Stupid Steiner Pages Printing Question

I love the Steiner pages and historically I have printed them one-sided on thick cardstock. As my collection has grown exponentially, this has gotten way too expensive (and physically large).

I've started printing on thinner paper and I'd like to start printing double sided. However, I cannot figure out how to get the pages to print the way I want them to...so the larger margin matches and both sides are right side up. Can someone please walk me through this like I'm 8 years old?? TIA!

How are you editing the pages? You'll have to make the left margins on the odd pages to be the right margin on the even pages, and vice versa.

What program are you using to read/print the files? Depending on the program, I might be able to whip up a quick script to shift the margins on the even-numbered pages.

My advice is do not do it that way . Print on only one side . What you save in the cost of paper is not that much .

For example the binders your using have metal rings that are not as thick as the holes you get punched from a hole puncher. [SEE WHAT USELESS INFORMATION I POST HERE } . This 1/8 0f a inch or maybe just 1/16 of a inch sliding around on each page will cause perforations to lock together .Your going to need glassine inter-leaves .


Your asking for problems .

While I would not print both sides because of the need for intersleeves, if you open the PDF in LibreOffice Draw you can select the page to be shifted, then select the entire page contents (drag a rectangle) and then using left arrow shift the page contents over to the new position.

As Floor said, maybe think again. With two-sided, you're stuck with thicker, more expensive paper and mounts or unsightly page protectors or glassines. Even if you work out how to load the paper!

Reasoning tells me the common and cheap 20lb paper can be used for stamps on a page . Now if you use stamp mounts and have large souvenir sheets plus a cover to mount then your stressing the holes punched into the page ,weight becomes a factor.Then you need heavy paper ,now you want to add the opposite side with stamps that just doubles your problem .

There is a free extension that allows you to print to pdf vs. directly to your printer. I use it all the time as Adobe is really good at handling page formatting when printing.

The file is saved to your drive and then you load it and print. Worth a try?

nexus8793, I went through that same thought process; how does one do it??
I did see that there are page editors that could effect odd/even sides but I didn't want to get involved in that much fiddly stuff.

I decided to just go with one-sided.

I have several big fat albums with printing on both sides and have bought and inserted thousands of glassine interleaves. It just gave me 'the creeps' thinking of all those stamps sliding past each other as the binders flex, even a little. So, I have a strict glassine policy. (Not required between the Steiner pages.)

Glassines are translucent but not transparent. They seem to always get in the way of pleasant viewing of my collection. Going one-sided was comparatively relaxing. No more turning my head from side to side like being in a theater sitting too close to the screen.

I'm in a years-long process of moving the first hundred years from commercial album pages to Steiner pages. I don't want to have to fiddle with re-editing every other page. I just look over the pre-1940 Steiner pages, decide to go with all those pages, hit Print and relax!

Thanks to everyone for all the input...I ended up coming to the same conclusion as lightly_unhinged and others did and stuck with the one-sided printing.

Hey:

I also LOVE Mr. Steiner's album pages! I have lots of them printed out, and I'm adding more pages and albums regularly. I've noticed the offset as well when printing front-n-back as well, but I don't know how to fix it.

I print my pages front-n-back, but instead of stacking them "bare" in my binders, I slip each page into a plastic "page protector" sheet. This enables the stamps to stay put, stay safe, and if I allow "mixed company" (i.e., non-collectors) to view my albums, there's a prophylactic layer between the rando person and my stamps!

To reinsert sheets into the protectors, like when I add a new stamp, I use a "backing sheet" on the back side of the page to protect hinged stamps on that side so I can slip the page back in without the stamps snagging on the top of the protector opening.

I use really thin page protector sheets. They're like $25 on Amazon for 500 sheets, and I can fit about 75-90 leaves into a 1" binder (my preferred size; large albums span several 1" binder "volumes"). I use regular cardstock to print pages, so 250 sheets for about $12-15. I tend to get used but good condition binders at my job (I work at a high school, so there are always "free" binders floating around).

Printing front and back really helps with containing the physical space my albums occupy. Even with the page protectors, they're manageable. I like having several shelves (and counting!!) of albums, but I don't want them to push me out of my house, either!!

The end result by doing these things is a very attractive collection, and I don't have to feel so "protective" when a friend looks at an album. They can even "touch" the stamps--thru the plastic protector, of course--without messing things up. Greasy finger smears just wipe off :-}

I still have the "wiggle-waggle" as I turn the pages because the back side is formatted as though it's a front-facing page.

A couple sample pages are attached.

Josh

Nice pages and neat way to keep your collection , welcome to the chatboard too.

Good for you, to be able to ignore it. A misaligned offset like that would drive me crazy. The solution depends upon both the file's print defaults and your own print settings. I don't use Steiner pages, so I can't readily say whether Steiner pages are hard-coded to always be right-hand facing (defaulting to single-sided printing), or if it's dynamic and your settings are overriding that. Others here likely know the answer.

Mastodon - those are some great looking pages! Looks like you have a nice system figured out. It's impressive 100 pages fit into the 1" binders (even with the sleeves). And wonderful to have protection system so guests can flip through your collection.

TSMATX: Thanks for your kind words about my albums!

Yeah, about 75 to 90 leaves fit in the thin sleeves. Looks like the binders, all 1" or so, hold more or less depending on--I guess the relative thickness of the binder?

With 75 leaves, it's 150 pages--front and back--for stamp album. Not too bad--but they do kinda stack up as they are printed and set up :-}

But--I like having them this way--very convenient, neat, and trouble-free showing off my collection to those who aren't collectors :-}

Josh

Hope you are using an inkjet printer as laser toner and sheet protectors are NOT a good mix.