Do You Guys Print Your Own Targets?

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GunXpatriot

New member
It would seem there are a lot of sites with ready-made targets to print. And through some research, it would seem that these sites actually do get some respectable traffic.

I have my own target site that I've recently launched and would certainly appreciate some constructive criticism. But I was kind of wondering in general, how many of you guys actually print your own targets? How many people do you know , that do the same?

My site is http://targets4free.com

It would be awesome if you guys would consider checking it out. :)
But first thing's first... Is there even as much demand for these sites as I thought..?
 
Most of the time, at my brother's farm I just use paper plates with a stick-um dot from reactive targets. If I'm going to a range, I'll run a few copies of zombie or Taliban targets on the plan copier.

I like some of yours so I'll probably print out a few. (But I'll copy 'em at work instead of my home printer :cool:)
 
Funny story about that... I actually print out dozens of targets at my college when no one's around haha. Can't complain about free ink. ;)

Thanks for your feedback.
 
I have never printed a target and I've never met anyone that has said they do it. I buy most of mine from an on-line target vendor, and occasionally at the range shop if I don't have my own with me.

If I may offer a comment: Your web site is essentially illegible to me. I'm 72 years old and I have red-green weak color vision. The body text on your site is VERY difficult to read. The line that says "Click here to open this target for printing"? I didn't even know that was there until I highlighted the body text so I could read it, and accidentally highlighted that line as well.

If you want to generate traffic, make it so people can see it and read it.
 
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I print 3-4 different targets from Stagarms.com and also use paper plates wit a spot of spray paint through a stencil.
Can't see paying all that money for a dumb piece of paper when making your own is so much cheper and fast.
 
I don't have a printer, so, I generally use 8" paper plates and draw something on them (X, circle, etc.) with a sharpie. Yes, I'm cheap.
 
I save cardboard boxes that products come in. You can buy target dots, but these are sold in the housewares dept at Walmart as price tags for yard sales etc. Dots are 1/2" diameter and I can buy a pack for about $2, I think it comes with about 100 dots.

I like the heavier cardboard rather than copy paper. It doesn't tear the edges where the bullet goes through.

 
Aguila, is it more of a color issue? The link text is basically in a light/pale blue. Should it be a darker blue, or a different color entirely? Was the color the main issue, or was it other things as well?

I certainly want to accommodate as many people as I can.

And thanks for your feedback, you guys.
 
Actually Aguila, I just re-read your reply. I think it would do me well to both make the text larger, as well as a deeper black for the "body" text...
 
From my perspective, your competition for 'print your own' is www.targetz.com
I like more traditional targets and they have a pretty big selection.

I'd also note that while it's certainly popular in some places to put a human face on a target, I believe you're going to intentionally offend several segments, and for young shooters, it's not a good example.

I also have a mild red/green/brown issue, so black and white is fine for me.

Just my 2 cents.
Good luck.
 
Thanks for your continued feedback, you guys.

Snyper, I'm looking to do sight-in targets with probably a 1-inch grid, but one issue I'm having is the fact that a 8.5x11 PDF can't actually print at full size as it would seem most printers can't print on the entirety of a page... So I'm really trying to dial in my template size as to get any precise targets to print exactly at the scale design them. Testing at an 8x10.5 PDF seems to be helping, but I need to figure this out better before I release a bunch of new targets...

If that makes any kind of sense haha!

Also to TXAS, I suppose that's a good point. But if shooting targets of Hitler, Bin Laden, or Al-Baghdadi is "offensive" to someone, then so be it. That's on them...
 
GunX noted
But if shooting targets of Hitler, Bin Laden, or Al-Baghdadi is "offensive" to someone, then so be it. That's on them...
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Click to expand...

So are you going to offer other politicians that are not popular or hated by many?

I believe it's a bad precident.
 
Sometimes I think we are too worried about being politically or socially correct. So much so that we're afraid to do or say what we thing is right. If a target offends someone then they can object. They can leave too if that's what they want to do. Or they can stay and perhaps get a lesson in tolerance.

Personally I'm using a deck of playing cards with pictures of a particular person for targets.
May not be politically correct or socially acceptable but they're great targets. Just tape them on and sight in.
Besides I can't think of anything else to use them for...
 
GunXpatriot,
Thanks for your free targets.
I make all my own targets in one way or another.
Am I cheap or just creative? :)
For making paper ones, there's an excellent (and free) poster maker program - PosteRazor, that can make just about any useful sized ones from any image.
 
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GunXPatriot said:
Aguila, is it more of a color issue? The link text is basically in a light/pale blue. Should it be a darker blue, or a different color entirely? Was the color the main issue, or was it other things as well?
Click to expand...
The link would be better (for me) in a darker blue, but the overall problem is that the stroke width of the body text font you've selected is too thin, so when it's displayed on my screen any pixellation at all basically results in characters that are a messy blob of pixels rather than crisp text. What font did you use, Calibri? Since the advent of Windows 7, Calibri seems to have become the default font for many applications and purposes, replacing Arial. But Calibri has some visibility problems.

I don't think you need a larger type size (although that might fix the problem, too), but maybe a change to a font that displays more solidly on the screen. Try playing with Arial, Helvetica, and Tahoma. See which looks (displays) best.

Don't go for exotic fonts. There are gazillions of choices, but stay with the mainstream fonts because most people will have those on their computer. The most visible font you have might be "Poppy Seed Sans Serif," but if nobody has that font -- nobody but you will ever see your page in that font.
 
If I want 8.5 x 11 inch targets, I have my wife take one of mine and make copies at work. Xerox copies are a LOT cheaper than running a printer and using those expensive ink cartridges.
That's for when I am not using a piece of cardboard and some cheap colored paper circles you can get on sale at Hobby Lobby or similar in the craft section
 
They look fine from here.
I've run into video and graphics problem on my older desktop lately.
It was designed when Windows XP was just a pup.
The world seems to have outrun that old clunk.
Just a thought.
 
GunXPatrit said:
Also to TXAS, I suppose that's a good point. But if shooting targets of Hitler, Bin Laden, or Al-Baghdadi is "offensive" to someone, then so be it. That's on them...
Click to expand...
I believe in some states (Massachusetts?) it's also illegal.

Of course, for those who don't like them or who can't (legally) use them ... they don't have to print them.

Your targets are all formatted for 8-1/2 x 11 paper? If I were to print targets, I would want them formatted for 11x17 (if not larger). I guess that's why I continue to buy targets.
 
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