DIY invites - printing

Hi there
FH and I just bought a new printer in anticipation of printing our own invites, thank you's, programs and anything else that might come along. (including my mom's surprise bday invites)

Who has had experience using an inkjet printer on invites? Does it come out okay? Anything I need to be concerned about?

Thank you for your comments . it's nice to have a group of ppl whose advice your trust!

I do alot of graphic design for the company I work for and I have been doing programs, place cards, menus, inserts for favors and address for invitations for many years. I use both inkjet printers and laser printers. Most new inkjets have a very high print quality, but can sometimes jam. This happens more frequently when using thinker papers. I would suggest that you get a head start and leave yourself plenty of time. This will give you the chance to print a few (I would say about 20) at a time while giving the printer a break in between. If it should jam, make sure you have a damp rag and some alcohol wipes handy to clean out the inside of the printer. Since inkjet printers spray ink onto the paper, it can sometimes create a mess inside the printer that you can't see until it leaves roller marks on the next few pages that come through. Also, make a few test prints and decided which resolution is best. Use the lowest resolution possible for the quality you are looking for. The higher the resolution, the more ink you will be using. It will take longer for your printouts to dry, not to mention the price of ink!

Hope this helps. Let me know if I you need any more info!

It depends on the kind of printer and paper you will be printing on. Papers with a slick surface like mylar and some coated papers may have issue with bleeding or drying completely. Check what media types you can print on and make sure you have your print settings set up for the type of paper you are using.

I used uncoated cardstock and printed my invites on an Epson Photo R1800 and they came out very well. I did a test run on mylar with the same printer and the text bled. I plot large images on mylar using a HP DesignJet 1055c and they are crisp, so you may have to do some trials to see what papers will work well on the printer you are using.

HTH and Good Luck!