Definition:

Lightweight, translucent paper offered in a variety of plain, colored, printed, and textured styles. Ideal for dry embossing, layering, or creating overlays.

Vellum is a slick, translucent paper which looks great for titles and journaling in scrapbooks, and adds elegance and whimsy to cards. While some vellums are sold specifically for ink jet printers, most of the colorful, pearlescent, metallic, coated, or embossed vellums are not ink jet friendly. In olden days, vellum was made from animal skins, but today it is a paper product.(-from the ScraPerfect.com website)

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Vellum has many uses
Share tips and tricks for working with vellum.
One of my favorite techniques is to use a patterned vellum and layer it over a patterned paper. The pattern on the paper comes through the vellum and you get a totally different look.

1. You can also use vellum over a busy patterned paper to tone it down a little.

2. You can also print on vellum. On the layout you can see that I typed up the schedule I took on my vacation to DISNEY. I wrote the days of the week and what park I went to on each day. I also tore the sides to add a little more effect to it. I used different colored brads on each corner to hold it on. You can also use spray adhesive.


3. You can even dry emboss on vellum. It turns the vellum white. It's very pretty.

4. Lastly, you can stamp on vellum. A fun thing to do is take your stamp, press it on the vellum. Then take acid free markers and color in the stamp. BUT turn the image over and color it in on the backside. Then when you flip it over it's subtle but beautiful.

Contribution by Heather Gibbs,Heather's Scrapbook's


PRINTING ON VELLUM
If you use your printer on vellum, be aware that there are challenges. (It isn't just you or your printer or the kind of vellum you are using!) Luckily, there is a product on the market which addresses all of the challenges and yields perfect printing and fast drying. It is THE PERFECT PRINTING POUCH (www.scraperfect.com). You keep your printer settings on normal paper and normal quality and just wipe your vellum with the pouch before printing. You can alos use regular markers and stamp ink on vellum if you treat the vellum with the pouch prior to the ink application.


IF you don't want to use THE PERFECT PRINTING POUCH, here are some suggestions to try:

TIP 1: Try printing on transparency setting as this puts out a lot less ink.
DRAWBACK: The printing will not be perfect, bold or crisp, and the ink may still dry slowly.

TIP 2: Use vellum made specifically for inkjet printers or office supply vellum which often prints fairly well.
DRAWBACK: Inkjet vellum can only be made in plain pastels...no pearl, embossed, or metallic coating. No sparkle! Also, inkjet vellum tends to be more expensive and still takes a long time to dry.

TIP 3: Use the "right side" of the vellum. If you can find a less shiny side, use it.
DRAWBACK: You will probably be frustrated trying to find that side and waste a good deal of vellum in the process.

TIP 4: Don't use big, wide fonts as thinner lines won't show the resisting as much.
DRAWBACK: If you want big, bold fonts for your title, who wants to compromise?

TIP 5: Since the ink will smear when it's wet, don’t touch it until it is totally dry or use embossing powder and a heat gun.
DRAWBACK: Waiting to use your vellum--sometimes for hours or days--can be a drag. And while embossing can be attractive, who wants to have to do this everytime you print on vellum?

TIP 6: Buy markers specifically made for vellum and stamp ink specifically designed to stick to more difficult surfaces
DRAWBACK: Buying additional special inks and markers can be costly, and your storage space may be limited.

TIP 7: Buy pre-printed vellum, transparency film, ribbon and twill tape.
DRAWBACK: Pre-printed supplies are expensive, aren’t personalized, and when you buy packs of quotes, you may find some you love and throw away the rest (or forever store them).

TIP 8: Buy inkjet transparency film for printing on.
DRAWBACK: Inkjet transparencies may not be acid-free and the ones that are may be expensive and difficult to find. (While Polyester film, such as film negatives and ‘write-on’ transparencies are acid free and archivally safe, most ink jet transparencies are treated with acid to make the matte surface and are not acid free.If archival safety is important to you, make sure the inkjet film specifies archivally-safe.

TIP 9: Buy shrink plastic specifically made for inkjet printers or use sand paper to rough up the surface so the ink adheres better.
DRAWBACK: Inkjet shrink plastic may be less commonly available and more expensive. You may already have non-inkjet shrink plastic in your child’s supplies and while sanding helps, the surface may still resist the ink.

TIP 10: Reserve mulberry paper, shiny holographic papers, cool acryllic-coated, flocked papers, other specialty papers, clay and wood for backgrounds and embellishments and don’t try to print on them.
DRAWBACK: Limiting your usage means you’ll have fewer opportunities to use these cool materials.

MORE COOL THINGS:
Try printing on both sides of the vellum.
Make translucent envelopes to be able to see the contents.
Overlap different pieces or colors of vellum.
Mask photos to hide unwanted parts with vellum and rip a “window” for your subject.
Tear vellum to get soft edges. Chalk the edges for an even prettier effect.
Print on vellum and use a photo as a subtle background behind the words.
Print a photo on vellum

(Visit http://www.scraperfect.com for more tips on using vellum including printing tips, using adhesives, etc.)











You can create a beautifull design with embossing, some vellum and marker(s). First dry emboss the image onto the vellum. When that is completed use the marker (acid-free) and fill in the image ON THE BACK SIDE. When you're done flip it over and it will create a nice soft image.