paper and the quality of the print was awful.
