So I am taking up a collection for a specific combo printer/scanner to expedite my ability to create artwork and comics. The primary reason why I would like this thing is because it scans at 11×17″ as opposed to the standard scanner size, which is typically half that size. The secondary reason is that it also prints at that size. These two functions would make my life much easier, as far as artwork is concerned.

Specifically, there are two tasks I’d really like to have this printer for:

The first is that when I draw or paint, I typically work on a sketchbook that is 11×14″, rather than the 9×12″ that tends to be more popular. I just like to draw big. But it’s a real inconvenience to have to stitch all of my scans together, or crop the paper down to fit onto the scanning bed. And our current scanner has a very high lip at the edge of the scanning bed that requires the paper to be bent upward at an angle that I won’t do with watercolor pieces, as it runs the risk of damaging them.

The second is a technique used by comics artists that involves laying out a page and penciling digitally, but then finishing the artwork by printing that page out and transferring the artwork to another sheet of paper with the use of a lightbox, or in some cases, printing the blue lines directly onto the sheet to be finished on. Tony Cliff demonstrates an example of this procedure here.

So, if you derive enough value from this comic to believe that this is a thing worth contributing to, I’d surely appreciate it. And I’m sure you’ll see some new and interesting things taking place as far as the kind of artwork appearing in the comic is concerned, as well.