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Hi Lynn! Looks like my website had a glitch on it - which is now fixed. You can find the list here: www.truono.com/coasters-howto Hope you find it useful!

Firstly, I want to say I'm impressed at your efforts! This is a time consuming process that does require a lot of trial and error and I commend you for seeing what works for you. I'm not familiar with the resin you are using, so I cannot speak to whether it's causing an interaction with the printed ink. The glossy photo paper and printer ink I was using was from the same brand (Canon), so I knew the image would adhere well to the substrate. In past experiences with alternative papers and cheap refillable ink brands, even when not printing for resin use, it was often easier to smudge or see the ink not drying/laying on the paper as intended. This could be part of the issue, depending on what you are using. Have you tried any other combinations of papers, inks or printers? For Modge Podge, it always seemed to have a very bubbling effect on resin curing process. When adhering the prints to the tiles, I was very careful to keep the adhesion layer thin and only applied behind the print paper. On occasion, some would overflow and I knew those were going to be troublesome during the resin process. Perhaps some other type of adhesive would work better here? Super 77 spray on the backs of the prints, then a using a roller/brayer to flatten the print to the tile? I've not tried, but it might be worth exploring... Magic Tape was generally all I ever tried, and yes, it occasionally stuck or tore when it should not have. The time between pour and cure for when to remove it was always a challenge because it probably has a lot to do with room temperature and whatnot. I think you have the right idea for trying other tapes, 3M makes quite a variety. Even the wall-safe or gift wrap kind may provide a difference. On spreaders, I always used a small cut piece of framing mat board, or cold/hot press board. And I would cut a lot of them and use several per batch of coasters. I think the key to this step was to get full coverage on the tile tops and sides, avoiding pushing resin onto the bottom of the coaster (it will drip down to the tape, but this may help with your taping issue above.) It's a very gentle process to manipulate the viscous liquid between the spreader and tiles, but I always tried to avoid pushing the spreader into the tile. You'll just want to move the liquid around for coverage. The tiles I used were from www.flooranddecor.com/, which coincidentally is next to my local Home Depot. They were simple standard white tiles. I bought them in bulk packs for relatively low prices. They often did have sides that were not completely enameled but that did not bother me. I would go through stacks of them and eliminate any that had (what I considered) defects or imperfections which would cause issue later in the resin process. Hope that insight helps a bit and that you're able to get what you are after. Best of success to you!

I used a glossy photo paper. Usually if you use the same brand as the printer, it will hold up just fine when the resin is poured. Second to that, higher quality resins will stay clear longer and not turn yellow over time.

I used a photo printed on a glossy photo paper. The material is sort of plasticized and the resin does not soak into the paper. That worked best for my purpose but it might be worth experimenting with actual magazines by pouring resin on top of them…

@@true4form thanks so much! I'm excited to try this out!!

If you seat it with a clear enamel, it shouldn’t bleed.

I’ve only tried inkjet on glossy paper. Laser should work too. But it’s worth some trial and error! Let me know the results.

@@true4form perfect, didn’t know which would be best. Thank you thank you

Depends on a lot of factors... it's a huge difference between making 4 coasters vs 1000s. Depends on how bulk the materials are, where you buy them, material quality, even resin brand. Depends on tools you use. Depends on yield amount (make 100, but only 80 are worth selling). Depends on where you want to cut corners and speed up or reduce/increase quality. Even depends on your value of time spent creating them. Sorry, I do not have a definitive answer for you - I know my own numbers but it will be different for everyone. It is certainly something to consider when you're doing business planning.

I’ve never really tried to do that. Since the resin drips down the side and sometimes onto the back of the tile, affect the spacing between each tile, depending on how the grout is laid. I’d be really interested to know if you do try!

I use it under the photo print to adhere it to the tile. You can put some on top if you want but I found that it causes a long fight with bubbles in the resin. The final product is much clearer without the mod podge on top. If you use glossy photo paper, the resin does not cause the paper to seep in or the ink to bleed.

@@true4form can it will better if I use laser printed papers rather than ink printed?

@@habibaumme9553 possibly! I’ve not tried laser prints before. I believe those use a wax material. I would be curious to your results. Experiment!

It was just a 1/8th inch thick sheet roll from Michael’s cut down to 4x4 squares. Nowadays I use a felt roll.

Hope it works out for you!

Helen R Mann with the resin?

I did try this initially, but the spray caused the edges to get tacky - and it did not hold the cork very well. My latest coasters I'm using pre-applied adhesive felt sheets from Aetna Felt (www.aetnafelt.com). Much more efficient and look great!

Hypnomation Media Thanks! Happy coastering!

CreateGoodFX thanks! I have one on my desk that I use daily. Still looks great and has held up nicely. The rings it does get are just from condensation or drips from the drinks and easily wipe off with a damp cloth.

@@true4form How about hot drinks? Do the hot cups stick to that resin?

CreateGoodFX I mean, I wouldn’t use it for a hot plate for something that just came out of the oven... but for a freshly poured cup of coffee or tea it seems to be fine.

@@true4form Thank you for the info. It's very helpful for those of us who are just getting started with resin.

LD Hablizel That’s why I wrote a tutorial to go along with it. Explains everything there. www.truono.com/coasters-howto

The images seem to fade faster with mod podge on top. And the resin can cloud or yellow if using a low quality mixture. The tiles I made with Art Resin are still perfectly fine several years later.

The top surface is waterproof. The image is safe. However, the cork backing likely would not handle a dishwasher or full submersion. It can get a little wet and the glue I use will not come off. You could choose to use a different backing if you want these to be dishwasher safe.

Jaka Kuskun inside of a kaleidoscope

My apologies! I followed the link and read your suggestion for dust. Thank you so much!!

Latreese Pettigrew I’ve not personally tried a heat gun but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Experimenting is good! Let me know your results. Have fun!

Marcita Naylor For easy removal of the hardened resin drips. Better than a chisel or grinder, I promise.

btruono ok great I will definitely be trying this! Thank you for responding😊

Guillermo Barragan just a Canon photo printer. Printing onto a glossy photo paper. Because the paper is slightly plasticised it doesn’t bleed and the images are very sharp and clear with the resin poured on.

Pilar Jablonski I’ve tried two other, slightly less expensive, resins. Unfortunately they have yellowed over time and they are not the safest to use. You will need a very well ventilated areas to work with them too. Not sure if it’s worth the slightly less cost.

mzsdot I do just to be sure that it’s dry. Realistically it’s probably fine after a short time. (30min to 1 hour)

btruono Thanks for your super quick reply! I’ve made a few of these now (as gifts etc) and your video is always my reference.

I buy in bulk from a local tile and flooring company. But I'm also making hundreds of these coasters... For someone who just wants to make a small batch of gifts, I did include a link on my written tutorial (www.truono.com/how-to-make-photo-coasters-using-epoxy-resin) for similar tiles that can be purchased on Amazon. I think it includes free shipping as well.

Epoxy flooring