PLEASE HELP!! I'm desperate!!

3 Months ago I unknowingly set out on a nearly impossible mission. I decided to make the paper for my holiday cards. Never done it before, but had the basic recipe. The paper came out OK, but I was learning as a went along and problem after problem arose.
The problem is getting the card I designed onto the paper. First, the paper was too thick for either of my printers. No professional printer will touch it and it would only work anyway in a strait-feed printing system (this paper can’t take sharp turns inside the printer). As a last resort, I got ink-jet iron-on paper figuring I can recycle the backing into the next batch of paper. However, to my horror, the paper surface is not cohesive enough to take the transfer. The transfer sticks, but peeling the backing rips the surface of the paper off, so the paper is transferred to transfer paper instead of the other way around.
So hear I am. I think that now I need to find a coating (I was thinking shellac) to bind the surface of the paper, BUT, I don’t think shellac will withstand the 350 degrees needed for the transfer!
ANYONE have ANY suggestions? I MUST NOT FAIL!! of course the winning suggestion, and if there’s enough, all suggestors will receive a copy of the finished product.
Thank you!!!

Hey there, sounds like a tricky problem. Have you thought about letter-pressing it? You can make a plate out of almost any image (except probably photos). My mother-in-law is a paper-maker and book-artist, I’ll run this by her and see what she says!

I could give better answers if I knew what fiber you used to make your paper
1. You can use your printer to print onto transparencies, tissue or vellum and then adhere that paper to the handmade paper. You could sew it, or use eyelets or glue it down with Pva or use Duotac a dry adhesive (my particular favorite)
2. An inkjet transfer paper uses heat and pressure to transfer the image. You should keep it hot with the iron as you pull it off, and press hard, don’t use steam. A heavy old iron from a thrift store works great.
3. All paper except high gloss or clay coated paper should accept a transfer – but the toner will only go onto the top surface of the paper. The smoother the paper the cleaner the transfer.
4. DO NOT USE SHELLAC, it is not archival (you want your cards to last for at least 50 years, right) and heating it will release toxic fumes which will not let you last as long as your card.
You can paint a sizing onto handmade paper which will keep it from reacting to water (not your current problem) If you want to seal the finished product use Golden brand mediums which are acrylic and archival and come in matte or glossy finishes. You cannot heat transfer over this, it’s a finish sealer.

Thank you VERY much Bruno – and please thank your mother as well. I am very grateful for your, and her advice. Not sure what Letter Pressing is, so I’ll have to look that up. The tissue idea sounds pretty good, but is she talking about regular tissue you’d use to top off a gift bag or as wrapping paper? I was under the impression that an ink-jet can’t take less than 8lb paper. Your Mom’s right about the shellac, another coating wouldn’t work unless it absorbs all the way through the paper. Otherwise it’s just rip the coating and a bit of paper off. There’s wood hardener, but that’s too expensive. As for what type of paper – it’s anything and everything thoroughly mixed with a touch of dryer lint. however it’s probably about 90% regular uncoated papers and ink-jet/copy paper. The next idea I had was to use old white bedsheets and glue them to the paper but it’s such a shame that after all of this effort, the image won’t be on the hand-made paper. Any chance at contacting mom again :-) I’ll boil it down to the essentials below:
1) What is Sizing? Any brand names?
2) Can you or Bruno explain letter-pressing in a sentence or two?
3) I really like the tissue paper idea because is only uses a very small amount of additional paper, but how can you put such a thin medium into an ink-jet?
Thank you again for your kind, quick and constructive input.

1. Sizing makes the paper not absorb water and turn back into pulp. I believe there is sizing that you can add to the blender as you make the paper, but I don’t use sizing so I don’t know what it’s called. You can mix up Knox gelatin (plain, no added color or sugar etc.) and paint that on for an external size. I think you use less water to mix it up to be able to paint it on, but I don’t know the proportions. I believe there are list serves or chat rooms just for paper making, you could try getting information there, or search the web for paper sizing. Also, the paper you used to make yours, being commercial paper already has sizing in it.
2. Letter pressing is a technique used for printing. Here’s some more info
3. In order to run tissue paper through a printer you need to iron it onto the shiny side of freezer paper, then cut that to 8 1/2×11 – Run it through like you would a special paper, one at a time – when it comes out of the printer you can peel the freezer paper off and adhere it to your hand made paper. It will be hard to use liquid glue or medium on such thin paper. use a double sided paper covered adhesive like Duo tac. An art supply store will know what that is and have something like that if they don’t carry Duo tac. Duo tac is available on the Color Aid Paper website, or just search the name Duo tac.

Bruno, you are a Gentleman and a Scholar. I’m going to need yours and your mother’s address so I can send you a copy of the final product. I think you’ll both appreciate it. Is there a private means of contacting me on the site or do I have to put my e-mail address here?
Thanks again. Your input has been invaluable in keeping me sane!

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