Button Paper question

[nancylebov]

I've been using cheap solid-colored pastel paper for backgrounds as well as the more expensive print pastels. This was partly because the cheap paper is cheap, and partly because some people aren't crazy about multi-colored backgrounds.

It turns out that the cheap paper gets spotty and rusty a *lot* faster than the expensive stuff--I don't have an exact time span, but I think it's two or three years for the cheap paper, and I haven't seen it happen at all to the other paper if the button isn't excessively dampened.

I hate seeing that happen to buttons so I've been phasing the cheap paper out, but then it occurred to me to ask an unrepresentative sample of my customers. How much do you care if a button gets spotty in two years? Is it worth it in order to get solid background colors?

Some of my expensive papers have solid-colored areas, but if I don't use the cheap papers the proportion of solid-colored buttons will be a lot lower.

A possible data point: I've occasionally offered to replace spotty buttons and have generally been turned down. My impression is that by the time you've owned a button for that long, it's *your* button, spots and all.

How do you feel about black backgrounds? I've been phasing them out (except for black-related buttons like "I'm just wearing black untill I find something darker") because people keep asking me whether those buttons are available in any other colors.

Thanks in advance for all answers, but could you let me know whether you buy my buttons?

Note: Buttons aren't extremely moisture tolerant. If you run them through the laundry or store them in sealed plastic bags, they get rusty. On the other hand, they'll handle Philadelphia humidity pretty well.

Note for those who love crazed levels of detail: I don't use cheap goldenrod paper at all. Several brands develop red spots really fast--I assume they all use the same dye.

Update: How do you feel about white backgrounds?

I find it hard to put them in the trays because I think they're boring, but now that I think about it, white is a reasonably popular choice for custom buttons. This doesn't mean the whole world is bored with your white custom buttons, just that I'll grab such entertainment as I can get when I'm refilling trays.

Comments

[madfilkentist]

I'd consider it worth a bit extra to have buttons that last. I'm sure you know I buy buttons from you pretty regularly. I keep them a while (though I lost most of the old ones in my last move), and my impression is that others do. I know a couple of people who keep "walls of buttons," which they've built up over a long time.

[leduck.livejournal.com]

I've bought many buttons from you over the years. I would prefer buttons that are more durable and don't get spotty-- I get attached to my buttons! Multi-colored backgrounds are fine as long as they don't interfere with reading the text. Black paper is okay, but does get tiresome as a standard button background-- I do like it when it's used with related slogans.

[pocketnaomi.livejournal.com]

I usually can't keep a button for two years without losing it. I suspect I am not alone in this.

[nellorat.livejournal.com]

I don't like multi-colored backgrounds; even if I have no trouble reading the writing, the various colors confuse and distract me. On the other hand, I do find it disappointing when buttons spoil with age. (A lot of our collection got ruined, but that was in a basement flood, totally our fault.)

Do astrobrite colors last longer? That would be more expensive too, but I'd prefer plain bright colors to the multicolor paper.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

Astrobrite slipped my mind. IIRC, they only have two colors (blue and yellow) which are popular on buttons. The light green is too harsh or something, and the red, dark green (do they still sell it? they discontinued their dark blue a long time ago) and purple are too dark. I'm not sure whether their orange would sell. People are weirdly picky about orange, and tend to prefer it on more expensive papers--possibly because cheaper papers tend to have some grayishness. Astrobrite orange might work--I've got an expensive bright orange paper with light orange spiderwebbing that goes surprisingly well.

Thanks for the reminder, but part of the issue is suspecting that a lot of people want the pastels that Astrobrite doesn't do.

What I know about what people buy has to do with actual colors--then I add theories. Frex, I've noticed that some yellow papers sell and some don't. I *think* it's because they prefer warm (orangy) yellow over cool (greenish) yellow, but I don't really know.

All I'm sure of is that I've managed to eliminate the colors that people mostly won't buy, but I don't know how to find the colors they really like. (Detailed inventory on that level is way to much work.) At least I managed to notice it when dayglo/neon came back into fashion--I think it's starting to go out again. When it's out, it's extremely unpopular.

A little context--when I'm talking about cheap and expensive papers, those cheap pastels cost something like 2 tenths of a cent per sheet. The most expensive paper I use these days costs about 20 cents per sheet. I get 11 buttons per sheet. It's a cost which is noticable to me, but which doesn't impact individual buttons much.

Oh, yeah--if we include various sorts of waste, it's probably closer to 8 or 9 buttons per sheet.

[still-asking.livejournal.com]

I don't like busy paper. Bright paper can be good. Black paper can be great. Spots don't bother me so much when the button has gotten sentimential, but I often give buttons away before 2 years so I don't run into the problem much. I'll go take the ones not stored on my button vest out of the zippie bags now tho. I didn't know that was bad.

Random factoids - my favorite paper pattern is crumpled paper and the only button I've had stolen is "I'm sorry, but I'm not aplogizing anymore" - I need to replace that one.

What about large sheets of art paper - they don't come in many colors, but how would they do for the whites and stuff? Or do they ruin your storage plans?

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

If you've seen my current mix, what do you think of it? I've toned down the contrast level in the patterning quite a bit over the years.

I should probably put the bit about zip-locks on my web-site. It didn't occur to me that anyone would store their buttons in zip-locks until a customer told me her whole collection got ruined that way. You could probably get away with ziplock storage if you also put those drying packets into each bag.

I'm amazed at how well the crumple paper background does, since it breaks two of my general principles--it's gray (usually not popular, though as with pink and orange, does better if it isn't the cheapest paper) and the pattern can interfere with the lettering.

I used to use art paper, but it's a little extra trouble to cut it into usable sizes and there are so many good papers available in 8 1/2 x 11 that I'd quit bothering with it. I can't see any reason to use it for white, but I'll check it out for decent pastels.

[still-asking.livejournal.com]

I've missed a lot of cons lately, but wiil make a special effort to think about paper when I see your table at Darkover, ok?

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

Thanks. If I'm really feeling gungho, I could even hand out questionaires.

I don't think my paper mix has changed much in the past three or four years.

[wednesday]

I haven't bought buttons in recent years, but that's quite likely to change once I'm back in North America.

Spotty in two years would bother me, and I very likely would take up a replacement offer. The buttons of yours which I've held onto over time have lasted remarkably well, which is something I can't say for the rest of the collection unless I've kept them locked away in boxes.

In the past, the black backgrounds were always my favourite, and experience suggests that they bore wear and tear much less visibly than pretty much anything else. Please don't phase black out completely!

[bradhicks.livejournal.com]

It's been years since I bought buttons, even more years than since the last time I made my own and wore them. But since you asked for preferences, put me down as:

a) Moderately concerned if a button ages poorly through no fault of my own.
b) Thinking white should be the default color of choice for caligraphic buttons, because nothing's more readable than black text on a white background, and when I was wearing caligraphic buttons, it was so people would read them, comma, dammit. (grin)
c) After white, preferring the very pale pastels and greys, think resumé paper.
d) Thinking that black backgrounds are great for anything related to horror or anything at all faintly goth.
e) Being somewhat fond of DayGlo, but preferring that it be used sparingly.
f) Hating the more colorful pastels with a fiery passion, because they don't go with anything.
g) Hating any obtrusive pattern even more, same reason plus being too "busy."

[thespian.livejournal.com]

I don't like the multi coloured paper.

Anytime a button is in black as an option, I will buy it in that colour. I will buy it in the darkest possible colour, otherwise.

black and silver is cool.

[wolfdancer.livejournal.com]

but i know that the matalick are a pain to work with. I like that dark back ground with light or silver on them. or white.
but white with black is the next most readable, then it is by whim.

[orangemike.livejournal.com]

I want my buttons to last, even if the initial cost is a smidgen higher.

I've got a button drawer at home, which contains some buttons I picked up as far back as 1971!