What printer for making decals. in the UK.

[PR19_Kit]

I use a big office Laserjet printer. On another note, does anyone have an Alps? I'd like to have an image with white inside it, and I'm not willing to spend hours cutting out on the line.  Cheers 

No to the Alps printer, but I've had some success with making decals like that using a 'two pass' method.

I did the white bits by using white decal paper with just an outline of the outer colours, so that you can cut just outside the outline and don't need to be hyper-accurate. Then do the non-white parts on clear decal paper and overlay the first one.

The disadvantage is you get double thickness decals of course, plus if it's a very narrow non-white outline it becomes impossible in small sizes.

[markmarples]

thats exactly what i did on mt first atlantis build and to be honest you cant tell the difference

[PR19_Kit]

What make decal paper do you use please Mark?

[jcf]

Don't have an Alps I'm afraid but I read on Britmodeller a while ago that Epson is supposed to be making white ink packs for their printers soon. Don't know if anything came of it?

Paul Harrison

The Epson white capable WT7900 inkjet is a professional graphics machine that is currently priced at $6,995,
the replacement white ink cartridges are $139.95 (150 ml) and $299.95(350 ml).

I don't think I'll getting one anytime soon. 

[markmarples]

this is the clear stuff, same make on the white, its out of stock but no dount will soon be back

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005DDMOE4/ref=ox_ya_os_product

[PR19_Kit]

The Epson white capable WT7900 inkjet is a professional graphics machine that is currently priced at $6,995,
the replacement white ink cartridges are $139.95 (150 ml) and $299.95(350 ml).

Oh, only $7000 then? We'll all be getting a couple of them I'm sure! 

In 20 years they'll be giving them away with breakfast cereals though.

[MilitaryAircraft101]

The old man is in the printing business and he says he knows a bloke with a specialised printer for printing white!  Not an alps, but a very large size one. I'll talk to him about whether I could take a squiz 

[markmarples]

paul parkes makes custom made decals and can print white, i can get you his details is needed

he has a traders section on my website www.mainlymilitary.co.uk half way down on the left, i can recomend him

[chrisonord]

I finally took the plunge and got myself a new printer, the lexmark I had before started playing funny buggers so I showed it the error of its ways with my Estwing axe  I am now the happy owner of an Epsom sx 130 all in one, for the rather nice sum of £22.99 inc postage. I have printed off some word docs I have saved, cut them scanned them and made the 2 halves into one decal sheet. I now have some S.H.A.D.O  decals and some decals for my Honduras navy rescue aircraft I will be building at some stage. The print quality is excellent too, now I need to work out how to make some Cartel decals and all is dandy.
Cheers,
Chris.   

[Weaver]

Hi Folks - any updates for 2013 on this eternal question please?

My printer's just died and since this is the first time I've had to buy a new one since getting back into modelling, it's the first chance to get something really suitable.

What's a good printer for decals?
Is it worth getting a laser printer rather than an inkjet (and what about the running costs?)
Has there been any progress on the printing white issue?


Edit: looks like OKI now make a CMY+White laser printer, but unfortunately, it's still a bit rich for my taste at £2000. Might be worthwhile for a business though...

http://www.oki.co.uk/printers/colour-printers/white-toner-printers/detail.aspx?prodid=tcm:122-141114-16

http://www.themagictouch.co.uk/acatalog/A4-TMT-OKI-W711-Digital-Colour-Laser-Printer.html