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View Full Version : Review of Shrinky Dinks for laser jet printer



Momof3Labs
11-24-2003, 10:23 PM
Here is the link:

http://shrinkydinks.goemerchant7.com/index.cgi?PageToView=catalog&Department=34365#4190137

I tried these today and am just thrilled with the result!! I started with okay pictures (my digital camera is several years old so even the highest quality pictures are kinda grainy) and used my VERY limited photo editing skills (rotating, cropping), pasted the photos I wanted to use into Word (so I could fit several on one sheet) and printed (with my HP Deskjet 960c - not known for printing great pictures, I don't think). Hmm, jury was still out. Into the oven they went. Wow!! The result is amazing. The shrunk pictures are so clear, you can really see all the detail of Colin's face. Even clearer than the digital pics that I started off with!

I did follow the instructions pretty closely (lightened the pictures, then improved the contrast) - they were't all intuitive, but pretty straightforward and well spelled out.

I really recommend these for holiday ornaments, keychains, whatever - such a cool gift for grandparents, aunts and uncles! So fast and easy!

I know that the package of plastic is pretty pricey, but when you figure that you can get 3-4 pictures per sheet, it ends up being reasonable.

houseof3boys
11-25-2003, 10:16 PM
Lori are you going to do ornaments with these? I know you said they could be a plethora of things, I just wondered what you were doing since you have had a chance to experiment a bit.

Momof3Labs
11-25-2003, 11:38 PM
Yes, I think that I will probably just do ornaments with these, but I won't use the whole package of plastic so next time I have an inspiration (or a great picture), I can play around in some other way!

mharling
11-26-2003, 12:27 AM
Very cool!!! How pricey is the plastic? Where did you get it?

Mary & Lane 4/6/03
http://www.shutterfly.com/osnt.jsp?i=67b0de21b356c32425b2 - Halloween Pics!

Momof3Labs
11-26-2003, 12:46 PM
I haven't found it IRL, so I forked over the dough to order it through Shrinky Dinks (follow the link above). Shipping was almost $4, so it was about $12 for a package of 8 8"x10" sheets. Pricey, but I can get 3-4 ornaments per sheet of plastic, so that's 24-32 ornaments for $12 - not such a bad deal at all, especially for such personal ornaments (compare to Kinko's prices). We only do homemade gifts with my family, and I'm always desperate for unique ideas, so I was willing to spend the $12.

houseof3boys
11-26-2003, 02:49 PM
Just found this too....

http://www.qvc.com/asp/frameset.asp?nest=%2Fasp%2FIsItemNumberRedirect.as p&search=SQ&frames=y&referrer=QVC&txtDesc=shrinky+dinks

new_mommy25
11-28-2003, 12:51 PM
Lori,

I am really intrigued with this as I was planning on making gifts for the granparetns from Noah.

How exactly does this work? After you bake and shrink etc, do you just cut out the shape you want and punch a hole? I'm assuming this is plastic so are the edges rough after you cut them? Does the size it shrinks down to depend on the size of your original picture? And finally, can you post a picture of your finished project? I'd love to see :)

Thanks

Momof3Labs
11-28-2003, 09:50 PM
Angie,

You print onto the plastic, following their instructions (but the plastic is thin, like a transparency, so it goes right through the printer). Then you cut out the shape - any shape you want (but try to keep your cuts smooth so that the finished product is smooth). Then punch a hole if you want an ornament (I use a standard size hole punch - shapes would be cute, too).

Then bake and shrink. They shrink to 1/3 the printed size, and 9x the original thickness. But I was amazed that the proportions stayed correct; I expected the picture to become somewhat distorted during the shrinking.

I'd try to post a pic, but they are so small! I don't think that my camera would catch them very well. I might be able to scan them, though.

jojo2324
11-28-2003, 11:36 PM
Lori, this sounds like a great idea!! We have many relatives far away who don't access the computer, so to send them a small ornament of Ganman's face would be perfect!!

Thanks for this! :)

new_mommy25
11-29-2003, 06:48 PM
Thanks Lori.

janeybwild
11-30-2003, 10:30 PM
Lori,
this looks very cool. As usual, you have the best ideas! Thanks,

heva
12-04-2003, 11:52 PM
I'm so glad to hear it worked as advertised! I bought a bunch for making ornaments, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Next week...