Homeschool Printing & Binding at Home
This year, our homeschool curriculum requires quite a bit of printing and binding. And honestly, I don't mind at all! I truly enjoy and prefer printing from home instead of outsourcing this job to Staples or another print shop.
If you (like me) want to print from home with quality results, I'd love to share what I use! I've compiled each item listed into my Amazon shop for convenience, so take a look there if you'd like some recommendations.
Printer: We purchased the Epson EcoTank ET-8550 over a year ago and it has served us so well. I love this printer! The reason we chose this size and quality printer was for our small business. This specific printer allows for wide format printing (up to 13" x 19") and also does borderless printing, which we occasionally use for art prints. We've been so pleased with the excellent quality of printing and the amazing, cartridge-free ink. After printing hundreds of full-color pages, we have not yet had to refill the ink! If you're looking for a less expensive but good quality printer to get started, I recommend anything in the Epson EcoTank line. Specifically, I've heard wonderful things about the Epson EcoTank ET-3830. One of my favorite features of this printer (that isn't included in every model) is its ability to do two-sided printing. This ends up saving a lot of paper and time.
Paper: Using quality printer paper makes all the difference in your final printed product. You'll be amazed how much better the same printer will perform on a better weight and quality paper! For printing homeschool materials that I use in our home, I love using HP Premium 32-lb. paper. For printing photos or art prints that I want to frame, I use Canon matte photo paper. For this, you'll want to set your printer on the finest quality printing settings.
Laminator: This Amazon brand laminator is very affordable and has done an excellent job! To use it, you'll need to purchase thermal laminating pouches. You can choose between a glossy finish or a matte finish. Both are great options and work well; it just depends on what you're looking for in your final product. This machine has two different settings: 3 mm and 5 mm. You'll want to turn it to whichever setting matches the laminating sheets you're using.
Laminating sheets:
- Glossy - These glossy laminating pouches are excellent for creating a thick and durable glossy cover for your books or making bookmarks.
- Matte - These matte laminating pouches are my personal favorite. The finish feels smooth and velvety to the touch and does not shine, but is equally durable to the glossy laminating sheets.
Binding machine: This Tianse spiral coil binding machine is a recent purchase, and I've been so pleased! With this particular machine, you can put up to 20 pages in at a time and it will punch the holes you need. It also assists in inserting the coils electronically.
Spiral coils: The binding machine I purchased does include some spiral coils, but they're only one size. If you need to print and bind books of multiple sizes, you'll need multiple widths of coils. I purchased this set, which includes most sizes you'd need.
Paper cutter: Inevitably, you're going to need to trim some pages. I have used this Swingline paper cutter for 5+ years, and love its 10-page capacity. I also like that it has a lock so that when I'm done using it, it's safe from little hands.
Corner rounder: I love this little tool for a final finish on art prints or flash cards. It effortlessly smooths the edges into perfect curves and they look so professional!
Three-hole punch: I use this three-hole punch when I want to put the worksheets I print into my children's 3-ring binders.
It has taken me 5 years of homeschooling to gather these supplies over time. So if you're just getting started, just take it one item at a time! I hope pointing you to these resources is a help!
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