Question Printing directly on a matboard?

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bsoose

Grumbler in Training
Joined
May 5, 2010
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Loc
Duanesburg, NY
Hello All,
I'm hoping someone out there might be able to share with me the secret to printing labels directly on a mat. I have made a collage mat with oval openings to fit all of a child's school pictures from K-12 and a Senior portrait in the middle. It was a gift I created for my employer & his wife (at my accounting office). His wife loved it, but asked me if I could label each opening underneath it with the grade. It would look way too busy to cut openings under each picture to label from behind. She showed me something they had framed years ago that had labels of Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter under pictures of the panoramic view from their house. They have no idea where they had it framed. I've called several local framers, and so far no one seems to know. Suggestions have been scrapbook rub on lettering and clear address labels, but I don't think I want either. I want it to look professional. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Welcome to The G.

To my limited knowledge, there are three ways that framers apply ink directly to matboards for purposes similar to yours:

(1) Several years ago Wizard introduced their DaVinci inkjet printer for matboard. I think it is still available, but I haven't heard much about it lately. My guess is that, for your purposes anyway, the technology has been surpassed by the newer drawing tools for CMCs.

(2) Two years ago Valiani introduced the MatStylus accessory for their computerized mat cutters, and this year introduced an improved version. The MatStylus will draw on matboard up to 40x60 size, using all common types and colors of pens and pencils. A MatStylus-equipped CMC may be programmed to draw text in any font (with or without custom modifications), logos, border designs, and all sorts of lines and shapes, in any size, in addition to cutting and debossing functions.

(3) Also this year, Wizard introduced their new Model 9000, which includes a similar drawing device. I saw one at the Las Vegas WCAF show, but have no details about how it works. Perhaps others here can provide more details about this new Wizard machine.

If you want to sell only a small or moderate quantity of inked mats, you could locate and subcontract that work to a Valiani or Wizard CMC user who has the drawing equipment and knows how to use it in conjunction with a CAD program.

If you want to sell a lot of inked mats, you could invest in one of these new CMCs of your own, and learn how to create your own designs. Both companies offer attractive lease and rental programs.
 
Hi bsoose,

An Epson Pro Graphics professional printer (24" wide or greater) is capable of printing directly onto 4 ply thick matboard, in photo quality, and in a "full gamet of color" - rather than being limited to only "one color" at a time with a simple pen holding attachment on a CMC which offers this type of option (Zund, Wizard or Valiani)...

www.epson.com/prographics/

Many framers own these type of wide format printers, to offer their clients "Custom Imaging" products, to compliment their "Custom Framing" product.

It would be worth comparing the cost of one of these printers, and what they can offer in terms of "bang for buck", compared to the cost of the optional pen attachment for your CMC?

Cheers,

Jared
 
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