Inkjet printing both sides

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?

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Most (probably all) card programs print on one side and then you fold it
appropriately.
Old Bob

"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote:
> 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?

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 <terrypinDEL...@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote:

> But I find that on the non-glossy side I get a smeary
> wet mess with all the 'paper type' settings I've tried.

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.

--
Regards, Bob Niland mailto:name@ispname.tld
http://www.access-one.com/rjn email4rjn AT yahoo DOT com
NOT speaking for any employer, client or Internet Service Provider.

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

rjn wrote:

> Terry Pinnell <terrypinDEL...@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote:
>
>
>>But I find that on the non-glossy side I get a smeary
>>wet mess with all the 'paper type' settings I've tried.
>
>
> 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.
>
> --
> Regards, Bob Niland mailto:name@ispname.tld
> http://www.access-one.com/rjn email4rjn AT yahoo DOT com
> NOT speaking for any employer, client or Internet Service Provider.

Terry Pinnell wrote:
> 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?

Use matte 'watercolor' paper instead. It's really nice stuff and there's
no coating to worry about.

"David J. Littleboy" wrote:
>
> "Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote:
> > 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?
>
> 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

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.

--
Have fun, Bert

>> 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.

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 Pinnell wrote:
> 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?
>
I find that "presentation paper" works well for greeting
cards. I use the HP brand on my HP printer.

"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:mkvpt3lelb84t8arkgceelorhv0bmeb5sk@4ax.com...
> 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?
>
> --
> Terry, East Grinstead, UK

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.