When printing out the backgrounds and what not, is there a specific kind of color ink & paper you have to use or will regular color ink & paper work?

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I have found it dempends really on several factors.

1) Printer, this is kind of obvious.

2) What you are printing. Example, A phot realistic baackground might not be the best thing on regular paper. Most "pattern" backgrounds are ok, but there are some very thin and cheap papers that won't due them justice no matter what (this type of paper seems to be ment for printouts you need but don't want to keep, daily reports and the like, very cheap and very thin).

3) Color, on regular paper I have found most "Neutral" backgrounds are safe (Brown, black grey, white) but your more colorfull backgrounds (Red, some blues and greens) will actually show the paper grain and some fade after drying.

My best suggestion in try to do test sheets on various types of paper. If your printer does good with photos, you should have little problem finding the right kind of paper. I would avoid card stock paper for simple backgrounds (gets expensive to say the least).

All I can think of at the moment

I tried something new with some sets I'm working on. For a red roof, I printed out the pattern on white paper, and again on red construction paper. Zedhatch mentions the grain issue; so this might be a way to avoid it -- kind of like how you have to have a certain color primer for some wall paints.

I'll edit in a pic of the two patterns later today, for illustration.

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