All our seeded paper can be printed. We also make paper that does not contain seeds and this, too, can be printed. Even our paper with a deckle edge can be printed.
INKJET PRINTING
Inkjet printing gives good print results for all our seed types, especially the smaller seeds – Swan River daisy, lemon-scented bottlebrush, thyme, oregano, chamomile and forget-me-not. It is the best method when printing with larger seed varieties – basil, parsley, carrot and lettuce – as well as paper with a deckle edge.
It is the easiest way to print your own projects or for when quantities are not too high.
We suggest considering the following points for inkjet printing:
- We recommend using one that is TOP LOADING from the back of the printer. It’s important for the seed paper to feed through in a straight line. Seed paper will not feed through a printer that bends or flips the paper (such as most multi-function printers).
- Due to the handmade nature of the seed paper, each sheet may need to be fed individually through the printer. It’s often not possible to load up a number of sheets at the one time.
- The rollers of the printer may not be able to grab each sheet so be prepared to give the paper a little push when needed!
- Plan to have a few extra sheets available so you can test the different settings of your printer to find what works best with the seed paper.
TONER BASED DIGITAL PRINTING
Toner-based digital (laser) printing can work on our seeded papers (and Fuji Xerox printed it for some exclusive executive invitations). However, as the paper surface has slight indentations, the toner may not adequately get to the bottom of these indentations, being especially obvious on solid areas of image.
Toner printing is probably best suited to the smaller seed types – Swan River daisy, lemon-scented bottlebrush, thyme, oregano, chamomile and forget-me-not.
OFFSET PRINTING
Offset printing is the most suitable option for quantities greater than 3000 pieces. However, it is only suitable for Swan River daisy or Lemon-scented bottlebrush.
For offset printing please consider the following:
- Avoid large areas of solid dark colour as these are more prone to surface picking during printing (especially for solid spot/PMS/Pantone colours as these require a lot of ink to be laid down at the same time, often with no screen).
- avoid thumbnail images as reproduction of the fine detail will be lost with the use of a coarse screen
- ensure all artwork elements are consistent eg for a CMYK print, all artwork elements should be CMYK, including any logos etc.
LETTERPRESS
Letterpress gives great results with a stylish embossed look and feel.
- Letterpress printing is best used with the smallest of our seed types as the larger seeds may get crushed. Swan River Daisy is an ideal choice as there are many seeds embedded in the paper.
We can also supply you with the finished, printed items. We will print using the best and most appropriate method according to the seeds in your chosen paper and the quantity you need etc. All our printing is done with vegetable based or water based inks.