*Printing Shabby Princess Calendars*

[Coffeebean]

Let me first say I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these calendars. I made them last year for the grandparents and they turned out beautifully. I am so excited to get started tonight and cross some people off the Christmas list.

So, for my question...I think the two page calendar is fabulous (they all are, but this will give people more space to write on the calendar) but I am struggling with the printing.

Last year I printed the one page calendar pages myself (using Epson Heavyweight Matte Paper) and they were gorgeous. I can do the printing again, but the idea of double sided printing makes me cringe. Can you imagine the frustration? One side done...looks great...second side messed up...have to reprint. I would be throwing my printer out the window in no time. Do any online services do double sided printing? Kinkos probably does, but I am sure it is expensive. Last year having the calendars bound there was the most expensive part of the calendar!

[4shanna]

great question!!!!

[RatherBscrappin]

sorry, no help --- but I'll be watching this thread with great interest cause I'd LUV to know too!!! Thanks for asking Maegan!!

[4shanna]

*I* was thinking about just one sided printing then laminating them together. BUT...... then you can't write on it.

[Hollie]

I've double-side printed my own calendars for the past 4 years with no problems. I printed 7 copies of the calendars for family each year and I think I only messed up a few pages each year--mostly due to not changing the ink cartridge soon enough. And I don't know how much Kinko's is charging you to bind the calendars, or what type of binding you are doing, but it was only about $1 or $1.50 per calendar for me to have Office Max bind mine. Or are you not counting the price of the ink into your costs? If not, I can see why the binding would be the most expensive part Oh, I also like to use double sided photo paper for my calendars, which increases the cost as well.

I think I noticed some people mentioning using Scrapbooks to Share for calendar printing but I've never looked into this so I can't say how they do it or what the cost might be.

You may want to inquire at places like Office Max as to how much it would cost you to have them print and bind though--it will save you time and frustration, which is also worth something to me!!

HTH!!!

[JennStar]

If you laminate, you could write on it in sharpie!! I wonder if it still wipes off even though it's a sharpie. Sounds like this calls for an experiment!

[shopica]

oooh, i'm subbing to this thread!!!

[MissKim]

If you laminate, you can use dry erase markers. We do it all the time at work and it wipes off with a Kleenex.

[kellgell]

LOL. I hadn't even thought about this. I've already printed out 3 months. I think I'll try the laminating.

[ShabbyPrincess]

Oh thank you so much, Maegan! and, these are ALL great suggestions i have printed the calendars a time or two ...and i swear i have done it differently every time - LOL!

so...i THINK what i'm going to do this year is use the TWO page calendar...have it printed at a lab (just to save myself the time and frustration)...and then mount each print to a piece of black cardstock. That way - each page is nicely framed and has a great weight...plus - i don't have to worry about printing double-sided, etc. Plus - that way the binding will be through the cardstock and not the calendar, kwim? BUT - i will say that i HAVE done the double-sided printing and it is super simple.

i have also used everything from glossy to heavyweight matte paper and honestly like all of them - LOL! when you use glossy paper - you can still write on it with a fine tipped sharpie marker and of course, the prints turn out awesome! with lustre...you can use a sharpie or a nice pen. and with matte - everything works (my fave option)!

definitely check with your local kinko's or copy shop...they CAN do the printing and the binding...and in the end - it might work out to be more cost effective when you take into account your time, paper, ink, etc.

i also plan to have a couple of the TWO page calendars printed and bound to use as a desktop planner (not going to mount those on cardstock as i don't want them to get too big - lol)!

there really are SOOOOOO many options...but most of all - i just hope you have FUN with them...and if you gift them...that everyone who receives them LOVES all of the time and thought you put into them...who wouldn't?