Most artisans who use digital stamps print their images on plain white paper to work with. Your image can only be printed on what goes through a printer, but there are many other alternatives to plain paper. Let me share a few ideas to help you get the most out of your digital stamp collection.
A note on digital stamp printing: It is always best to use a standard laser printer or copier. This is because the ink is thermally fixed on the paper during the printing process. In contrast, inkjet printers spray ink onto the paper and the method can sometimes cause the image to smear when colored or exposed to water. If you only have an inkjet printer, try warming up your image with a thermal tool before working with it. Now about the alternative surfaces to print …
Colored or patterned paper
The most common use of digital stamps is to print for coloring. However, you may want to splice paper instead. Print your images on colored or patterned paper, then cut out all the pieces of the image to make a collage with different patterns. This is a great technique that adds a lot of texture to your work.
Watercolor paper
For those who love a soft watercolor style, try loading your printer with watercolor paper. It is often helpful to feed each individual sheet into the printer and check the settings to suit the thickness of the paper. You will be able to paint your digital image with traditional watercolors and create beautiful works of art.
Canvas paper
Did you know that canvas paper exists specifically for your home printers? When looking for printer paper, check the specialty section for other types of papers that are made specifically for use in home printers. You should easily find a paper canvas that will give your images a fine art texture. This will allow you to paint your digital images if you choose or use other traditional coloring materials.
Transparencies, parchment, or sticky paper
As you browse through the specialty paper section, you can even find materials like transparencies, vellum, and adhesive paper to use. These are great alternative surface types to try with your digital images. Imagine the possibilities when you can create picture stickers or transparent versions for a special design.
Cloth
Although you can also buy special printable fabrics that can be passed through a printer, a homemade idea is to glue the fabric onto sheets of paper. This way, you can run it through your printer. You’ll need to test the settings to find the correct ink balance for the specific fabric used, but it’s a great project to try, bringing your print to sewing projects.
Transfer printing
An alternative solution to placing your digital image on something other than flat is to print the image for transfer. This means you print your image on store bought transfer paper, iron-on transfer paper, or plain paper to transfer to the final surface using art transfer techniques. There are many different techniques to experiment with so it all depends on your preference, but it is possible. For example, you could print your images on thin paper to transfer to candles for home décor. A little experimentation will open up a whole new world for your stamping and digital crafts.
As printing technology evolves and more materials become accessible, the world of digital printing will only get more exciting and versatile. Try some of these alternative surfaces for yourself and see what you can do with them. You will soon find many new ways to use your digital stamps.
