Problems With Printing Digi Images - Need Some Help

[peebsmama]

I haven't gotten into the digi stamp craze. The idea is great and it's a great space and money saver, but I'm a wood mounted rubber girl and I've had a hard time trying to change. But recently I've found some adorable images that I would like to try and they are only available digitally. Before I spend the money (as little as it is) I thought I would download some of the free images available and make sure it would work. I've tried this three times with three different images and three different companies and I just can't get good results. I don't know if it's the program I open them in, the editing for size or my printer but they always print awful. I'm hoping someone can tell me what I'm doing wrong so I can get one to print right and feel more comfortable about actually purchasing some.

I download the images per the digi website instructions and save them in a file. I open Word and choose "insert" and "picture". Once the image is there, I change the size to what I want. It looks fine on screen. When I print I choose "photo printing - plain paper" , "best" for print quality and "plain paper" for the paper type. I print on GP110 white cardstock. When it prints, the images don't seem sharp. The lines are a little fuzzy and the best I get is a dark grey line and not black. And then when I color the image in, it seems like the line gets fuzzier. I don't know if my markers are smearing the printer ink or it's just my imagination. I just put in a new black printer ink cartridge so I know that's not the problem. I use a HP Deskjet printer (if that makes a difference).

So, those of you who are digi stamp experts, can you tell me what I'm doing wrong and give me suggestions for getting a great printed image? TIA

[Crafts]

Susan, do you have the option to use a "photo" ink cartridge rather than the regular black ink? The photo ink should help prevent smearing for either Copics or Prismacolor pencils. You also need to wait until the ink is thoroughly dry before coloring, or you can heat set it to speed up the process.

However, the type of ink cartridge shouldn't be causing the blurry result straight out of the printer. This might have to do with the resolution of the test images you're using. Do you know whether they are 300 dpi? Images that are only 72 dpi look fine on the screen, but that isn't a high enough resolution to give a crisp printout.

[peebsmama]

Judi, Thanks for the reply. I don't think I have "photo" ink available. I use whatever the printer calls for. I have printed the images and waited hours before coloring in. I don't know if they are actually smearing or just look that way. Because the images are printing with grey lines, it might just give a muddied look that appears to be smearing. I will try heat setting though. I don't know what resolution they are and I'm not sure how I would figure that out. When I resize the images I don't enlarge them, only shrink them and I keep the same proportions.

[a1r601]

Susan: If you want to get great quality images, try purchasing a set from Judi (Crafts - Angels Landing). All of her image sets are only $5 each and they are adorable versatile images. You can size them any way you want without losing the integrity of the image. I agree with Judi, you might have just downloaded some images that have low resolution that result in a pixeled image.

[Crafts]

Susan, I also have an HP printer. You can check this page on HP's site: http://www.shopping.hp.com/accessories-store/ink
Fill in your model number under "Printer" and hit the >> button. Then click on the link for your printer and it will show you what ink cartridges are available. You'll be looking for one that is labeled "Photo." If your printer is like mine, it will take either the normal black ink cartridge or you can replace that with the photo ink cartridge, but the printer won't hold both at once. After you figure out the number of the photo cartridge you need, you can probably find it locally at an office supply store or WalMart.

You have the right idea by not enlarging the image, since that degrades the quality. Also, do you have the choice to leave the paper type as "Automatic" rather than plain paper? You might try that automatic setting, or the one for "Other Photo Papers," even though you are printing on cardstock.

And Alma, thanks for the kind words.

[edith199]

Susan, what image(s) have you tried?

I have used freebies from a variety of sources and haven't had any troubles... Do you remember from where you got your images? If you let us know, maybe we can download the 'freebie' and give it try to see if we have the same problems...

[LaLatty]

Susan, I was just showing your post to my husband and he said I should suggest to you that you run your printer through a cleaning cycle. That may help some.

[cuccicoo1002]

Susan --

I work with digi fairly often...I would do what LaLatty suggested and run a 'cleaning cycle' on your printer --

The photo ink is a GREAT idea, as that will help with smearing (if that does ever happen)

Here's a suggestion for you -- and maybe it will help, maybe it won't.

I see you used Word here -- which is just fine, but I wonder, do you have a photo editing program on your computer?? There are some great free ones out there, like Google Picassa.

I ask this, because my suggestion is, open up the image in the photo editing software, then zoom in, a LOT...if when you blow it up, you see a lot of grays in there, trying using the 'replace color' function, and replace those grays with black.

I've had an image or two that was like this, and when I did the 'replace color' and replaced the grays with black, it made a HUGE difference.

As far as resizing the images -- don't be afraid to go bigger. All of the companies that I've dealt with use 300 dpi for their images, and you can definitely make them larger...though if using for cards, most are sized just right for that anyway.

feel free to PM me with any questions, I'm more than happy to help if I can.

I've got a couple of tutorials with some digi stuff on my blog if you're interested...it really can open up some possibilities in your projects!

Good luck!

[cuccicoo1002]

just had a thought...

have you tried another kind of CS?? All papers accept inks differently...even though it may be great to stamp on, maybe it's not great to print on?? I don't know. I usually use either SU! whisper white, GinaK's pure luxury, or PTI's white...

[Cook22]

Have you tried printing using the black cartridge only?

[peebsmama]

Thanks for all the great responses. I love that I can pose a question here on SCS and get lots of advice. So here are my answers:

Judy,
I did check the link you sent and there are no special inks for my model of printer. I think the printer is made to print photos, I just never have in the year I have owned it.

"plain paper" is the default setting but I will see what other options are available and try them.

Edith,
One of the images was a freebie off Dustin Pike's site (a pirate dragon). One was from Hambo Stamps (the cat in the water float) and the other was from someone's personal blog but I can't remember where.

Patty,
A cleaning cycle sounds like a good idea. I'll give that a try.

Tracey,
I checked out the tutorial on your blog. Looks like it has all the info a newbie digi stamper would need. I will check back later when I have time to read through the whole thing.

I do have Photoshop Elements 7 but I admit that I really don't know how to use it. I have figured out enough functions to edit my photos to post on my blog but any other feature is beyond me. I have spent countless hours trying to figure out how to make layers and do effects like I see on the "Scrapbook Memories" show or in books with no luck but lots of frustration. And I can't figure out how to resize - which is why I use Word because it is so easy there.

I did just purchase some PTI white cardstock but I haven't tried it in my printer. Mostly because I haven't wanted to waste it if the image isn't going to print well.

Sabrina,
I do just use the black ink when printing.

Thanks Ladies!

[peebsmama]

I just opened up the digi images in Photoshop (I actually have more images than I thought I did) and, except for the two Dustin Pike images which are 300 dpi, the others are 72dpi which would explain those being fuzzy. But I still didn't get good results with the 300 dpi images printing so I will now go in and try the other suggestions. At least one thing is figured out.

[KatarinaM]

I have an HP all in one printer, and I have never used a photo cartridge, I just use the regular printer ink then spray it with a workable fixative like Krylon's.
I would suggest googling some tutorials on PS Elements, it's your best bet for image editing. Just do a search for whatever you're trying to do, most likely, there's a tutorial for it.
A
nd BTW, PTI cardstock does NOT go through my HP, it jams because it's too thick.

[phunkymama]

I think if you're printing with the "best photo" option, you're probably using the colored ink, not just the black. Do you have a black only option (that's not photo)?

[grandmabear49]

I printed Dustin Pike's digi's on GP 110# cardstock found @ Sam's club.:o I was able to color w/ my Prism c/pencils & they didn't smear. I also used the black Glaze pens for the outlines.
I played w/ my printers menu. I also found I had to right click & save it. I was able to use the printer menu to get the size I want.;) I'm not a geek & I am amazed I could do this.
A thread here mentioned using a black photo ink cartridge on white c/stk to avoid smearing. Don't know if this helps. grandmabear:cool:

[djuseless]

Susan, I print mine out on the laser printer at work. That way they will not smudge when I color them with Prismacolor and baby oil!