Just wondering if any of our resident cardstock modelers have any experience with metallic papers for printing up cardstock models and any recommendations on what works well with ink jet printers, so you can print patterns on top of the metallic base. Has anyone experimented with applying your own metallic coating to paper? Just wondering. I just got hooked on the Centuri X-24 Bug and thought it would look really cool if you could print the pattern on a metallic paper. I guess you would have to scuff up the paper in the glue tab areas, not sure if white glue or a glue stick would absorb into the metallic coating.
Yes, plenty of experimenting done a few years ago.
There are places that sell inkjet printable metallic cardstock. Try the following URL www dot itsupplies dot com. Not posting the link because not sure if is ok. Check the various brands of papers they have, most have sample packs you can buy.
Simply Elegant Pure Silver Inkjet Paper is my favorite. Bought a 24" wide x 100ft long roll. Yes, you will have to seal with a lacquer clear coat.
Here is an example of the Pure Silver-it is the Apollo capsule on the big-un.
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Edit=added the photo but it would only show once you click the attachment. Some of the papers the other examples are built of are out of business. To see more of the experiments you will need to browse to papermodlers dot com and then search for color testing metallic papers and also a mis-spelled: metalic papers available , two different threads on the experimenting which include other model maker's experiments as well. plenty of links for different brands of metallic cardstock in those threads.
The best option I've found is buying a coating that will allow the printing on almost any thing that will feed through a printer. www dot inkaid1 dot com is cheaper than the others. I've tried it and it works great on some "chrome mirror" adhesive wall paper I bought direct from China.
Once the chrome wallpaper arrived, peeled the protective layer of paper off, sticking it to a sheet of cardstock. Had to leave a 1/4" margin of plain cardstock, if the mirror covers the whole sheet it would not feed properly into my wideformat printer. Used a foam paint brush to apply several thin layers.
Once the printing is done you have to seal with some type of spray sealer, I used gloss on the photos below.
Here are some example photos;
As you can see, the chrome mirror is very shiny, the third photo shows just how shiny.
Mike