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Ancestry Daily News
7/31/2003 - Archive
RootsWorks: Beyond Printing
There are many things that you can print on besides plain old white paper. This
is more often true of an inkjet than a laser because the method of getting the
ink onto different media is easier for inkjets than lasers. Also, very few people
have color laser printers because they are so expensive—so in this article,
we'll talk about stuff you can shove through your inkjet.
First off, let's talk about ink. For archival purposes, pigmented inks and acid
free paper are a very strong combination. To date, Epson is the only inkjet maker
producing pigmented inks, but the others can't be far behind. For the desktop,
those are the inks used in the Stylus Photo 2000p, and they are rated to last
one hundred years with the right paper. Epson also makes the 1280 printer, which
uses "lightfast" dye ink that is rated at fifty years.
Speaking of inks, it's becoming more obvious that the printer manufacturers are
like the razor manufacturers, who give away the razor so they can sell the blades.
There is not much margin on printers anymore, but the replacement ink and media
are where they make their living.
Print Media
Cost considerations aside, it's cool to be able to make nice things with your
printer, especially if your handwriting is as bad as mine. The only things I ever
make that are neat are printed from a computer. Here are eleven cool things you
can print on besides plain white paper, in no particular order.
1. Drilled Paper
For each family that I research, there is a three ring binder full of group sheets.
It just makes a good place to write notes. It's heavy, bulky, and I'm not giving
it up. But punching the holes is boring and I'm not consistent with it. If you're
not already doing it, buy drilled paper. The holes are in it already and it looks
better in the notebook. There is not a lot of difference in the price, either.
2. Photographic Paper
You can buy letter–sized sheets of glossy photo paper, or matte paper, and print
your own photos at home. Some printers will print the images directly from your
camera's memory card, regardless of the format, and will allow you to adjust the
photos, print with or without borders, and essentially make photos from your digital
camera without a computer. The Hewlett Packard (HP) PSC 2210 is such a printer.
3. T–Shirt Transfers
These are something my kids enjoy. These letter–sized transfers come ten for $15
or fifty for $40. They work in most inkjets and now you can find them specifically
for dark or light fabrics. Just the thing to use when you have to go someplace
and can't find the perfect "I'm with Stupid" t–shirt for the occasion.
4. Labels
It's boring to think about, but you can print on sheets of file folder labels,
CD labels, mailing labels, and shipping labels. Your word processor can mail merge
them. Next time you can't sleep, get out that Avery catalog and see for yourself.
5. Brochures
Whether it's your resume or a brochure that you want to impress people with, think
about brochure paper. You can get fifty sheets for $12 and there is a wide selection
of colors. Making a tri–fold brochure for your genealogical society never was
easier.
6. Window Decals
Most of us want to avoid static cling. But there's an exception: static cling
window decals, ten for $10. Your next society event will run much smoother if
you put up these letter–size signs in the windows telling people how to find things.
And okay, you can do holiday decorations with them, too.
7. Refrigerator magnets
Do you have room for more refrigerator magnets? Ever wanted to put your picture
on the fridge? Yes, sir you can print on a letter–size sheet of Glossy Magnets
paper. Five sheets cost $15. That stern ancestor would look great on the freezer,
and you might even want to put a picture of your husband when he was skinny. Let's
face it, opening that icebox is too easy and we can all use some help fixing that.
Warning: This is a pretty thick and heavy sheet to get through your inkjet. Maybe
you want to buy the paper and print it at your brother's house.
8. Event Tickets
Does your society have a need for printed tickets? You can make some great looking
ones, and get 440 for $19. Imagine having the society logo and founder's photo
on your next banquet ticket. Be the first on your block to raise the bar on ticket
appearance. And do a really snazzy job; don't just stick to the date and price.
9. Photos on Canvas
Okay, you have the perfect color photo from your daughter's wedding, and you want
to frame it. Have you ever imagined just how classy your little girl would look
on canvas cloth paper? This ivory letter–sized sheet comes ten for $11. Faux art,
yee–haw. Those relatives with the velvet Elvis will be begging you to trade.
10. Place Cards, Nametags, and More
Tent cards, printed in a fancy script, will look so elegant at your next society
banquet. (On the tables, I mean.) You can also print nametags, and make that stuff
look very professional, with logos and cool fonts.
11. Thank You Cards
You can also print thank you cards. Now I'm just as partial to the thoughtful
hand–written thank you as the next guy. Writing a good thank you card is a lost
art. We're drowning in, "Thank you for the mittens, Grandma. Love, Ashley."
I try to spend at least as much time writing the thank you as the gift giver spent
buying the mittens, including the drive time. But, that said, sometimes you have
to do hundreds of them, and that's what you bought the computer for. Try to make
every single one of the recipients feel special.
Prinitng Services
Sometimes it's better not to buy the printer and print things yourself. Here are
two services where you might choose to take your printing business, instead of
doing it "in house."
Photo printing at the local Wal–Mart Photo Center. You can't print photos yourself
for this low price, and they use Fuji archival paper. They do 4x6 prints for 29
cents, 5x7 prints for $1.50, and 8x10 prints for $2.50. Clearly, the 4x6 is a
loss leader to get you in the store, and they really get you on the other sizes.
But wait, there's more. You can get your photo printed on mugs. Caps. T–shirts.
Sweat shirts. Porcelain Christmas ornaments. Plates. Baby Shoes. Mouse pads. Is
this a great country or what? A dream comes true every day here.
Your genealogy program may support the printing of tree charts. I've spent a lot
of time taping these charts together for family reunions. Don't make that mistake.
Think about sending your chart to a chart printing service such as Wholly Genes
Software (www.whollygenes.com ). Bob
Velke, who is a national treasure in his own right, once got a chart file from
me over the Internet, and he had the charts delivered to my house the next morning.
They were beautiful, on a big roll of paper. Everyone at the reunion admired them.
There's an added benefit—they'll write the corrections on them and you can
enter them for the next year.
The RootsWorks series of articles focuses on genealogical applications for generic
technologies. Beau would like to hear from you. Whether you have something to
add or something to ask, please point your browser to www.rootsworks.com/forums
and discuss this or any topic related to the use of technology in family history.
Tell us about your printing experiences. Please note that Beau cannot assist you
with your individual computer problems. He is scheduled to speak in Dallas in
September, and in Des Moines in October. Visit the RootsWorks website (www.rootsworks.com
) for links to previous articles and Beau's lecture schedule.
Copyright 2003, MyFamily.com.
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