How to Make Non-Foil Proxies

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMxAEKTYCAM)

Materials


* InkJet printer. I use an HP Envy 120.

* Photoshop or GIMP.

* Fan paint brush.

* Acetone.

* Any Glossy InkAid  or Golden Digital Ground Clear. Make sure you don't buy any Matte InkAids, only Glossy versions work. *Update* The digital ground appears to be discontinued so use the InkAid, its the same stuff.

* FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium.

* Krylon Matte Finish.

* Removable Double sided tape.

* Digital proxies can be found at Z's Proxy factory or check out my video on how to make them yourself.

* If you make your own proxies you'll need Matrix Bold and Magic Symbol and MPlantin fonts. Also here is a list of templates.

Process

1) Blank a card with acetone or peel the surface off a foil card. 

2) Spray the entire surface of the card with the Krylon Matte Finish and allow the card to dry until dry to the touch.

3) Take the FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium and stir it up. Apply it to the card and allow to dry until dry to the touch.  

4) Shake the  InkAid  and apply it to the card and allow to dry until dry to the touch.  

5) Print out your carrier sheet and attach the card to it with Removable Double sided tape.

6) Hide the border and unhide the artwork and text on your computer and print the card. Place the card in front of a heater for about 30 minutes to ensure that the ink drys fully and will not bleed.

7) Spray the whole card with Krylon Matte Finish to protect the ink. 

FAQ

Q: My print didn't turn out right, what should I do?

A: Check out common mistakes people make.

Q: Can I use a LaserJet?

A: No, but you wouldn't want to they are low quality.

Q: My prints are wet with ink after I print what should I do?

A: Try using two thin coats instead of just one coat. If the ink is wet on the surface that means it needs more substance to seep into. This is especially true for dark inks. See 2) in  common mistakes people make.

Q: Can I mix the  InkAid and the FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium?

A: Sure its actually easier if you mix the two and apply them in one step. Just mix a 50/50 ratio. I just didn't realize this when I made the video.

Q: What is the purpose of the Krylon Matte Finish in step 2? 

A: This creates a hydrophobic layer that will prevent the card from warping after applying the next layers.


Q: What is the purpose of the FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium?

A: There are two main reasons this layer is applied. Firstly, it acts an adhesive that allows the next layer to be applied without peeling off. Secondly, it acts as a porous layer that allows ink to seep into it. Without this layer darker inks would cake on the surface and bleed. See 1) in  common mistakes people make.


Q: What is the purpose of the  InkAid?

A: This is the inkjet receptive coating. This material will allow the ink to adhere to the surface of the card. See 3) in  common mistakes people make.


Q: I get a bumpy surface when I apply the  InkAid?

A: Make sure you shake it well. You can try mixing it with the FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium and apply both in one step. You can also try applying in front of a heater to dry faster.


Q: After I print in Photoshop all these settings come up. What do I do now?

A: I only know what settings to choose if you have an HP Envy 120 after you click "Print" go to "Print Settings -> Paper Type and Quality." Select "HP Photo Paper," select "Best" under "Quality." Then print.


Q: How do you print dark blacks? 

A: Printing black is very challenging and requires some skill.

Instead of calibrating the printer it's better to calibrate the images.

The idea is to set the contrast and black values in Photoshop, do a test print, see if it's black enough, then keep doing that until it looks good. Once you've done that then you can use that image as a reference image for anything else that you want to print. Compare any new images you print to the reference image and adjust the black and contrast until it matches and then you'll know your new image will print black correctly.

So the two things you'll want to adjust are (in Photoshop) Image->Adjustments->Brightness and Contrast

And Image ->Adjustments->Selective color. Then adjust the black level for black and gray tones.

Make sure to right click the image layer and rasterize it before hand.

If you get bleeding make sure to use at least two layers of coating. Also, sometimes what looks like bleeding is actually just a symptom of printing an image that is too low resolution. Most of the images I print are absolutely massive resolution and I get very nice dark crisp lines.


Feedback? Email me at chess314 at Gmail dot com