What size paper is needed to print this? [Universal Game Cases]

[Gavica]

I have the standard glossy photo paper but its only 8.5x11" which makes it 0.22" too small to print it properly, where do u guys get glossy paper that is bigger than those dimensions?

[Brandonh1091]

I actually had this same problem as I recently bought a new HP photosmart printer, and went to print my first cover just awhile ago. I ended up buying the 8.5 x 14 Legal paper, and while it looked really good, its not heavy enough to prevent bleeding, so when I open the case, you can see through to the other side.

I seriously looked everywhere around here for 8.5 x 14 glossy, and couldn't find it, so I'm curious about the answer to this myself. 

[Brandonh1091]

Just came across this awhile ago:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828103049

8.5" x 14" 100 sheets of matte paper. Only 19.99 and 3-day shipping is free.

Not bad at all,...heh, just wish I'd seen this before I dropped money on this regular legal paper.

[Gavica]

I think the covers look better on glossy.

[Brandonh1091]

Yeah, I'd definitely say the glossy photo paper is the best, I just have yet to see any in stores. I'm sure it'd have to be ordered.

[Gavica]

yep, but the question is where from?

is everyone else just using plain legal paper for their covers?

[Brandonh1091]

No, definitely not, although I do think I've seen a few people on here say they prefer to just use the regular paper. I've seen quite a few pictures on this site with the Universal Game Cases opened up flat with custom art inserted, and they all have no bleeding. So either the majority is using the heavy matte paper, or there's just a site I'm overlooking to order the glossy paper from.

Haha, either way, I'm sure somebody will come along sooner or later with a link.

[Brandonh1091]

Even though it's the matte paper, it seems like a lot of people, both on this site and on others, recommend this:

http://www.redrivercatalog.com/browse/50lb-premium-matte-double-sided.html

Although they do seem to have glossy inkjet paper as well:

http://www.redrivercatalog.com/browse/32lb-premium-gloss.html

[Gavica]

those look very good

[Falconhood]

At my Office Max, they sell a Ream(500 sheets) of the heavier 14" long paper, because they use it for printing too. It costs $0.69 to have a 14" long print made. I fill my page up with fake atari covers and other pictures, even a bookmark or spine label for a notebook(out of the 1" top border). Waste-not, Want-Not.

[shenske]

At my Office Max, they sell a Ream(500 sheets) of the heavier 14" long paper, because they use it for printing too. It costs $0.69 to have a 14" long print made. I fill my page up with fake atari covers and other pictures, even a bookmark or spine label for a notebook(out of the 1" top border). Waste-not, Want-Not.

That's exactly what I use too. It's also much nicer to have officemax print them out on their laser printers, excellent quality. Personally I don't like the results of printing covers on glossy paper, it turns out too shiny.

[Brandonh1091]

Today I printed out an Ocarina of Time cover on a standard 8.5 x 11" sheet of Photo quality paper I got from a friend, and I've got to say, it looked almost like the real thing...until I threw it in a UGC. The slightly "grainy" texture of the outside sleeve kind of brings down the shine and everything. My regular legal paper N64 boxes actually looked just as good next to OoT unless you were really looking hard.

On top of that, it used a ridiculous amount of ink from my printer, and considering the price of the paper/cartridges, I think Shenskes right. Glossy really isn't worth it. If anything maybe a semi-gloss, but even then I doubt you'll find that in a legal sized sheet.



 

[aka DaBigKahuna]

I was in Office Max today and the sales rep. showed me some 14 X 17 paper in flat, semi-gloss and glossy.  $1.39 a sheet for them to print from a disc and the paper was thick.

Since I only have about 10 covers, It's worth it for me and I plan on going there tomorrow to get some covers done.

[Zelimpdna]

What weight paper do you recommend using? I recently bought some 110gsm glossy paper, which looks infinitely better than normal 80gsm paper, but it still just feels a bit too thin. In the past I tried using some 260gsm glossy photo paper for DVD covers, but I wasn't too happy with them.

What do most of you use, and what is closest to a retail cover?

[AppleQueso]

Everyone always asks what's "closest" to retail thickness, when they seem to forget that there isn't really much of a standard even among games on the same console.

Take a recently bought ps2 game and an older one and remove the inserts. You'll notice that one is much thinner than the other. Don't worry about thickness, just make sure it's thick enough to not bleed through to the other side. You can't tell how thick it is once it's in the case anyhow