Common Proxy Mistakes

We can learn a lot from mistakes! Lets look at a few.

1) 

If you see these little dots it probably means you're not using enough FolkArt. 

The FolkArt bonds with the InkAid/Digital Ground and gives it more adhesion. The adhesion is what allows the InkAid to dry evenly over the whole card. The InkAid naturally wants to bead up like water over wax. Thats why you see the dot like pattern above. Its a result of the InkAid/Digital Ground beading up and then drying in that pattern. 

2) 

The problem with this one is that the text is pretty blurry. 

This is probably the most common problem people have. This happens because either you don't apply enough FolkArt or your printer's settings are producing too much ink. 

One of the main purposes of the FolkArt Glass and Tile Medium is to provide a porous surface to absorb ink like a sponge. If the ink is not absorbed it will have no where to go and just bleed out. 

To solve this problem you apply more mixture or increase the amount of FolkArt in your mixture. 

Or you adjust your printer settings to produce less ink. If you have a fancy printer you can set the ink levels directly, otherwise you'll probably have to adjust your "Paper Type" setting and do some trial and error until it looks right. 

3) 

This is what happens if you try to print on a card without InkAid/Digital Ground. InkAid allows the InkJet ink to bond with precision. If we don't use it the ink will look like a big blur. 

4)

Here you can see that the card on the left is super washed out. 

This can happen because your "black levels" in Photoshop are not low enough or your "contrast" in Photoshop is not high enough. Setting black levels and contrast requires calibration and is the main skill used in producing really nice prints. 

In the above case, however, the problem turned out to be a printer problem. The guy was using a really nice Epson Photo Stylus R2880 which uses pigmented inks. It seems the solution to his problem was to adjust the printer speed. I've never seen the problem in person and it seems to be a rare problem, but hopefully it will help someone else. 

5) 

 

In the above picture there are globs of mixture on the card as opposed to a smooth texture. The exact cause of this problem is still unknown. Here are some things to try if this happens to you:

Firstly, make sure that you STIR the FolkArt. If you read the instructions on the back of the FolkArt is says that shaking it is not enough. This is true in my experience. FolkArt naturally congeals and the only way to ensure that it is a smooth texture is to take the end of your brush and stir the liquid. 

If that doesn't solve the issue then the next thing to try is to apply the FolkArt first, let it dry fully, then apply the InkAid or Digital Ground as a second layer. The reason that applying the chemicals in two separate layers can sometimes fix this issue is still unknown. Most people are able to mix the FolkArt and Digital Ground with no issue. Some people, however, when using the exact same brands do experience this issue. We believe that some batches of InkAid or Digital ground have slightly different formulas that result in a chemical reaction that causes the mixture to congeal. If you have any information on why this could be happening please email me. 

Mixing the two products is only a convenience and is not required for making a great print. In the non-foil video I apply the mixtures in two separate layers and achieve fantastic results. 

One final note on this--if you are making a foil cards please allow enough time for the IndAid/Digital Ground layer to fully dry before applying any gloss. If you apply the gloss before the lower layers have a chance to fully dry then, since the gloss is wet, it can cause the lower layers to mix and create the bumps. 

6)

In the first picture, you can see some horizontal lines running across the blue part of the card. In the second picture you can see sketchy black lines also running horizontally. There are two causes for this problem. 

1) Your printer is low on ink.

2) Your print heads need to be cleaned. 

Most printers have an option to automatically clean the print heads. If that doesn't resolve the issue you may need to clean your print heads manually. To do this take the print cartridges out of the printer. Take and use a cotton swab or paper towel and moisten it slightly with some warm water. Then use dab the place where the ink comes out lightly with the swab until its clean. Let it dry and put it back. 

I'll be sure to post more common problems here in the future. If you don't see your problem here email me with pictures and I'll post it and the solution. 

chess314 at gmail dot com

-Reve