Cold storage paper printout (how) ?

[BorealBit]

Just purchased my first bitcoin at a bitcoin ATM yesterday ($100), woohoo! Put in the $, had to give my cell phone number (kind of don't like that, defeats principle of bitcoin anonymity right?) to get a confirmation, I supposed on the ATM's end it is to be sure my phone works so as to receive bitcoin transmission? Anyhow, used Bitcoin android app (gold coin with black dollar sign on it) to receive the bitcoin money from the ATM as it scanned my bitcoin wallet QR code from my wallet. All good.

Question: How do I print out a cold storage of my bitcoin? I was able to go into the app's Safety menu and do a backup by email, but my email contains an encrypted file of my bitcoin wall keys; I barely understand what that represents. For principle, for practice, to safeguard my $ a bit more, I want to try making a paper printout of my bitcoin money. I did install BitCoin Core on my Windows PC-- can I use my PC Bitcoin Core wallet somehow to import my cell phone wallet and then do a paper printout? or can i just somehow open the cell phone Bitcoin set of keys/wallet that I emailed myself from my phone and somehow decrypt it and make a printout???

[ikydesu]

Ah, you need Paper Wallet.

For reference: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Paper_wallet#Recommendations.

[BorealBit]

Ah, you need Paper Wallet.
For reference: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Paper_wallet#Recommendations.

I will look into this, but already as I read the link you provided, it rapidly goes over my head, and I have been a geek for decades. This has to become simple if BitCoin is to grow in adoption by the masses. I am reading the link above and immediately come across "private seed"; say what? "private key"; say what? "paper keypair"; excuse me?  What I mean is, it should be as easy as a menu choice from a wallet to print or create a text file with info that can be sent to my home printer to make a hardcopy of my bitcoin money. Right now I am lost as to how to easily do this in a straighforward manner; and if it can not be done easy and straightforward, how is this going to work with rapid and widespread adoption (I was frustrated enough figuring out how to get my initial bitcoin money in my phone's wallet, had to drive 40 minutes to a bitcoin ATM).

[LiteCoinGuy]

it is already alot easier than 2-3 years ago. and it will improve.


also take a look on hardware-wallets:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=899253.0

[ikydesu]

Ah, you need Paper Wallet.
For reference: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Paper_wallet#Recommendations.

I will look into this, but already as I read the link you provided, it rapidly goes over my head, and I have been a geek for decades. This has to become simple if BitCoin is to grow in adoption by the masses. I am reading the link above and immediately come across "private seed"; say what? "private key"; say what? "paper keypair"; excuse me?  What I mean is, it should be as easy as a menu choice from a wallet to print or create a text file with info that can be sent to my home printer to make a hardcopy of my bitcoin money. Right now I am lost as to how to easily do this in a straighforward manner; and if it can not be done easy and straightforward, how is this going to work with rapid and widespread adoption (I was frustrated enough figuring out how to get my initial bitcoin money in my phone's wallet, had to drive 40 minutes to a bitcoin ATM).

Here the easy one:
http://www.coindesk.com/information/paper-wallet-tutorial/

How to use bitcoin ATM: www.youtube.com/watch?v=19tVcU4rZrU

[BorealBit]

Thank you all. I am a noob at this (but started with computers when they were teletypes and index card hoppers, but wow this bitcoin thing is wEirD and I am trying to understand it-- watched a couple of documentaries (Rise and Rise of the Bitcoin, etc) and read a couple of kindle books on this; still, bizarre.

it is already alot easier than 2-3 years ago. and it will improve....

I hope, it is on the edge of my understanding.

I just found this site, helps
bitaddress.org
because I generated a public and private set of keys both in text format and QR image which now I kind of get it-- the pair of those represents a 'Wallet' or safe deposit box to be loaded with bitcoin money or not, and one keeps the private key, well, private, and uses the public key (or QR code) to let the world or someone I am giving or getting bitcoins from the 'address' of my wallet to send/receive bitcoin. I like the bitaddress.org site because it also generated bitcoin paper that if one had a color printed could actually be printed out to look like money, for cold storage (like in a ziplock bag stored under the proverbial mattress, lol).

[Xialla]

I think, that you can follow my small tutorial step by step:)

1* download https://github.com/pointbiz/bitaddress.org/archive/v2.9.9.zip
2* disconnect from internet
3* delete browser cache and unzip the folder
4* start it: bitaddress.org-2.9.9/bitaddress.org.html
5* generate couple of wallets and print them in 2 copies each
6* split BTC from old wallet to more new wallets than one, five should be ok (you can use smartphone with mycelium for this action)
7* distribute wallets to 2 different safe locations, one copy to each one
8* delete folder bitaddress.org-2.9.9 broswer cache again
9* connect back to internet

it is imho super secure way, how to create the paper wallet, I personally did lot of them like this. also keep in mind, that you have to distribute copies (point 7) in in order to avoid robbery, fire hazard or simple lost of paper..

[jeroenn13]

You should check the trezor hardware wallet. Maybe overkill for 100$ worth of BTC.

[jbrnt]

You should check the trezor hardware wallet. Maybe overkill for 100$ worth of BTC.

OP should send most of the coins to paper wallets and put 0.1 btc on a every day use wallet. When he has more bitcoin, a simple hardware wallet is good for security of the coins. I think the Ledger wallet HW1 (cheap version) is a much better deal then Trezor for a newbie. It's only 15 euros, about 0.06 btc including p&p:
https://www.ledgerwallet.com/shop

[unholycactus]

Ah, you need Paper Wallet.
For reference: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Paper_wallet#Recommendations.

I will look into this, but already as I read the link you provided, it rapidly goes over my head, and I have been a geek for decades. This has to become simple if BitCoin is to grow in adoption by the masses. I am reading the link above and immediately come across "private seed"; say what? "private key"; say what? "paper keypair"; excuse me?  What I mean is, it should be as easy as a menu choice from a wallet to print or create a text file with info that can be sent to my home printer to make a hardcopy of my bitcoin money. Right now I am lost as to how to easily do this in a straighforward manner; and if it can not be done easy and straightforward, how is this going to work with rapid and widespread adoption (I was frustrated enough figuring out how to get my initial bitcoin money in my phone's wallet, had to drive 40 minutes to a bitcoin ATM).

You might want to read on encryption if you have trouble gasping those concepts.

[notlist3d]

Some tips if you have a old printer that is just USB and not networked use it.  Also try to clear it's cache after printing. The dumber the printer you use the safest it is.   

And always print at home.  Never print in public,work, hotel, etc.   You just do not want someone to be able to print from cache and find your paper wallet.

[LFC_Bitcoin]

To save a long, boring post - Follow the instructions on this video - http://youtu.be/872eSnlKUeg

Create the paper wallet at https://bitaddress.org

Simple!

[LiteCoinGuy]

Thank you all. I am a noob at this (but started with computers when they were teletypes and index card hoppers, but wow this bitcoin thing is wEirD and I am trying to understand it-- watched a couple of documentaries (Rise and Rise of the Bitcoin, etc) and read a couple of kindle books on this; still, bizarre.

it is already alot easier than 2-3 years ago. and it will improve....

I hope, it is on the edge of my understanding.

I just found this site, helps
bitaddress.org
because I generated a public and private set of keys both in text format and QR image which now I kind of get it-- the pair of those represents a 'Wallet' or safe deposit box to be loaded with bitcoin money or not, and one keeps the private key, well, private, and uses the public key (or QR code) to let the world or someone I am giving or getting bitcoins from the 'address' of my wallet to send/receive bitcoin. I like the bitaddress.org site because it also generated bitcoin paper that if one had a color printed could actually be printed out to look like money, for cold storage (like in a ziplock bag stored under the proverbial mattress, lol).

you will understand it, iam sure 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1uefzJJ6nM

[jeroenn13]

To save a long, boring post - Follow the instructions on this video - http://youtu.be/872eSnlKUeg

Create the paper wallet at https://bitaddress.org

Simple!

Or bitcoinpaperwallet.com you can print more wallets. Works great