Best Printers for Making Buttons with an ABM Machine
The best printer for making buttons is whichever one matches your paper and workflow: inkjet for vivid, low-cost color on standard bond paper; laser for speed and durability but with a mylar-bubbling risk you'll need to manage; and dye-sublimation for instant, on-site photo buttons. There's no single "best" model — the right choice depends on what you're printing and how fast you need it dry.
Inkjet vs. Laser: Which Is Better for Button Making?
Both work, and the button-making community has debated this for years. Laser printers give you a crisp, saturated image with no drying wait — toner is a dry powder, so you can cut and press your buttons the moment they come off the printer. Toner cartridges also last longer per page and stay fresh indefinitely since there's no liquid ink to dry out.
Inkjet printers cost less up front and use less space, which matters if you're setting up a home or event-table workflow. The catch: inkjet prints need time to dry completely — as long as 24 hours — before you crimp, or trapped moisture in the ink can cause rust inside the finished button later.
The Laser Printer Trade-Off: Mylar Bubbling
Laser toner contains wax, and that wax can cause your mylar to slip during crimping — especially on designs with a full bleed or dark, heavy coverage. The result is a bubble at the button's edge, or in bad cases the mylar pulling away entirely. To check if toner is the cause, try pressing a button using a blank sheet of plain paper — no image, no toner. If that button crimps clean, the toner was the problem.
Two fixes ABM recommends if you're set on a laser printer: apply a silicone stick to the tapered edge of your crimp die, or reduce your design's bleed by about 0.125".
If You Want the Best Print Quality: Pigment-Based Inkjets
For sellers who need archive-quality color, ABM has long pointed to Epson's pigment-ink inkjet printers — the ink is rated to resist fading for 80-100+ years and holds up well even when exposed to moisture, which is unusual for inkjet output. That combination of color quality and durability is why many professional photographers selling photo buttons print on Epson pigment-ink machines specifically.
Dye-Sublimation Printers for Instant Photo Buttons
If you're making photo buttons live at events, a dye-sublimation printer is worth the investment. Dye-sub uses heat instead of liquid ink or toner to transfer color onto thermal photo paper, producing a finished photo in about 20 seconds with nothing to spill or dry. You'll need thermal photo paper made specifically for dye-sub printers rather than standard photo paper.
Match Your Paper to Your Printer Type
Whichever printer you choose, buy paper made for that printer's technology — inkjet paper for inkjet, laser paper for laser. Standard paper buttons use 24# bond printer paper; photo button machines need 58# photo paper instead. Mixing the wrong paper and printer type is one of the most common causes of jams and poor crimps.
Paper Weight by Machine Size
If you want the exact spec instead of a rule of thumb, here's the paper weight, MIL, thickness, and GSM ABM uses for each machine size and cutter type.
| Machine Size | Paper Weight (lbs.) | MIL | Thickness (in.) | GSM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1" - 1.75" | 24 | 0.12 | 0.005 | 90.3 |
| 2.25" Standard | 24 - 28 | 0.12 - 0.147 | 0.005 - 0.006 | 90.3 - 105.35 |
| 2.25" with Photo Punch | 24 - 58 | 0.12 - 0.234 | 0.005 - 0.009 | 90.3 - 218.22 |
| 3" Photo | 24 - 58 | 0.12 - 0.234 | 0.005 - 0.009 | 90.3 - 218.22 |
| 3.5" Photo | 24 - 58 | 0.12 - 0.234 | 0.005 - 0.009 | 90.3 - 218.22 |
| 6" | 24 | 0.12 | 0.005 | 90.3 |
| 1.75" x 2.75" Rectangle | 24 | 0.12 | 0.005 | 90.3 |
| 2" x 3" (Paper) Rectangle | 24 | 0.12 | 0.005 | 90.3 |
| 2" x 3" (Photo) Rectangle | 58 | 0.234 | 0.009 | 218.22 |
| 2" x 2" Square | 24 | 0.12 | 0.005 | 90.3 |
| 1.75" x 2.75" Oval | 24 | 0.12 | 0.005 | 90.3 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a laser printer or inkjet printer better for making buttons?
Both work well. Laser printers dry instantly and hold color longer per cartridge but can cause mylar bubbling from toner wax. Inkjet printers avoid that bubbling risk but need up to 24 hours to dry fully before crimping.
Why do my buttons have bubbles under the mylar?
This is almost always caused by wax in laser toner slipping against the mylar during crimping, especially with dark colors or a full-bleed design. Try a silicone stick on the crimp die's tapered edge, or reduce your bleed by 0.125".
What paper should I use for a button maker?
Use paper matched to your printer type — inkjet paper for inkjet printers, laser paper for laser printers. Standard paper buttons use 24# bond printer paper; photo button machines need 58# photo paper.
What's the best printer for instant photo buttons at events?
A dye-sublimation printer, paired with thermal photo paper, produces a finished photo in about 20 seconds using heat instead of ink or toner — ideal for on-site button making at events.
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