Let’s see how we like the Spellbinders Betterpress System
Introduction to the Spellbinders Betterpress System
Hello crafters! The Spellbinders Betterpress system is designed to transfer images & text to paper to achieve a letterpress result. We see a lot of these types of images &/or text in wedding invitations. Letterpress printing is the process of making many copies of an image by repeated direct impression of an inked, raised surface against paper. However, the Betterpress system allows you to do this out of the comfort of your own home! In this blog post, we’ll be reviewing some of the features, performance, capabilities, & so on.
What is Included in the Betterpress System
How Easy is the Betterpress System to Use?
This Betterpress system seems straight forward & simplistic. I love how you can feel the impression & the ink lays on top. This system is so easy that you can follow four (4) step-by-step instructions & your craft is done. Just beautiful!
Supplies Needed to Use the Betterpress System
You do need a manual die-cutting machine along with everything that comes with the system. Not all die-cutting machines are compatible, but below you will find the die-cutting machines that are compatible with the Betterpress system. You would also need extra cotton paper, ink pads or re-inker & then the plates.
How versatile is the Betterpress System?
This system is very versatile. You can use watercolors, ink, foil, heat embossing, colored pencils, etc. with the Betterpress System. Just make sure you do it in the right order. If you’re going to be using watercolors make sure you use the ink that came with the system or any other ink that is oil-based, waterproof & permanent. If you were to use alcohol markers you might get some feathering, but I just tried my alcohol markers (Nuvo brand) on the cotton cardstock with the Betterpress ink & I didn’t get any feathering.
Die-Cutting Machines That are Compatible
The die-cutting machines that are compatible with the Betterpress are:
- Spellbinders Platinum, Platinum 6
- Deep Sea Die Cutting and Embossing Machine
- Sizzix BigShot
- Sizzix BigShot Express
- Sizzix Big Shot Plus
- Sizzix BigKick
- Sizzix Switch
- Tim Holtz Vagabond
- RG Amaze
- Stampin’ Up!
How Did the Betterpress Perform?
After testing different supplies, the cotton cardstock & watercolor paper are the best to use. I tried several different papers & none of them seemed to get the impression-part like the Betterpress cotton paper. The watercolor paper would be my second pick. The papers I tried were the cotton paper, regular cardstock (80lb.), a heavier weight cardstock (110lb.), watercolor paper & even that vintage looking deckle edged thin cotton cardstock you see with wedding invitations. The Betterpress cotton paper was the best.
As for the inks, again, the Spellbinders Betterpress ink that came with the system was the best ink for the best results. I tried the pigment ink, distress ink & archival ink. Although, the archival ink did pretty good that would be my second choice to the Betterpress ink. The Betterpress ink that comes with the system is in black, but they do have other colors available to purchase. The Betterpress ink is oil-based, permanent & waterproof.
Tips & Tricks for the Betterpress System
- Don’t use big ink pads just the mini ones. If you use the big pads, which I did in the very beginning, I had ink all over my magnetic insert (chase) & had a mess!
- Clean your Betterpress magnetic insert & plates with Ranger’s Archival Ink Cleaner. You especially don’t want to use alcohol on the magnet insert, because it will damage it over time. Your insert might stain but if the ink is dry it won’t transfer to other projects.
- I say, yes, to using Glimmer plates, but the trick is to take out one of the shims. This will make the thickness the same as if you used the three shims & the Betterpress plates (the Betterpress plates are slightly thinner than Glimmer plates). NOTE: Do this at your own risk, as I did, because it will void your warranty if something goes wrong.
- You can actually skip the ink & get just the impression if that’s something you’re looking for. (This is called a blind letterpress.)
- This might sound dumb, but I did it…well, two things actually- your magnetic insert scratches very easily, especially if you have nails. I don’t think it will hurt it, but it doesn’t look as nice now. Second, if you are trying to get a different look & use half of your plate make sure the end of it doesn’t stick over the side of the insert, because when you run it through the die cutting machine it won’t be good! I know! Are you starting to get the picture when it comes to me? My family will say my blond hair dye is sinking into my brain! 😁
Maintenance & Care of the Betterpress System
There’s not a lot to maintain, but I recommend cleaning your plates & the magnetic insert each time you are changing ink colors or plates, or are finished. I would not use alcohol at least not on the magnetic insert because it will damage it over time. They have the cleaner that is specific for the system (Ranger’s archival ink cleaner).
Where to Purchase the Betterpress System
I purchased my Spellbinders Betterpress System from Scrapbook.com. I have found the system on Amazon also. They both are on sale right now & are about the same price. (These are affiliate links which means I might get a small commission if you purchase, but it won’t cost you any more.)
Summary & Recommendation
In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this Spellbinders Betterpress System if you are looking for something you can make professional looking greeting cards with. If you make cards all the time this is a nice tool to have. The great thing is that it’s very simple to use & you get amazing results in minutes!
If you are interested in the Spellbinders Glimmer System, stay tuned & be on the lookout for a post for that. Surprise! Here’s the new post on Spellbinders Glimmer System! Also, if you are new to making cards, see my post “How to Make a Cut-out Card on Cricut”. If you liked this post, please share on social media & I would love it if you followed me while you were there! I would appreciate it so much! Thank you!💕
