All Shrink Plastic is NOT Created Equal

Truer words have never been spoken.  Having dabbled with shrink plastic for well over 13 years, maybe even longer if you include my interest in it from childhood (AKA Shrinky Dinks), it would be more like a lifetime.

I started seriously making jewelry from shrink plastic about 12-13 years ago.  It seemed back then, there were so many different manufacturers to choose from, and all handily available.  Avery, JanAnn, Shrinky Dink, Super Color Shrink, Grafix, Darcie's, the list goes on and on.  They all produced quality, inkjet printable plastic.  Where have they gone?  Out of business it would seem, and amazingly, it seems interest in the shrink plastic jewelry market has grown.  So why have so many folded?  In one word:  quality.  If you produce plastic that shrinks like garbage, you won't be around long.  And take it from me, the quality of the plastic has gone drastically downhill.  At first you could buy printable plastic (one side only).  Amazing!  Then, you could print on BOTH sides!!! This printable plastic blossomed in the hey day of super-magnificent-spectacular-print-quality inkjet printers.  Sadly, as the color laser printer market shot for the moon, the quality of inkjet printers tanked as the lasers took over.  Paper handling capabilities of shrink plastic dictate the type of printer you will use.

Shrink plastic, being of a fairly thick property, does not feed easily from a bottom tray, it needs to be fed from the back in as straight a path as possible.  Now, I've had it feed through okay from a bottom tray, but you always run the risk of a jam or misprint.  Just like the heavy card stock used to print greeting cards or quality photos, rear feed is a necessity.  There are still quite a few inkjets out there that do this, but for how long?  Nobody knows.  The best printer I ever owned was a Canon MG5220.  Man, that thing worked for over 8 years.  It was perfect.  I bought it at Best Buy for $65 on sale.  It was a printer/scanner.  When it died, I went looking for it's latest cousin.  But nope, it does not exist...  When I went online to find possibly new, old stock, people were charging $500 for the same model.  All I can say to that is 'ain't happenin'.  So I kept my eyes peeled at garage sales and second-hand stores and lo, I found a used Epson at Goodwill for $5, yes, $5.  It needed to be cleaned and have the print head cleaned. Once done it worked great, so I was back in business for almost nothing.  Can you say winner winner chicken dinner?

But back to plastic.  The issues with the plastic as time marched forward increased.  From plastic that skewed to poor finishes that bubbled up, to intense curling that would never relax again during the baking process.  Those are the main issues.  I have printed squares that when baked, came out looking like rhombuses or trapezoids.  Circles that ended up looking like lop-sided ovals,etc.  Not fun.  Now, in all fairness, that is part of handmade.  But, these inconsistencies are so big, there is no excuse for it, especially when 6 sheets cost $13.99 at the store.  It also seems like the king of the hill, Shrinky Dinks, had fun competing with and running out of business, other brands.  As those brands fell to the wayside, the quality of the Shrinky Dinks became a joke.  I also think the slide in quality happened when one of the original owners of the Shrinky Dink empire retired.  Once she left, it went to hell in a hand basket.  The surface texture was rough, the edges were rough, they would skew.  It was like the trifecta of bad plastic from what was once the gold standard in inkjet shrink plastic.  Things got so bad for Shrinky Dink, that they quit selling through Amazon and then two years later, sold their empire to Alex Brands art crafts for kids.

I wish I could give insight into where to get the plastic, but the truth is, you never know when you'll strike it good on a decent batch.  You have to shop around, buy it, test it, and if it's good, get all of it you can from the same source at the same time and stock up.  Save your pennies for these opportunities.

I have boxes of shrink plastic that is good.  I never stop looking and in the summer, at garage sales, I can pick up many packages, most 1/3 to 1/2 used for a pennies to help augment my growing hoard.

The difficulties and insane frustration I have experienced with shrink plastic is not for the faint of heart, and you have to absolutely love working with the medium to weather such hardship.  Many shrink plastic artists have parted company with the plastic altogether, opting for more predictable and cooperative mediums.  I too have ventured into another discipline which I am currently perfecting.  This new medium will be offered in another shop which will be dedicated to it; everyday  my excitement in this area grows.

Of course, I'll never let go of my love for shrink plastic.  It's been with me too long and because I just love creating jewelry with it.

Remember, if the plastic is driving you nuts to the point it is no longer fun, find another medium you love to work with and move on.