Almost ruined a $500 print run because I ignored the paper grain

Got a rush job for a wedding invite last month. 250 double sided cards. I loaded the paper into the printer without checking the grain direction. First 50 came out curled and the fold cracked the ink. Had to reorder the paper and eat the cost. Learned to always feel for the grain before you feed anything through the press. Anyone else get burned by this or am I the only one who skipped that lesson?

2 comments

2 Comments

alice_barnes356d ago

Grain direction is overrated for most small run stuff, honestly. Modern printers and coated stocks handle it fine unless you're doing something super thick or wet. Bet your printer settings or humidity were more the problem than the grain itself.

betty_ward6d ago

@alice_barnes35 I totally agree with you - grain direction gets way too much blame. I ran 300 business cards on cheap matte stock last year, ignored the grain completely, and they came out perfect flat. Sometimes we overthink this stuff. What kind of paper did you use?