Just wondering what success you’ve had in printing windows etc onto transparency film with an Inkjet or Laser printer. If it’s working well what Transparency film and printer are you using. Thanks, Dave
It works really really well. BUT (and this is the disclaimer) you can’t use HP printers as the inks are water soluable even after they dry. This makes HP printers worthless in terms of printing decals.
Obviously you can’t print white either on clear plastic. There was one ?OKI? printer out there that printed, but it was disconintued. Home-brew decal makers snatched these all up.
There are special transparencies for injet printers. They are slightly rough on one side, that’s the print side. Standard transparencies are smooth both sides and the ink will just run. I’ve had no problems even with HP printers. Just don’t get them wet. There are also special ones for laser printers, standard ones will melt and ruin your printer.
–Randy
Dave, it works very well, but you need to be sure to purchase transparency film that clearly states it is meant for the print technology you are using - color ink jet or color laser. Most transparency films are for toner-based printers and copiers and will NOT give good results with color ink jet, but color ink jet will give better results for the home user than moderately priced color laser. You’ll find, unfortunately, that you will need to purchase a box of the stuff that will be a lifetime supply and is likely to be rather costly. It is also likely that you will have to special-order it as the market has really dried up with the shift from overheads to digital projectors.
Just make sure that you allow plenty of drying time, and even then, handle carefully as liquids or fingers will reult in smudging.
Don is confusing transparencies with decal film - different animal altogether. BTW, ALL of the desktop laser printers are thermal water-based. There is a category of dye-sublimation inkjet printers and a category of inkjet printers using solid ink, but these printers are aimed at professional markets and cost a minimum of well over $1,000. THe other printer Don is referring to is a hybrid dye-sub printer made by ALPS. They are still available on E-Bay with varying degrees of relibailibyt but I sure don’t know where people are getting the ink these days.
I found a passenger car modeling website a while back that had some printable windows (glazing) with different shades of tinting depending on prototype, and some windows had blinds. It was specifically for printing using the transperancy “paper”. I tried it , with great results, but as mentioned above, the stuff is VERY expensive. I got lucky and the Office Max that i went to had an open package of it and sold it to me by the sheet. If I remember correctly, it was 40 or 50 bucks for a whole box.
I have one of those, from my Photo Studio a Xerox Phaser solid ink printer. I wonder if that would do any better than standard ink jet. It is a hot proccess also. But I think they make transparency film for it. Dave
I use my inkjet to print decals, and then put those on the windows. Here’s an upper-story office dedicated to a fellow modeller and forum member:
The decal is actually on the outside of the window. The “double image” is not your glasses. It’s the shadow of the letters on the tissue-paper “window shade” which is glued in back of the window.
I don’t think that’s true for all HP inkjet printers. It’s my understanding that HP’s Vivera inks are water-resistant. And I know for a fact that at least some Lexmark inks will run and smear when they get wet. But that’s why the inkjet-decal folks make the fixative spray.
Also, I believe the printer you’re thinking of that could print white was the Alps MD-1000.
Steve
I’ve had really good luck taking my artwork in and having like Kinkos or Staples or any commercial type copier do it on their transparencies.