Welcome back!
In our last Button University post, about cutters, I promised you we’d talk about paper button makers, and I am here to deliver on that promise. Friday is half over now, and weekend plans are underway. If it’s as rainy in your city as it is in mine, then it may very well be the perfect time to start creating those buttons! In order to do that, let’s talk about button paper.
A common mistake when buying button paper for use in a button making project is spending too much money and making it too complicated. We’re going to simplify the process for you today.
Unlike the paper cutters of other manufacturers, our cutters have been designed to make your paper-buying experience less expensive and hopefully a bit more fun!
Here are some simple tips on how to choose the right kind of button paper:
Make sure you choose button paper that is the right weight. We suggest a 24lb. bond (that’s the weight of the paper). If you use thinner paper, then you may be able to see through the paper (no one likes that). If you go thicker, it could jam in the smaller sized button machines and it’s usually more expensive anyway.
Make it bright. Make sure that the brightness of the paper is at least 100. This will give you a good crisp white. Why is this important? If you are making a button that has ink covering the entire face of the button then you do not have to worry about it. If you ware printing photos and someone is wearing a white shirt, you do not want the shirt to look yellow.
Mylar makes it shine. Our complete button sets have everything you need for the buttons, including Mylar. Mylar is the plastic covering for your graphic that will protect it from soiling and make the colors “Pop!” The mylar will make the button shine, saving you from having to use expensive paper.
Photo paper solution. Heavier paper will jam smaller sized machines, however, for many photographers premium paper is a requirement for business. In order to accommodate our many ‘happy snappers’, we offer Photo Button Machines and Punches. Yes, we do offer you the best of both worlds. Our Photo Series equipment is designed specifically to accept standard printer paper or heavier photo paper. Our photo button series includes the 3 Inch -Model 300, 3.5 Inch-Model 350, 2”x3”-Model 2030 and the Model 2225 Photo Punch for making 2 1/4″ Photo Buttons.
InkJet Printer vs. Laser Printer. If you have an InkJet Printer, buy InkJet Paper. If you have a Laser Printer, buy Laser Printer Paper. It really is just as simple as that.
That, my friends, is Friday’s tip on paper for the button maker. Have a great weekend and we’ll talk next week about much, much more in the world of buttons!
Cheers!
Brighid Brown – Director of Blogging and All Things Cool at ABM