ink sources in northern VA
hi all, i am looking for the best source for me to find ink in northern VA. i tried going to the closest xpedex but they only had rubber based van son in HUGE tubs. i definitely don’t need that much! i also asked about paper while i was there and the guys there didn’t seem to have much to offer. i have small 4 oz tins of ink right now with a yellow, blue, a BIT of mixing white (used most of it) and red. i really want to be able to mix colors from the pantone book (which i would also have to buy) but i am not sure how or where to start or look. i know a lot of printers here have said to find local printers for help, but that is easier said than done! i know boxcar sells a premium starter kit of 1lb cans, but isn’t it almost $500, plus the cost of the pantone color book? i just can’t spend that right now. also, i am looking for local lettra or similar paper suppliers as well. any help is appreciated. thanks!
It surprises me that your local XpedX doesn’t stock 1lb. cans of ink. Most smaller printers would purchase 1lb. cans for not-often-used colors.
It seems wild and crazy, however, that XpedX would not have much to offer in terms of paper! That is their primary business, and I have found their retail stores to be a veritable candy store of materials from which to pick. I can understand that they would not carry Lettra, but that certainly is not the only paper you might use for printing projects.
FYI - the Denver Xpedx stores do not carry Lettra but they can order it for you, and by comparing price, it is much cheaper than ordering online. The two remaining Denver stores have a large selection of RB Vanson ink in 1lb cans,
and a large selection of oil based ink in 2.2 Kilo cans.
They can inter-store trasfer from other stores across the nation and from their parent company. Maybe you should talk to your local store manager. You can open a cash and carry account as a business and receive a discount off of their low prices. They are always willing to go the little bit extra for their customers. Please remember they are paper merchants and not printers.
thanks for the info. i will give them a call and ask for the store manager to see if any of this can be done. just like anyone else, i am looking for the cheapest way to get my supplies. normally i’d be willing to pay a little more but i am tapped out after spending tons of money on a recent engagement party! :D
Support your local Xpedx if you can. All of the Xpedx stores local to me are gone now and they (and their great service) are missed!
If one-pound cans are more than you need or more than you want to spend all at once, I do usually have the Pantone basic colors (as well as a variety of other colors) in “quarter pound” (actually about 5 oz.) tubes). E-mail me at Ink(at)orchidesign.com and I’ll be happy to send a list of what I have available.
Dave (the Ink in Tubes guy)