Which paper for logos/details?

[Phil Mailloux]

What type of paper do you guys use for writing your signature/logo/serial number inside the box? I'd assume most people don't use regular white paper through the inkjet printer...
I'm at the point where I need to stick that in the box before I close it, anyone has any idea on what nice paper there is out there (hopefully easy to find locally) and what sort of software do you use for creating the logo/details?

While we're at it, if you think yours looks fantastic, post a pic here to drum up ideas for me, thanks!

[jeffhigh]

Parchment from office works, with whatevershade and pattern through it takes your fancy

[Phil Mailloux]

Excellent thanks Jeff

[martintaylor]

Parchment from OfficeWorks is what I use too. I also spray it with fixative after printing. I also use a UHU glue stick as the glue. This is because it doesn't affect the paper, doesn't affect the wood and gives a bit a positioning time before it sets.

[needsmorecowbel]

There would be some pretty cool 100% cotton printmaking papers that you could use for inside the guitar. I've always loved the idea of getting a wooden stamp cut/ laser cut or carving one out of lino and then rolling an oil based ink on the lino/ wooden stamp to print the logo. Once the logo/ details are printed you could leave it to dry and then write out the model numbers/ maker's signature(s) by hand.

Some brands of 100% cotton rag paper would be:

Fabriano (thinner stock)
BFK RIVES (France)
Arches (France)
Hahnemuehl (Germany)
Stonehenge (US)
Somerset

You could get any of these brands from specialist etching/ lithography/ printmaking stores.

In Melbourne there is : http://www.mes.net.au/products/cat-45.php or Neil Wallace Printmaking Supplies. These are also online stores but their website pricing is generally useless you'd be looking at around 8-20 dollars per 90 x 75 cm sheet. A more expensive way to go but you could get a really nice classy look and

If you guys are keen (I have far far too much free time on my hands at the moment) I can post a tutorial of the traditional printmaking techniques (aka not digital printing) you could use to print logos.

Stu

[Phil Mailloux]

I'd be interested in seeing that Stu.

Parchment from OfficeWorks is what I use too. I also spray it with fixative after printing. I also use a UHU glue stick as the glue. This is because it doesn't affect the paper, doesn't affect the wood and gives a bit a positioning time before it sets.

What's fixative? Is that a sort of lacquer over the printed paper?

[needsmorecowbel]

Fixative is a product that is sprayed to protect the paper. For example say if you did a charcoal still life/ a charcoal portait of a nude model you would apply/ spray fixative to the paper in order to stop the charcoal from smudging when handled.
Side Note- You'd want to make sure you use an acid free/ "archival" fixitive or else you might find later on that the fixitive is not really protecting the paper but the acids are destroying it

[Allen]

I'd always used parchment paper with lacquer sprayed afterwards as a fixative.

But, I left an instrument out on the workbench one afternoon and came back the next day to find that most of the label had been chewed up by what I can only assume was a mouse. Pissed me off like you wouldn't believe. But it got me thinking. If I've got a mouse that likes paper, and I have 2 cats that apparently are far too well fed. Then other people might have a mouse with the same taste for paper.

So the next day I sliced up a sitka top for back reinforcement strips and took them over to my local trophy shop and had them laser engraved. Now I've killed two birds with one stone. And I think it looks bloody professional to boot. Cost was the top, which gave me 26 strips at 12mm wide. I think the top was only about $20. It's one that I got on a sale at the OLF some years ago. And the laser engraving was $5 per strip. Beauty is that I gave him my font and got just what I wanted.

Back Strip Logo.jpg (90.99 KiB) Viewed 11014 times

[simso]

Weve got a laser cutter / engraver, one of the best tools apart from the cappucino machine to have in the shop.

[sam]

Full marks for the coffee machine.

Your logo can also be cut from heavy brass plate - as you would a pearl inlay - then silver soldered, in reverse, to brass bar stock as a backing. Tap a hole in the bar for a shank made from all threaded rod fitted with a file handle. Your branding iron can be heated on the stove when your wife's gone shopping....

[Tod Gilding]

Mine are done on the inkjet printer, normal paper and then wiped with a little Tung oil ...seems to do the job.