I just gave it a try with regular Photo paper and my wifes embossing powders and found 2 things happen. You must be very very fast at getting the powder onto the wet ink and second when you heat it up to set it it is lumpy. I tried several base colors and several powder colors. It does work but not real good results. This guy may have a better, finer powder and an inkjet that will put down ink very heavy. The procedure works but I am not sure of the results. I hope someone gives this stuff a try and a report. Mike PS here is a set I just whipped up for my G Scale loco and Drovers Caboose.
I would be using it for roadname, car number and also capacity, etc. It is the last thing that would probably create a problem.
Looking forward to live test data. I might have a problem if the process depends on inkjet ink staying wet for 15-30 seconds....dunno?
That's actually what prompted me to give it a try. I use an Epson printer that takes the DuraBrite inks (oil based), and I bought it specifically because the oil-based inks work a lot better on decal paper. One thing about them is that they stay wet for a while, so that should actually be a plus with this white-powder stuff. Also, I can set the printer to really pour on the ink, so we'll try that too. What I've been working on doing is using regular white decal paper, then putting the car/locomotive itself on the scanner so that I can scan the exact background color, then put the white text/logo on top of that. I've got a couple "drawn up" but haven't printed any yet. When I get the powder, I'll try one or two each way to compare which works better. Time to go sit by the mailbox for a week or so. :shade:
Ray, I'm not familiar with DuraBrite inks. How do DuraBrite inks perform, especially with glossy photos? I have an Epson Stylus Photo 875DC, and use Epson inks exclusively. Epson inks and papers work well for photos, so I'm hesitant to use after-market products. Is it possible to swap ink cartridges for different jobs, i.e. DuraBrite for printing decals and Epson for photos? Long-term storage of partially used cartridges might be a problem, especially having the ink dry and plug the nozzles....? Edit: Aha...just found out that DuraBrite is an Epson product! So now my question changes to the performance of C64, C84, and CX6400 printers, specifically with photos? I'll do some more research, and try to answer most of my own questions. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
The Epson 80 series is the standard color printer where I work. The earlier (C80,82,84,86) models had one problem - on deep color, the ink would alligator (crack). Other than that, the quality for the money is absolutely amazing. The latest iteration (they seem to issue a new model every fall) is the C88+ (don't ask WHAT the plus means, I dunno) and the alligatoring problem has disappeared. This lowly $80 printer produces gorgeous prints on photo paper, with deep, rich dark colors. It uses four cartridges. Of course, the cartridges are overpriced, but for what the printer costs, get a new printer every two cartridge changes.... They are relatively stingy with ink; I share with our shipping manager, and between us we print a lot, him in black, me in color. Our particular machine gets a workout as I am pretty much the company photographer and produce the newsletter (which is printed in color). The more you print, the better they are.
Clogged Ink Jet I have an Epson all-in-one CX6600 that makes beautiful prints. But the yellow nozzle clogged. I believe this is a result of non-use as I rarely print color. More information here. I am presently trying to recover the use of that nozzle. I would probably purchase a Canon next time, but Epson is making good on warranties, so I understand. I do suggest you read about it and make your own conclusion. I have used Epson for many years and always had excellent results from an excellent printer. This is my first problem.
Jim, thanks for your info. I've read a few reviews that indicate the C86, and the C88 to a lesser degree, have had durability and ink clogging problems. Have you heard of, or had similar problems? The majority of the reviews were positive, so the few negatives may have been written by users who only look for and report faults. How do C88 photos compare with those from Stylus Photo printers? Edit: Flash, thanks for your input...our posts passed in the mail. The nozzle clogging problem may be more prevalent than I had initially assumed. It sounds like the C6x and C8x ink nozzles may be separate from the cartridges. With a Stylus Photo, I believe the nozzles are in the cartridges, so you replace them if cleaning fails.
I think I will stick with my ALPS MD5000 Printer My ALPS has been good to me. I'll stick with it for all my white, color, silver and gold decals. Hobo Tim
I use a Stylus C66. It was pathetically cheap and is the best printer I have ever owned. It prints very well on decal paper (especially if you increase the saturation), and it does exquisite color prints up to 8x10. For decals, I was told the oil-based ink has a bit more sticking power than most water-based inks. For photos, I've found that the DuraBrite inks impart a deeper color and print lines more crisply than others I've used. Ray
The best quality photo prints come from the R series. I have one, the bottom of the line in the R series and it makes stunning photo prints and crisp decals. You actually need to stay away from the more expensive R series as they have a clear coat cartridge that lays down a coat over the entire picture. This would mess up the white decal system (one big block of white would be the result). The cheaper ones (R220) do not have the clear coat. I'm very interested to hear how this white decal system works. Not everyone can be as fortunate as our happily smug ALPS owner. I did research and found out mfgs haven't figured out how to make a white ink that won't clog, because it they need to use titanium dioxide which seperates and settles too easily. The ALPS uses a heat transfer technology or the optional dye sublimation printing. The heat transfer is what allows the ALPS to print white, gold, silver and other colors not available to inkjets.
I had a C86 at home that suddenly stopped printing altogether. But at the price, who cares. It was a slight inconvenience, and not much more expensive than an ink change. And it got me the C88, which in terms of overall print quality and heavy ink laydown was an order of magnitude improvement. I think Epson problems are exacerbated by low usage. Epson suggests turning the printer off when it will not be used for a lengthy period, because when you turn it off the carriage "parks" in an area where the nozzles are covered, thus reducing the chances of a clog. My own experience would tend to bear this out. At work, where I tend to be one of the heavier color printer users, my printers seem to just run and run and run - kind of like the Energizer Bunny. And for the price!!!
It is getting harder for white cartridges and you have to google for a vendor that still has them or check e-bay. I stocked up a while ago on white and silver since I use them the most. I still have the original 4 pack of colors I bought years ago. I also use my laser printer for the color decals since the colors look much better.
