Am I The Only One Who Prints Their Own Pages.

Last spring when getting back into the hobby I started printed my own album pages. This was because I knew the expansion was going to be at least 8 - 10,000 pages by the time the three collections are combined and organized into new binders. It is now looking like it will be way more than that. The dilemma is, no one makes a 9 X 12 acid free paper. So I started out by purchasing 11 X 17 (512215) from Staples and having it cut down to the 9 X 12 at an additional cost of $8 per ream. Is any one else making their own 9 X 12 pages? If so whom are you using for a supply?
Thanks ALL

Wheelman, I print my own pages. The paper I use is 8.5 x 11 inches. I get it from Staples.

Peter

I have been printing my own pages for a nearly 10 years, there have been a few hurdles to get over, but it's going pretty well at this time. One problem was a paper supplier where I could get the acid free and heavy, but not too heavy, paper at a reasonable price. Next a printer that would handle the Minkus size paper (9.5 x 11.25) I use and lastly the program to pull it all together. I bought 5000 sheets from a place known as Expedex which is a paper supplier to the printing industry. I won't say it was the right price but it is exceptional paper. Now as far as a printer I used for quite a while a HP850 I believe, it was an inkjet very expensive to feed ink and heads and when it died I couldn't find anyone to service it including HP. Even though I paid almost $500 for it I was told it was a low end printer not worth the effort to repair. I have since bought a HP9050DN, which is a commercial unit, at auction. It is a fantastic printer that I can actually buy parts for or have serviced. I hope it never comes to that as I'm sure it won't be cheap. Lastly I use a commercial sign program that now is becoming outdated, it will only run using Windows 7, so as long as I can keep a Windows 7 machine running I'll be safe. I do have and have used the Softpro AlbumGen program which works very well.

You said you need 9x12 paper, what albums do you use? And what printer and program are you using? I am getting very low on paper and need more in the near future so the hunt is on for a reasonably priced supplier. I have found one that sells, to the stamp collector market, the exact size I use so I will probably give them a shot.

I have been printing my own pages for a few years now. I pick up acid free paper at Office Depot or office max. I use 60 pound paper and use 4 different colors of paper .

Good God, no. Although I'm not sure about the 9x12 vs 8.5x11 and A4.

You should look around in the Philatelic Book, Reference, Supply and Software forum (where I have moved your thread):

https://goscf.com/f/19

KirkS

Peter,

Is your paper acid free? And Leejb1; how much does your paper cost?

Jack Kelley

I used to print my own odd-sized pages (Schaubek-sized, 10.8" x 11.5"), but I recently gave up on the big pages and went to 8.5" x 11".

To do custom pages in a non-standard size, I went to Xpedx and picked out the paper color and weight I wanted, then bought it in large sheets. I then took the sheets to a printing company that cut them to size and drilled the holes (which for Schaubek, were also non-standard). All-in-all, a painful process just to get larger paper.

Just as a follow up to answer some of the questions above - I am using Staples number 512215. It is acid free 11 X 17 paper. A case is approximately $60. The reason I am using the 9 X 12 size is it is about the size as measured for H E Harris and compatible hole drilled albums. The paper is 20lb and about 92 bright. I have a couple of printers, from my photography that are real workhorses and have no trouble printing out pages by the hundreds. Yes the ink is expensive. About $35 for a black cartridge that will do appx. 1000 pages when done in a high quality mode. Having said all that I would really like to find something in the 22 - 24 lb. range and 95 or greater brightness. I am considering using 8 1/2 X 11 going forward but would really like to keep all my albums consistent in size.

Jack, I have been getting the same paper for years, and at one time I checked and it was acid free. I think I may have to check again though - I noticed the other day that a newly bought package had Hibrite paper. It had the same stock number, but if that has changed maybe the acidity has as well.

Peter

KirkS - thanks for moving to the appropriate site. Eventually I will fine tune my knowledge on all the great locations on the site and save you guys the move work.

flyinlo - printers are Epson StylusPro 4900 and HP7912.

The page software is ----redacted---- but has worked very well for what I am using. I go to the worldwide pre 1940 and go alphabetically to the country then print whatever page numbers I need. There is another section for post 1940. I never use the rest of the program but it has different formats and some even will print in color. The only thing I wish it would do is print the Scott numbers, but for -- bucks???


<because of concern about copyright infringement, I am redacting the name of the potentially illegal software from this discussion. No fault/no blame to anyone, but let's err on the side of caution -- Moderator>

You get what you pay for with paper. 'Acid free' is often just a marketing term which simply means that the manufacturer has added some buffer. At other times it truly refers to a paper which has no lignin.

The acid in paper comes from lignin. Lignin is the part of the plant/tree cell which gives it structural support (it is what makes vegetables firm and crunchy). While the lignin itself is not an acid as it deteriorates and breaks down it forms acids. So any paper which contains wood/wood pulp also has lignin which will become acidic over time.

So for wood/wood pulp papers adding a buffer will neutralize the acids but only for some period of time. There is no standard for how much buffer to add or for how long it should act as a buffer before it runs out and the paper is no longer 'acid free'.

The only truly acid free choice is to use a non-wood pulp (lignin free) paper; this is available but be prepared to pay the price. If true archival paper is desired than this is the best direction. Note that this is also called 'acid free' paper but you will immediately know the difference (in your wallet).

Lastly, storage conditions cannot be stressed enough when using the standard commercial 'acid-free' papers. Acids will form much faster under poor environmental storage conditions. So given the unknown and unspecified buffering qualities of these 'acid-free' papers, it is important to maintain a steady temperature, low relative humidly environment.
Don

I did a little checking into the offerings of the "----redacted----" and "----redacted----".

Yes, they do say they have 148,000 printable stamp album pages. They claim copyright to the DVD (no reproduction of DVD allowed!), but do they own the material, and have a right to profit from it?

Where are the pages coming from?


Uruguay Parcel Post 1922-27
Page scan "----redacted----"

And now a comparison to the Scott International "Brown" page, with copyright now owned by Vintage/Subway Stamps....


Uruguay Parcel Post 1922-27
----redacted----
Vintage/Subway Stamps hold copyright


Not convinced? here is another example..


Upper Silesia 1920
Page scan "----redacted----"

And the corresponding Scott International "Brown Album" page..


Upper Silesia 1920
Scott International "Brown" album
Vintage/Subway Stamps hold copyright


I would think Scott/Vintage/Subway would not be happy.

Do the Scott-Vintage-Subway pages involve a level of originality or creative authorship that is sufficient to confer copyright protection at all? Arranging common geometric shapes on a page in rows dictated by the size and date of a stamp issue, and a few title words?

It can be argued that the answer is no.

The amount of work involved in creating a work of authorship does not, alone, make protectible copyright available.

The problem, for me, is the free pages out there only cover the main numbers and or the singles. My interest is collecting world wide stamps with the margins still attached, blocks, strips, full sheets, souvenir sheets, booklets, coil strips etc. Therefore many or most of the pages I need are not available in any form. Steiner's pages have more of a variety than any I've seen out there, but it's not enough.

For many years I had to cover nearly the entire page, at times, with Showgard mounted stamps overlapping each other. It got the job done but I like the pages to be clean and items spaced out a little so you can focus on the individual items. Someday I may redo the many years of overlapped pieces on pages but for now they will have to do. This is probably one of the main reasons I gave up buying the Minkus yearly offerings.

I print both sides of the pages as I like the back to have the same simple one line border and country name as the front. Also the borders on the front of the page must line up on top of border on the back of the page as I hold the page up to the light. I just finished printing around a hundred pages, with Scott numbers, to get my Portugal collection completely mounted so now all I have to do is the actual mounting and insertion into the collection.

You are definitely not alone.