11 Sep Making Magnets

Making Magnets from my artwork

Sourcing materials

Sourcing magnet sheets and paper for these magnets took a lot of my time. The biggest step is testing to make sure the final product is up to my quality standards.

• Magnet sheets

Finding the right thickness is the issue here. I was constantly moving between being able to cut the sheets into pieces and having a good feel as a product. After looking at a lot of other artist magnets I settled on 2mm. I get my sheets in bulk lots of 50 from Mister Magnets HERE

• Printing Paper

I tested numerous paper for thickness, structural strength, image quality and durability. I ended up using an Ilford Semi Gloss Duo. Having the ability to print on both sides adds a strength most papers don’t seem to provide and is secured to the magnet sheets with a much better strength.  I have added a link to the product if you are interested in specs HERE

Editing process

All of my artwork , once finished is photographed by a professional photographer. I then spend a lot of my time editing these images to be able to use them for magnets, coasters & all of my other products. When editing it is important to find an image that works good with the size and finish of the product your trying to make. For magnets it’s important to look at the framing and size of the image as well as where the product is likely to be used.

Printing

• Printer

The printing process can be very hard to get right. Start off with a reasonably good printer. For my magnets I use a Cannon PRO 200, this printer is reliable and has 8 different ink cartridges making the colours brighter and more like the image I’m trying to print.

• Printer & paper settings

The biggest suggestion after having a good printer is make sure the settings are correct for the paper you are using. Basic printers will most likely do all of the colour settings for you automatically, however I need the flexibility to have greater control over colour, saturation and hue, matching the original image in a way the basic printers can’t necessarily do.

I try to limit waste in my business as much as possible so I match the printer paper to the size of the magnet sheet in this case I use A3. I fit as many images on a sheet as possible with a small 2mm gap for cutting

Joining the print to the magnet sheet

For this process I use a brayer ( an Ink roller ) I got mine from spotlight if your in Australia. The process is fairly simple.

• Remove a small amount of the paper on the magnet sheet and line up your printed image with that end
• It is important to start from one end and roll outwards to prevent bubbles forming
• remove the cover sheet as you move along using the roller to secure the print to the magnet
• roll the whole print a few times applying weight as you go to create a better bond

Cutting

Using a sharp knife here is key. I use a small Stanley knife I found at bunnings. Keeping the blade sharp will definitely help with cleaner cuts and the wear and tear on your hands. Using a metal ruler is a good idea for straight lines. This is where your editing comes in useful if you have lined all the images up in rows and columns it means less cutting.

Heat Treatment

This is the final stage and some say it may not be necessary however I find it aids in securing the print to the magnet sheet and helps with setting the inks on the print and finally makes the edges feel and look better. Once you have cut your magnets I run them through my laminator on a low setting, you can do this a couple of times, have a go see what works for you

Packaging

As with all my products I have adding branding and secured the magnet with removable glue dots and added a cello bag for protection

You can find the all my magnets HERE

The Whole process in a video

Benno

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