Question For The DIY Decalers

[BCR751]

Our Canon ink jet printer recently died.  I used it for printing decals and it worked fine.  Typical, when we went to replace it we learned it had been discontinued.   Only thing available that was close in spec was a Brother.  Bought it, brought it home and it sucks.   Doesn't do color matching at all and it has no sharpness at all either.

What are you DIY'ers using for your printer?  I need one that works for the small decals required for N-scale


Doug

[peteski]

Alps MD-5000 MicroDry printer (long out of production).  Works great for N scale decals (insluding white and metallic colors).   

[BCR751]

Would prefer something built in this century and somewhat more affordable.  Good idea, though.

Doug

[MK]

What model was your Canon?

[peteski]

Would prefer something built in this century and somewhat more affordable.  Good idea, though.

Doug

Well, MD-5500 was built in this century (but still out of production).     But I know that is not what you are looking for.

[John]

  But I know that is not what you are looking for.

Then the answer is really irrelevant!

[CNscale]

I have an HP laser printer and successfully printed a couple of sheets a while back. More recently though I've had problems with the toner not sticking to the decal paper. I'm not sure if that's because of different paper (same hobby shop, but they might have changed suppliers, I don't remember who made the paper I used originally) or it could be the printer (fuser) getting older and not heating as well.

Hoping someone will respond to this thread with  laser printer / paper suggestions, I'd hate to have to keep an inkjet around just for printing decals.

[peteski]

Then the answer is really irrelevant!

I belong to a large Alps user group and we still see new owners trickling in.  Alps printers are still the best (and semi-affordable) consumer-grade printers for hobbyists and small cottage industry type manufacturers. I mentioned the affordability, because their prices now are  becoming out of reach for an average hobbyist.  Just few years back, you could pick one up for around 300-400 dollars. Nowadays fully functional Alps printers usually fetch more than that.

[rodsup9000]

 They have "Ghost White toner" for the HP LaserJet Pro M254dw printer.

 I really want to try this toner sometime, but just haven't budgeted the cost yet.
 But then again, I haven't even tried to make any decals since getting the new laser printer.

[BCR751]

What model was your Canon?

I think it was a Pixma MP650 but can't be certain.

I've been searching on the web and found a number of threads on sites like Model Railroader, Finescale Modeller, etc. and it looks like the best bet for printing decals is a Canon Pixma using MicroMark inkjet decal paper and their spray fixative.  Lots of other suggestions as well but not as good a result as the Canon.  Most say to sty away from printers that 'squirt' the ink on the paper like the Brother (the one that I have now) and Epson.  Looks like the only way to really tell is to experiment which could wind up being expensive and time consuming.

Looking forward to more comments on this topic.

Doug

[MK]

What about another Canon PIXMA?  I have used many Epson and Canon printers and Canon always have given me much more reliable service.  I'm only on my second Canon (PIXMA PRO-100) whereas I've gone through about 4 Epsons.

Epson uses piezoelectric principles to shoot the ink out.  Electric charge the droplets and shoot them out similar to mag lev movement of trains.  For Canon, their printers used to be called BubbleJets because their method is heat up the ink and pressure shoot them out (bubble them out).  Because of the heating, the nozzles tend to clog less, if at all.  All my Epsons have died of clogged nozzles.  My one Canon that died it was because I wore out the head. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

They have "Ghost White toner" for the HP LaserJet Pro M254dw printer.

 I really want to try this toner sometime, but just haven't budgeted the cost yet.
 But then again, I haven't even tried to make any decals since getting the new laser printer.

I have a friend with one. We'll be trying it out this weekend.

[rodsup9000]

I have a friend with one. We'll be trying it out this weekend.

 Hey Ed, let us know how well or bad it works.

Thanks

[peteski]

I am also curious what Ed will find out.

Here is an example of decal printed with an  OKI 711WT. I was unimpressed.
The Laser-printed decal is on the bottom, and the top row has a similar decal printed on Alps. On the right is just white ink, then on the left is the color image with white undercoat. As you can see, they are applied to a black surface to show the ink density and coverage.



The laser-printed image is in fairly poor registration and the toner density is also far from perfect.  While the density can probably be improved by experimenting with the actual color setting and other printer properties, the big problem is that the white toner gets applied over the colors (not under, as it is supposed to be).

[joepri]

Here are the steps that I use to print decals. 
1. Print a master on plain white paper at the highest resolution of my printer. 
2. Use  a color copier at Local office Supplier store (Kinko's, Office Depot, etc.)
3. Use the sheet feeder and the Transparency setting if available

I prefer the microscale 8 1/2  by 11 decal paper.