Scrapper’s Guide Support

Questions About Printing and Paper

How do you print 12 x 12 pages if you don't have a large format printer?

How do you print to the edge of the paper?

Which printer do you recommend?

Which paper do you recommend for scrapbooking?

Can I still use my regular size printer for scrapbooking?

Where do you get page protectors?

A. If you don't have a large-format printer you can burn your page on a CD or flash drive and take it to your local quick print shop or to a place like the Costco or Walmart One Hour Photo. All they need is your page in a jpeg format.

You can also print a 12 x 12 page in an 8 x 8 size on a regular sheet of photo paper. In the print dialog box under “Scaled Print Size” change the height to 8 and the width will change automatically. There are lots of nice 8 x 8 albums available. Then someday when you get a large format printer, or when you get it printed by a third party, you can give the smaller size away as a gift.

A. You must have a printer that will print to the edge, which not all printers will do. Then you must have the right size paper, such as the Epson 12 x 12 scrapbooking paper.

I print my pages on a larger sheet of paper and then cut it out using a 15” Rotatrim rotary trimmer (This is the Cadillac of trimmers, by the way). You can also use a straight edge and a utility knife.

A. I have a large format (13 x 19) Epson R1800 printer, which has done a really good job for me. I also have an HP 7960 that prints standard size pages. I've been very pleased with it as well.

Epson, HP, and Cannon all make large format printers, but I can't possibly keep up with all the latest and greatest, so do a search on the internet, i.e., "printer reviews" or "Epson printer reviews," and you will get more up-to-date information.

A. I recommend using the same brand of photo paper as your printer since they're formulated to work together. I use Epson Enhanced Matte photo paper which is cheaper than the gloss or semi gloss, and then when I puts a page protector on, it looks great. I use both the Super B size (13 x 19) and the 12 x 12 scrapbook paper. You can use the leftover paper for proofing or printing a mini-brag-book.

I buy my paper and ink from B&H Photo in New York. They're probably the biggest pro video store on the planet and have an incredible selection and really good prices. It's cheaper to buy ink cartridges and paper from them, including postage, than to buy it locally. Their URL is http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ . On the left side of the browser window, choose "Digital Photography" from the search pulldown menu and type the brand of your printer in the search box. That will take you to the online store for that brand. From there you can order ink and paper. They are reliable and have good customer service.

If you get adventuresome you might try branching out and experimenting with Ilford paper. Their papers are especially superb for black and white work, and are available from B&H as well.

A. You bet! You can design 12x12 pages but print them at a smaller size. Under "Scaled Print Size" in the Print dialog box, change the height to 8 inches and the width will change proportionately. You can put your pages in 8 x 8 albums, and then, when you finally get that large format printer, you can reprint your pages at a 12 x 12 size if you wish.

A. I always use the page protectors that come with my album, and I usually buy additional pages and protectors at the same time. I buy my albums at various locations--conventions, scrapbook stores, etc. I don't have any inside information on a good place to purchase them!