Laser print on painted paper?

[javajohn]

I am looking for ways to print the name of the ship onto the transom of my Rattlesnake build. KenW has a great idea of using a black and white laser printer to print a black background on white paper to simulate white lettering on a black background. The results are really quite convincing.

 

I want to use a different color than white, but still have the black background. I was thinking about painting the paper with an airbrush using the color I want and then running that through the printer, but before I do that, I want to ask if anyone has had experience trying that idea. My concern is if the paint comes off during the printing, it could contaminate or damage the printer. Also, I don't know if toner will bond to the paint.

 

John

[Jasseji]

hm, isnt there an option to buy the paper in a specific color ?

I wouldnt run painted paper through a printer, the paint will most definitely rub off on some rolls and might damage the printer

[reklein]

Stores like Jo-Anns and Michaels in the US have tons of colored paper that should go through your printer nicely without damaging the printer.

[Harvey Golden]

I've been wondering the same thing in recent days.  Even if you match the color of the paper, the sheen, texture, precise shade is never exactly like the paint-- you learn quickly that there's a million forms of "white."  In the photo, you can see the color difference between the white paper and the white paint adjacent the stripe. I have also been printing text and then going back with fine brushes to add the correct white, and then tidy up with the text color-- essentially using the printout as a pattern of sorts. 

 

I think the biggest issue might be paint wrinkling up the paper as it dries.  Perhaps if you know where the text will be on the paper, just pre-paint that particular area, so you aren't working with a full page of painted paper-- I haven't tried it, but this could work.  Wondering who will try it first(!)

Best,

Harvey

[Captain Shaun]

Why not print your own water slide decals?

 

[Harvey Golden]

2 minutes ago, Captain Shaun said:

Why not print your own water slide decals?

 

 

I'd love to know more about this! 

[GrandpaPhil]

Another option is that most print shops will print a color page pretty cheaply.  

Staples is a great place to get stuff printed.  

 

That’s how I made custom decals for a P-51 that I built a while back (nose art, etc).  
 

I printed them on a single sheet of paper, cut them out and glued them down.

[Captain Shaun]

You can buy waterslide decal paper from many places, it is available for inkjet or laser printers. The link is for the inkjet one I use. Just make your art work on whatever program works for you, I use Excel. Do a test print on paper and then print it on the decal sheet. in order to protect the ink you need to clear coat with spray can clear lacquer. I let that dry overnight and then you can use them just like any waterslide decal. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Nova-Horizon-Waterslide-Transfer-Printable/dp/B07X7GCP46/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=nova%2Bhorizon%2Bwaterslide%2Btransfer%2Bprintable%2Bpaper&qid=1636946168&sr=8-9&th=1

[Dr PR]

Be VERY careful selecting papers/decals to print in a laser printer! These machines fuse the pigments to the paper by melting the pigment at high temperature. A lot of inkjet materials will not survive a laser printer's fuser.

 

I speak from experience! I shopped around for a glossy paper designed for a laser printer. Someone at a print shop recommended a particular paper that "they used all the time." One pass through my laser printer sent the $800 machine to the dump (Samsung printer that did not have a replaceable fuser). Lesson learned the hard way!

 

1. As far as I can tell there is no way to print a glossy image with a laser printer.

 

2. Never buy a laser printer that does not have a replaceable fuser!

 

I currently have a Brother LED printer that has a replaceable fuser. It runs so hot it melts the glue on envelopes, sealing them shut. I can still split them open, but I haven't found any envelopes that do not have this problem.

 

I have printed decals with earlier printers, but I am worried that the Brother printer will melt them and cause a several hundred dollar repair.

 

I think you can be certain that if you run a painted/stained paper through a laser printer it will damage the fuser and possibly the paper feed mechanism. The bright side is that you will get to buy a newer and better printer.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Dr PR