Which Brand of Waterproof Printer Paper Should I Use?

Are these papers really "waterproof"?

These papers stand up well to rain and moisture. They are great for taking notes in wet weather and for use where your notes might be subject to contact with sweat, moisture or water. We placed a sheet of each of these papers underwater for one week, writing on them daily with a waterproof ink pen. They retained their integrity, accepting and retaining the ink. We continued the test for one month, writing on each paper at the end of each week. At the end of one month, all of the papers were still in good condition and continued to accept and retain ink.

A standard ballpoint pen usually works well on these papers. But, we highly recommend using a pen with waterproof ink. Why buy waterproof paper and take chances with your ink? Soluble inks and gel pen inks can wash right off. Be sure to test your pen, printer and paper combination before going into the field or starting a project. It's not the performance of your paper that determines your level of protection - it is how your paper, writing implement and printing work together.

These products are intended for short-term outdoor use - they are thin pieces of plastic. If you need long-term exposure to water, a metal sign or a rigid plastic plaque is needed.

Avoid smearing and excess ink:

We recommend printing using the "light" or "draft" or "economy" settings of your printer. Printing in "high quality" or "dark" mode usually applies more ink than the paper can absorb. That will cause ink smearing or ink that does not dry. If the ink smears or does not dry in "normal" or "standard" mode, see if you can print with a "light" or "economy" mode. For best results use the lightest printer setting that produces readable print.

When writing, a medium point pen works best. Broad-point pens or those that put down a thick layer of ink generally deposit excess ink that does not absorb into the paper and smears. Fine-point pens are sharp and can dig into the synthetic plastic papers when writing. Pens that leave behind blobs of ink when you write should be thrown away. They make a mess no matter where you write with them.

Use high-quality ink and toner!

Most people who use the ink or toner cartridges supplied by the manufacturer of their printer have great success with all of these papers. Refilled cartridges and generic cartridges frequently provide poor results because they contain low-quality inks, low-quality toner, or water-soluble inks. For best performance use quality inks provided by your printer manufacturer.

Exposure to sun, wind, rain, wine, spaghetti sauce, dishwashers, dogs and bullets...

Keep in mind that you are buying a product that is a thin plastic sheet. It will last outside for a few weeks (more or less), depending upon climate and sun exposure. It will not last through repeated or prolonged exposures to hot, cold, sun, wind, or other harsh conditions. This is why highway departments use metal signs, and the military uses metal dog tags. "Paper" is inexpensive and easy-to-use and perfect for some situations - but it might not be the material best suited for the conditions of your project.

• SUN EXPOSURE: Ink is usually the first thing to fail during outdoor use. It can quickly fade in the sun. Red and yellow ink are usually the first to fade. Depending upon location and exposure, an outdoor sign might last a few days to a few weeks in bright, direct sunlight before the ink fades. The paper will eventually break down if exposed to the UV rays of direct sunlight for long periods of time. Lots of people use our papers for yard sale signs, outdoor notices, and other documents that will be in the bright sun for a few days to a few weeks, with good results. We do not recommend them for long-term outdoor use. You need a metal sign.



• SPAGHETTI SAUCE / WINE: We don't recommend our papers for use as menus and cookbooks unless they are laminated. These papers like to absorb color, and they will be stained by wine, spaghetti sauce, coffee, and any other moist material with color. Of the papers that we sell, PuffinPaper performs best with lamination. It is a microporous synthetic paper that binds with the laminating film so that it resists separation much better than standard paper.



• COLD AND HEAT: Of the papers that we sell, PuffinPaper has been tested to perform under the widest temperature range. It remains pliable and writable at temperatures from -70°C / -94°F to 180°C / 356°F. The temperature at which your pen or your body can function will limit your work before the paper does. Other papers can have narrower ranges of temperature performance. They can become brittle in very cold weather. They might soften if you attach them to a hot billboard in direct sun. We don't recommend them for use in very hot or very cold situations.



• DISHWASHERS: The papers that we sell are meant to be used in environments where humans work and play. That does not include the interior of a dishwasher where they will be flushed with extremely hot water and chemicals. Your ink might also perform poorly in these hot, wet, chemical-rich conditions.

Ink and toner are important!

The ink or toner that you use can break down with exposure to direct sunlight, heat, water, or humidity. Ink usually fails before the paper during sun exposure. For best results, use the ink and toner cartridges recommended by your printer manufacturer, and be aware that exposure conditions will limit the life of your document. Test before using in an important project.

Lamination:

All of the papers that we sell can be laminated. The one that performs best with lamination is PuffinPaper. It is a microporous paper that binds with the laminating film and resists separation. Before you go to the expense of buying special papers, see if your project will work by printing on regular paper and laminating it. We don't want you to overspend unless you need the extra performance.

Storage:

For best results, unused paper is best stored in a box or in a sealed plastic bag away from light and heat. Do not store these papers in contact with printed documents because they sometimes absorb ink from objects that are stored in contact with them.

Printing on Two Sides:

Both sides of these papers have equal printing characteristics. For best results, one-sided printing is recommended when using 8 mil papers. When large amounts of ink are applied, such as when printing maps or bold text, two-sided printing might result in ink bleeding through the paper, or printing being visible from the opposite side. If you do decide to print on two sides, allow a few minutes of drying time between sides. We always recommend testing to see if your printing process will produce documents that perform well in your anticipated conditions.

Writing Underwater:

All of the papers that we sell work well for short-term underwater use. We placed a sheet of each of these papers underwater for one month, writing on them weekly with a waterproof ink pen. They retained their integrity, accepting and retaining the ink. For scuba diving, we recommend writing with pencil on a DuraRite Notebook. Why? Pencils work best for underwater writing. Waterproof pen refills have a small amount of gas in the refill to control the flow of ink. If they are taken deep enough that the outside water pressure is higher than the inside gas pressure, water will flow into the refill and dilute the ink. The critical depth is variable - depending upon the amount of ink that has been depleted and the gas pressure in the refill. Always test before use in a critical project. Soluble inks can wash right off. Be sure to test your pen, printer, and paper combination before going into the field or starting a project.

Choice of Writing Implements:

We recommend a ball-point pen with waterproof ink for best results on any of the papers that we sell. Why buy waterproof paper and write with standard ink? Medium-width pens generally work best. Fine and extra-fine points can cut into the paper under heavy pressure. Broad-point pens often deposit more ink than the paper can absorb and result in smearing. When writing on a paper that accepts pencil, we recommend hard, broad leads with blunt points.

Spray-on-Fixatives:

These can be used, but the paper might not accept additional printing or writing after being sprayed with fixative. Always test before using on anything important.

Smudge and Smear:

This usually occurs when ink is applied too heavily or a water-soluble ink is used. If you are using the paper in a printer or plain-paper copier, try changing the settings to "economy" or "light" or "draft" so that less ink will be applied. Broad-point pens and those that deposit a thick layer of ink generally smear. Gel pens usually perform poorly because their inks are usually water soluble and dry slowly. Try one of our medium point pens with waterproof ink. If ink from a printer is smearing, check to be sure that you are using manufacturer-provided ink cartridges. Generic ink cartridges and refilled cartridges often contain low-quality ink or ink that is water soluble.

Cutting:

These papers can be cut with scissors and paper cutters. Their water-resistant qualities are not reduced.

Hole Punching:

Weatherproof Paper and PuffinPaper do not work well with some types of punches. Test with a single sheet, then two, then three... etc. A large stack of paper can be very difficult to extract if it is jammed in a hole punch. We have done this a few times! The best way to get holes in large quantities of difficult-to-punch papers is to take them to a print shop where holes can be drilled.

Always Test Before Important Projects:

If you are going to use a waterproof paper for an important application, we strongly recommend testing to be sure that it meets your needs. Testing how you are going to print on it and write on it are important. Also important is a test of the anticipated environmental, handling, and storage conditions.