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Types of substrates for ink-jet printing

The types of substrates that can be used are nearly limitless. The main factors to note are the substrate’s absorbency, thickness, fragility, and its size and shape. Each of these can affect performance and impact which ground will perform best. Below are three principle groups of materials.

Porous/Absorbent
This group encompasses a wide selection that includes watercolor, printmaking, Japanese rice and other specialty papers, as well as canvas, various fabrics, and even unusual items like wallpaper, leather, or unsealed wood veneer.

Non-Porous/Non-Absorbent
This would include such materials as aluminum, copper, metal foil, marble, and plastics such as Mylar®, Lexan®, Plexiglas®, and acetate.

Acrylic Skins and Painted Surfaces
This group of materials spans the length of one’s imagination. Any surface painted or created with acrylic paints, gels, pastes, or mediums, can then be printed on by first coating them with one of the three Digital Grounds.

This opens up the possibility of not just printing on top of acrylic paintings, but the ability to create prints on an array of acrylic materials that can then be layered, collaged or further developed for incorporation in other pieces.

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