I want to teach my son about money but I don't want to hand him real cash. No problem, right? I'll just scan a few bills and print out copies, right? After all, I want him to learn about REAL money with faces of actual presidents and about all the parts of the bill.
So I scan my bills, which triggers a warning about counterfeiting. US currency is embedded with a code that triggers that response from my scanning program. Ok, fair enough. I *am* scanning money. It directs me to www.rulesforuse.org. I read over the restrictions for copying money and follow the guidelines. The images will be single sided, significantly smaller than an actual bill, and on top of it I'll alter the color a little and do a few other things that would make them stand out as play money. No problem right? So I edit my image in Adobe Photoshop CS3 and go about my business.
But, oh wait!! Even though I've complied with the instructions and my learning aid is perfectly legal.... It won't print! Not from Adobe Photoshop CS3, not from Microsoft Office Picture Manager, not from MS Paint, not from Picasa 3... it just won't print. Go on... try it yourself... I'll wait here.
See? Even though it's perfectly legal it won't print! It just tells you to visit www.rulesforuse.org again. How rude!
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not pro-counterfeiting by any means, but I do have a serious problem with software telling me what I can and can not print. It amazes me that the software that can recognize that I'm trying to scan and print a picture of money can't recognize when I've met all the legal terms for doing so.
Of course, now that I've already put the time and effort into this unprintable printable I have to do something with it, right? So consider it a Free Printable Fun Circus Side Show Attraction!
So step right up! Look at the wonder that is the unprintable printable! Marvel at how it encourages your computer and printer to undermine your ability to read and follow instructions... be amazed at your lack of control over software and hardware that you've rightfully purchased...
Click to enlarge, press print to be disappointed.
EDITED:
UPDATE DECEMBER 4, 2009
My son's speech therapist gave me copies of these bills. The original images came from a newspaper article (don't know which one or what newspaper) and were published as an educational aide. I'm pretty sure that falls under fair use, but if there is a copy write expert among my readership please let me know. At any rate, I scanned them and cleaned them up as best as possible. The quality isn't amazing, but they are at least realistic.
Click on the image. Save to your computer. Print.
37 comments:
Thanks for the image as it will be perfect for a couple of scrapbooking projects! I got it to print without a problem right from my browser (Camino) using my all-in-one HP printer.
I was able to print it from my browser (Chrome) and my printer is an HP.
Brother printer here..printed right up...thank you! The kiddos will LOVE this!
Whoops! I spoke too soon...it printed a few lines only and quit!
I couldn't get it to print either! This really blows my mind
Printed for me not problem.
I think the FBI is going to show up on your blog next and comment... ha ha ha. In the 70's everyone used to photocopy stupid money... my Dad had all sorts of bills in his scrapbook with John Lennon and Pete Townsend where the dead president goes. I might have a $20 Jimi Hendrix somewhere... I wonder if they will take it at the Q-Mart.
I'm loving all the commentary! I wish I had some Jimi money!
that is so weird... I scanned a $20 on my Lexmark printer to paint
then scanned it again to LEXMARK software it scanned it both times
I went to print pretent like I was going to print it from MS paint didnt give me an error at all.
That is very intresting
~ Christopher ~
http://cmarlow480.blogspot.com/
Chris, what I've found is that MS paint doesn't give an error, but it stops after printing 1/4 of the image and spits the paper out with a link to the rules of use website...
Of course... I wonder if it has to do with the age of the 20? Mine was new. Was yours one of the new ones or one of the old ones?
that is quite amazing technology, really ...I did not know that they did that.
Thank you for the info, I didn't know that, and as I was reading your article, I thought, what a fun idea to do....then I got to the "you can't print".
Thanks for letting us know.
Printed GREAT for me! It's even the actual size. Weird though!
Very interesting. I don't have a need to print money and I don't really want to set up my printer anyway. I know that the printing sells uncut currency... but that defeats the purpose, since you'd have to pay for it.
Printed first two at the top (slowwwwwwly) then got halfway through Lincoln and spit it out. LOL
Weird. I cant try at the moment, but I have scanned money before, and printed and it wasnt an issue. It was mexican money I think, and it was only one side, and for my Sons Cub Badgework that he did it .. it will be interesting to try when I hook the computer up to a printer.
That's amazing! It blows my mind how software can recognise money like that. Even though I'm in Australia, I bet it still won't print - our software all comes from America, lol.
Anita
Interesting. Makes me wonder what it is picking up. I'd be interested to know what happens if you put one of those fake bills on it and try to scan it. Will it say a fake one is a real one?
I remember a few years back I went to Walmart in the middle of the night and they called the police on me because I gave them a $2 bill.
Follow up: The cop working security there came over and pretty much called them a couple of morons. It wasn't just the checker, but the service manager as well.
Thanks for the images. I printed them at work on the color copier (What? Did you want me to use my own ink at home? Pish-tosh!).
My son is in the first grade & this is FANTASTIC for teaching him to count & add by 5, 10, & 20.
Sherice
I saved the image, opened it up in Preview (on my Mac G5) and it printed just fine. Go figure.
The problem is that the bills all have the serial numbers and such. Take those off, and likely no more problems. I got some bills (copies of old style bills) for use in my class, but the serial numbers are gone and a web address inserted. Might be something to try.
Your Money was so perfect!! I am trying to teach my 5 year old about money, so we are having a movie night where she will have to buy all her own snacks. The money printed out great. I run on Opera for internet and I right clicked on it and chose to open it in a new tab. When I clicked on print it came out great!! Thanks again for the wonderful idea!!
Whoah Nelly! It started to print, then I got a message (in Dutch, since I´m in Holland) that a bank note had been recognized and that I should read the rules on that US website. OMG, this is unreal. Big Brother!
i've got a mac, doesn't seem to be a problem. Scanned $1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and $100, also printed both sides.
Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
Oh, and I linked to this from my own blog, http://parentingachildwithdownsyndrome.blogspot.com
It did not print for, stuck at 15%. On a Mac. Amazing.
the only problem i have is with what you scanned and posted anything else works fine for me old money new money other pictures online no issue just what you have .. must have embedded some information in the picture you scanned .. it was a fun test though ... but a true counterfeiter would use older equipment that wouldn't read it anyway ... so its just to keep honest people honest i guess just like locks on your house .... and im posting autonomously because i don't want issues from doing these test or this post
Thanks for this file! I'm in the Peace Corps in the Republic of Georgia wanting to use images of real money to help teach numbers in English. Big help!
Yep, I was able to print off the original image without any glitches. I opened it in preview and it printed.
I saved your image to my desktop then just plopped it into a Word doc and it printed just fine. THANK YOU - GREAT learning tool for my boys.
Let us Print some money
Thanks so much! I was looking for play money to teach my daughter about how money works! Everywhere I searched, the play money was too small! Your website helped out a lot! Thanks again!
Id like to try it because I want to do this money manicure I saw on youtube where someone cut up a real $1 bill and used it to make tips, I just might take a real bill and do it, its only $1 I like the colors of the new money, like the rainbow $20 but I'm not gonna cut up a $5 or more for my nails lol! Also I don't have a printer that works so I'd have to do it from a public place and lol the worst they could call the cops on me or something.
Interesting. I inserted the picture into an OpenOffice Writer-document (the free software corresponding to MS Word), and printed it out with no hassles. :) Thanks for the great scan, my kids will love this foreign play money. :)
BR,
A European reader
I tried printing it in uk from epson printer. started fine then stopped mid way with www.rulesofuse.org ....strange
It printed up for me no problem, THANK YOU so much for posting this!! I am teaching a girl scout troop of 12 kindergarten girls about money so they can earn a patch and this was EXACTLY what we needed to help them learn!
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