What type of home printer do you use for decals?

[Paul Taylor]

I might be in the market for a new home printer and wanted to know what you guys use to print your own decals.

Thanks
Paul

[don Burke]

I use the decal paper from MICROMARK and whatever ink-jet printer I happen to have at the time.  I coat the finished print with a couple of light coats of Rattlecan Lustercote Clear.  So far, so good!

[Bill Smith]

I use a canon I560 it is a photo quality printer (most are now) and the ink is suppose to be fade resistant some of the cheap replacement ink cartriges are not. I found that out the hard way.

[Richard Grogan]

I use a canon I560 it is a photo quality printer (most are now) and the ink is suppose to be fade resistant some of the cheap replacement ink cartriges are not. I found that out the hard way.

When making your own inkjet decals, try using  a few coats of  Krylon Clearcoat with UV protectants. Its sold at craft shops like Hobby Lobby. It helps alot for fading problems. I use a Epson 2200- its a 7 color printer with pigment base, 100 year archival,( non-dye) inks. Epson sells several models using pigment base inks, which is more like using paint than the (dye)ink as we are use to seeing. Works well.

[dave shirley jr]

I use a color laserjet HP 2600n
it does a fantastic job but is kinda pricey!
my wife left town one weekend and said "hey why dont you go buy a new printer while i am gone"
she was thinking 100.00 or so, i was thinking 400.00 or so
hey it works great and prints all the paper copies she wants and all the color decals i want.
I dont think she will fall for that one again though
Dave jr.

[Bill Little]

I use an ALPS MD5000.  It is a dry ink printer and will print white.  I have to use laser printer decal paper.  The problem is, ALPS has dropped service for all their printers in the USA.  I am good until something messes up!  Ink cartridges are also getting harder to find...... LOL!!

[Ralph Wenzel (d)]

I use an ALPS MD5000.  It is a dry ink printer and will print white.  I have to use laser printer decal paper.  The problem is, ALPS has dropped service for all their printers in the USA.  I am good until something messes up!  Ink cartridges are also getting harder to find...... LOL!!

Great little printers. The only ones I know that will do true metallics, too. For cartridges, try: 

http://www.fjaproducts.com/common/showchildresults.asp?deptid=1498&Referral=Alps117&popup=N&  - - or:

http://www.fjaproducts.com/SearchMe/10605800.asp

Good luck,

[Bill Little]

Great little printers. The only ones I know that will do true metallics, too. For cartridges, try: 

http://www.fjaproducts.com/common/showchildresults.asp?deptid=1498&Referral=Alps117&popup=N&  - - or:

http://www.fjaproducts.com/SearchMe/10605800.asp

Good luck,

Hi Ralph,

Thanks for that link!  The ALPS MD5000 will also print chrome and gold foils!  I love it, but I am VERY careful with it! LOL!!

[dave siegler]

My experence, I use to use cheap HP and Cannon printers.  Even with kids in school, and a lot of homework, they provide enough throughput.  Almost none of the new printers are repairable anymore.  I don't print photos at home, the cost per page is prety high, I send them to snapfish.

I have printed on decal paper with the HP, I had issues with the ink washing out.  I am told that Epson printers use ink that is not water soluable, and may consider an epson next time.

But I can't justify a printer just to print decals, now I purchase lazer decal paper and take the image file to work and print it on one of the color lazer or Kinkos.  I only make decals 6-8 times a year.  I can't support a $300 device for that.

[Bill Little]

I hear you, Dave!  I was given the ALPS, when it was almost brand new, to use to make decals for the guy who gave it to me!   Kinda lucky there.....

[Randy Powell]

I used a Deskjet 5550 with an aftermarket cartridge from, of all places, Cartridge World. They claim it's fadeproof ink. I also use the ultrahigh resolution setting that is designed for printing glossy pictures on high quality, slick paper. I agree with the craft shop clear acrylic with the UV protentant. Since I started using that and the different ink, I seem to be having less problems with the decals fading.

[Charles Kourmpates]

 Could someone plese give me a contact number or URL for MICROMARK.

 I would appreciate.

 Thanks in advance.

 Charles

.

[Bill Gruby]

Charles;

  There are twoMicro Marks, one for tools one for electronics. Here are both links, the first is tools the second is electronics. I hope one of them is what you seek? Good hunting.


                        http://www.micromark.com


                         http://www.micromark.net

  "Billy G"   

[Rudy Taube]

You can also get excellent decal paper from RSM, "The control line specialist". In clear or white:

http://www.rsmdistribution.com/index-2.htm

Eric's Directions for making Decals with his paper:   

After printing, set the decal aside for at least 24 hours without touching it. He then puts on a few thin coats of Krylon clear and lets it dry for at least 48 hours. Then he transfers the decal to the plane. The decal is then ready for any clear coat you want, he uses 3 coats of clear dope on his planes. (I don't use dope, so I just skip this last step ;-)

I will be flying with Eric this weekend, (he wants to loose his ECL virginity by flying my E-P40  ), and I will try to talk him into putting a Decal "How To" on his website. BTW: I think he will make decals for you if you don't want to DIY.

Regards, 

[Charles Kourmpates]

Thanks for suggesting Eric for decal paper.

 However, I would like to get it as cheaply as possible. I di model graphics and would like to start offering decal graphics.

 I'm looking for a wholesale source.

 Charles

www.cfcgraphics.com

.

[Phil Coopy]

I just used a HP3940 DeskJet(cheepy) for a water slide decal on the fin of a 1/4 scale Citabria Pro that I just completed....coated it with MINWAX quick dry polyurethane before applying it and it came out beautiful.  First time I've tried this process.

[Bill Mohrbacher]

I think this is the outfit that actually produces the Decalpaper sold by Micro Mark and Testors, if not they sure seem similar.

http://beldecal.com/inkjet_decals.cfm

Maybe they have large lot prcing.

Micro Mark has VERY high shipping charges, but they have the product!

If you go to a Wal-Mart or LHS and look around the Model Car paint section, yoou can find a kit from Testors that has a couple of sheets (or a sheet)  of decal paper 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, the clear coat preservative spray, and  a mini CD with some car type images which you really don't need.  This is a nice product for experimenting.  The looks to be the same as Micro Mark's.

I use an old Epson 850 Inkjet.  Be aware that inkjets don't print white, the paper must be white.  Since this paper comes in white and clear,you can't use clear to make a decal with white in it.

[taildragger-j3]

I got my paper from Beldecal also. It's available in clear or white background.

For printing, I use an HP5150 photo quality printer. It does a VERY nice job even when I just use the black and tri-color cartridges.