How Do You Print On Thick Watercolor Paper?

So you want to print line art on watercolor paper and then paint it with watercolors? But the problem is the paper is too thick, and you’re experiencing jamming problems with your printer?

If that’s what you’re going through, this guide will help you out.

Incorrectly printing on thick watercolor paper can ruin your expensive watercolor paper and even create technical issues with your printer. Or you may end up with an image that doesn’t meet your expectations.

Follow our tips below to learn how to print on thick watercolor paper correctly and get your desired printing results. You’ll learn more about the right printer to use and how to set it for the best printing results.

How do you Print on Thick Watercolor Paper?

Before you start printing on watercolor paper, there are a few things to check, as outlined below. This will ensure the process goes smoothly and you achieve the expected results.

Decide on the Best Printer for Watercolor Paper

You’ll first need to decide on the best printer for watercolor paper. Not all printers are ideal for printing on this type of paper.

Avoid laser printing on watercolor paper because it does not produce good results. It also creates a lot of heat that the watercolor cannot handle.

A better option would be an inkjet printer. But not just any inkjet printer will work for you. You need to check the following crucial printer specifications:

Printer maximum weight capacity: Watercolor papers are generally heavy (the most common types are from 130lbs to 300lbs). Not every printer can handle the thickness of these papers because printers have different maximum weight handling capabilities. You should get a model that will work with the weight of watercolor paper you’re planning to print on. Epson printer indicates this info on their user manual and the machine. Other printer manufacturers also include this info in the user manual, so it will be easy for you to know what printer to get.

Printer paper size specification: Like standard printing papers, watercolor papers come in varying sizes. This means you’ll need to get a printer that will accept the specific paper size you intend to work with. Don’t mistake getting a printer whose input slot is too small to fit your watercolor paper sizes.

Once you’ve got the right type of printer and other supplies by your side, it’s now time to start the printing process.

Step-by-step guide for printing on thick watercolor paper:

The steps below will show you how to print on the thick wallpaper without any problems.

Step 1. Remove other printing paper from your printer

The first step involves eliminating any regular printing paper remaining in your printer input tray. Some folks add the watercolor paper on top of the remaining regular papers in the printer. But we advise you to start with a fresh tray to avoid any inconveniences.

Step 2. Feed watercolor paper into the printer

Now you can insert your watercolor paper into the printer input feed. If you use the right paper size, you shouldn’t have any issues feeding the papers through. If your paper proves a bit bigger for the printer, you can trim it to enable it to go in easily.

Step 3. Adjust the printer settings

With the watercolor paper in place, it’s time to make the necessary settings on your computer to start the printing process. Set the paper size and your desired orientation.

You’ll also need to tell your computer what type of paper you’re printing on. This is where most people get confused since there’s no watercolor option under the type of paper.

A simple hack for this part is to set your printer to “Photo Paper.” The photo paper has similar properties to watercolor paper, so this setting will give you much better printing results.

TIP: Before you start the printing process, you may want to do a quick test on sketchbook paper or any other paper to see if the ink will smear or smudge. This test will also help you know if you’ll get your desired results.

Final Words

Printing on thick watercolor paper shouldn’t be a problem when you know how to go about it.

You first need to ensure you have the right printer by your side that can handle the specific watercolor paper thickness and size.

Then, follow the steps we’ve outlined above to get your text or graphic printed on watercolor paper as per your expectations.

Make sure you get rid of all the other types of printing paper before you feed your printer with watercolor paper.

Remember to set the printer to “Photo paper” printing option for the best printing results.