Printed images don't work so well with coloring tools that need lots of water. They do work exceptionally well with Copic markers. Colored pencils blended with baby oil or gamsol/mineral spirits and blending stumps work wonderfully too. I use a Canon MP830 printer and I have no problem with ink smearing with Copics, water based markers and watercolor pencils. I do, however use a blender pen for the watercolor pencils as a brush and water will smear the ink. The baby oil and blending stumps also work well with watercolor pencils. I have heard that some printer inks do smear for some reason. Some tips you can use to help with this problem are:
- Use your heat tool to set the ink or print your images the day before you are going to use them so they have time to set.
- Use high quality paper for printing your images on. Cheap paper is a nightmare to work with. If you want your finished artwork to look professional then use professional products. You are worth it! Look for cardstock with at least a 65lb rating. Inspect the surface to see if it is even, and has a smooth finish to it. Quality paper has sizing on it to prevent inks from absorbing too fast and prevent fraying.
- Use a light touch! Don't overwork the surface trying to make it perfect, imperfect adds charm and overworking can fray the surface.
- Ask your office supply store for ink for your computer that is meant for coloring illustrations if you are having trouble. You will only need a black one so splurge, you are worth it remember!
- When printing on cardstock put only one sheet in at a time and use the manual sheet feeder instead of the tray. I find this prevents jamming.
- Feel free to email me with any questions and I will help you as much as possible and check the blog for extra tips and tutorials on how to use the images in your software programs and for troubleshooting.
