Help Printer Ink Bleeding

[Bernice]

I'm new to digitals. When I was coloring the image, the ink from the image bled into the image when I touched it with a colorless blender. Is there any way to make the ink smear proof?

Minneapple

[Robyn]

I'm not sure I understand exactly....but I do know that if your quick you can emboss them with clear embossing powder and heat set your image. Know that you need to have the embossing powder ready and right next to the printer so is is still wet when it comes out and you have no time to waste....

[Bernice]

Thanks, I was thinking about that, but I wasn't sure how to get the embossing powder to stick w/o Versamark on the image.

[Elizabeth Pujalka]

You can spray your printed images with hair spray or fixative spray, it works very well ;)

[Bernice]

Thanks, I'm getting some hairspray today!

[gina rahman]

I am not sure that there is I found that I just coloured in slightly away from the line and let the colour bleed up to the black outline. Tricky but can be done. Maybe try some good quality paper too

[Bernice]

Tried hairspray, still bled. I used my Versamark pen over the image and embossed it. No bleeding, but a stiffness to the image that I don't like. Still thinking this through.

[Mo Manning]

Bernice, ask in my group too, I think the girls were talking about particular papers they use. (Was some cheap Walmart brand I think!!)

[Bernice]

I am using Walmart's not so cheap paper. We all use it. It's pretty good,so the paper is not the problem.

[Deb Felts]

If it is GP paper, it might be the problem! It is about the only paper that my printer will accept, which is a disappointment to me because w/ the Copics, the GP paper just isn't the same quality. The Copics look fuzzy because the paper is too soft, and the lines often bleed. I've tried heat setting it which does help a little, or printing and leaving it for a LONG time (we're talkin' DAYS) to dry. Just doesn't give the same nice crisp impression that Neenah paper does. For that reason, very often I will choose to color w/ Prismas and Gamsol for digital images instead of w/ Copics.

[Jessica Griffin]

Not sure about this, but when I was buzzing around some other blogs I remember someone saying they ironed the image to heat set the ink and then colored it in. I haven't played with digi yet, but I'm keen to try the iron method. A few said it worked. Good luck!!

[Shirley Madsen]

I have a laser printer and a laser jet printer. When I print digital images on the laser printer I do not have a problem with bleeding unless I use cold press watercolor paper. In fact, the laser ink does not set on the watercolor paper so I have to iron my work as it comes out of the printer - carefully so as not to smear the designs and wiping off the iron with a dish towel when I move from one part of the page to another.

I think most people use a laser jet printer as these machines are less expensive to buy and maintain. I have always had a problem with my watercolor pencils smearing digital images from this printer no matter what type of paper I use (and I have run the gamut from inexpensive to very expensive papers). After I read here and elsewhere about ironing images, I figured the trick I use with watercolor paper and the laser printer would work. Unfortunately designs bled. So . . . I am going to follow this thread closely to see if anyone comes up with a sure fire solution.

I am surprised to read that people are using GP paper for their designs. This would never hold up under watercolor pencils. I do not own Copics - maybe they work differently.

[Grannymama]

What is GP paper? Thank you for any info you can give.