Printing on matboard?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Cliff Wilson
  • Start date Start date
Create a Post
C

Cliff Wilson

Guest
I've never tried it, but I understand some have printed directly onto matboard.

I have an account that wants to print "Description Labels" which are mostly one to two paragraphs with a title onto a warm ragboard to place on or near some frames that will use the same matboard inside.

In the past we have printed on paper then mounted to the matboard, but it would look so much better if it was printed directly.

Doable? Is a particular printer needed?

Anyone done this? Thanks
 
I do it with my Epson 9800 quite regularly. I print posters for the art guild to be on display in the mall. Colors are not as vibrant and I have no idea of longevity since these are used for a couple months at a time. You would need to test print on the specific mat board to see how it would turn out but for text it should work fine as long as you are using a smooth board. Some rag boards may bleed more than others.
 
Bainbridge makes a printable matboard, but I do not think it is rag. I know may print on different mat boards, but I have never tried. I want to, but I haven't made the time.

Is this something that could be done with the pen tool on a CMC?
 
They want to print on B8677 "Tusk" Rag.

It is 45 - 50 "word doc" text parapraphs, so I would think recreating with the pen tool would be combersome?

Based on Jeff's comment, I located a printer nearby that has the Epson 9900 and he has agreed to experiment for me.
 
If it doesn't work maybe you could print the tusk color onto something like Avery shipping labels and attach that to the matboard.
 
I use the Enhanced Matte Poster Board profile. The platten setting is wide since mat board is thicker than the poster board. When printing on the rag board you can also try fine art paper settings. The print head moves slower on the more absorbent papers and apply different amounts of ink.
 
Going a step farther on Jeff's comment...

If I recall correctly wasn't french lining done more on paper mats than on rag mats. Didn't the inks bleed on rag and alpha mats where it stayed better on the paper mats?

I guess my point is isn't there a paper equivalent to Tusk? It would be cheaper to experiment on and may hold the ink better...
 
Yes, a CMC can be used to print on matboard, using a single-line font with the pen tool. The design work would take a few minutes. The main limitation would be in the selection of fonts available.

Another alternative would be to remove the top paper* from a matboard scrap, run it through a laser printer, then re-laminate it to the board using wet paste in a vacuum press. I have actually done this, and it works well.



*Soak, remove, dry between weighted blotters in a heated press.
 
Bob Doyle said:
Going a step farther on Jeff's comment...

If I recall correctly wasn't french lining done more on paper mats than on rag mats. Didn't the inks bleed on rag and alpha mats where it stayed better on the paper mats?

I guess my point is isn't there a paper equivalent to Tusk? It would be cheaper to experiment on and may hold the ink better...
Click to expand...

Bainbridge's Vellum Artcare Alphamats are supposed to be sized to accept inks from pens and watercolor washes. Rising boards all pretty much work well for this application, and there are a series of Crescent boards that are also sized.
I have had mixed luck with Alpharag products, and Alphamat Artcare that is not a "vellum" designation. My guess is that the Zeolites also can attract the chemicals pigments in watercolors and inks and create a very splotchy effect.

From what I understand there ar also sizing agents that can be applied to allow the substrate to be printed with an ink-jet printer. One of the local galleries has been experimenting with printing on sheet aluminum using an applied sizing.
 
I haven't seen it in person yet, but a designer said that she is sending me some "letterpressed" wedding invitations that are printed directly to Rising matboard. I'll be bevelling them on cut lines. She showed me a photo. They are quite elegant! I have no idea who is doing the printing.

Susan
 
Crescent is offering printing on mat board for those doing any volume. I am not aware of any minimums but it can't be very cost effective doing them one up with shipping.
 
Bainbridge makes a printable board.

Bainbridge does make a board that is designed to be printed on. We print text, school mascots, corporate logos, and a variety of images all the time with great results using our Epson 9900. You have to order it directly from Bainbridge.
If you would like I'll be happy to print and ship the mats to you.
 
With our cheap printer

We have printed on both suede and reg mat. with suede we peel of the fabric then attach to a reg piece of paper with reg mat we peel of the bottom layers and then for both we set printer to post card and print this has worked great sometime we have problems but most of the time once and done.
 
i print all the time on regular mountboard

i have profiled it with my printers and get pretty good results

one trick is print on a piece bigger than you need with crop marks for outside edge

this way you can square the board up after printing instead of trying to get the board exactly square in the printer
 
As others have mentioned, it can be done with some of the Epson printers. The hard part is ICC profiling if you want really good colors (each matboard color has a different white point and thus dmax). Generally, as mentioned before, some of the "canned" profiles will work "good enough".
 
Create a Post
Back
Top