Hey there!
I totally get where you’re coming from. I also use hand-drawn/rendered drawings for early-stage presentations and have faced similar issues. Here’s my process, which might give you some new ideas:
I usually develop my design on multiple layers of tracing paper as well. Once I’m satisfied with the overall design, I place a clean sheet of tracing paper on top and draw up the final version. Instead of directly coloring on the trace, I flip it over and color on the back side, which I then scan to standard paper for the presentation.
However, like you, I’ve had issues with the trace getting jammed in the roll scanner. I experimented with vellum as a sturdier alternative but ran into the same problem with those grey shadows around the black lines.
One method that has worked for me is using a spray adhesive. I lightly spray the back of the final tracing paper and adhere it to a sheet of standard paper. This prevents the tracing paper from jamming in the scanner while maintaining the clean lines of the original drawing. After scanning, you can carefully peel off the tracing paper if you need to make adjustments.
Another option could be using a kraft paper roll. It’s a bit thicker and more durable than standard tracing paper, which might help with the jamming issue. Many kraft paper roll buyers use it for various art projects, and it could be worth trying for your design transfers.
I hope this helps! I’d love to hear if anyone else has other suggestions or methods that have worked for them.
Good luck with your presentations!
