Printer suggestions

[Kairu]

As the title suggests, I’m hoping for some printer suggestions. The printer I generally use is a Brother HL-3180CDW over LAN. This printer is fantastic at document printing/scanning, very fast and accurate printing. I’ve noticed that the ink seems to sit on top of the paper, though. I get soo much splintering and straight up white spots when I try to introduced any convex curve. Ojimak’s mb339 for reference, I’ve learned how to keep the splintering down, but it’s still very noticeable. This is with 120lb cardstock, but the issue persists with 90lb printer stock.

This printer prints with four “rollers” that somehow deposit a powdery ink to the paper, which is why I think it struggles to give a good base for modelling. Would an inkjet be more what I’m looking for? Or what printer would you guys suggest for just better quality models?

 

[mijob]

I have bought a epson eco tank ink printer. The ink is sucked in to the paper without any spots. Zathros has much printer knowledge maybe he has some sugestions

 

[zathros]

Go to www.inkproducts.com and look at the printers they suggest. I get my ink from these guys as they get their Ink from the O.E.M. manufacturers of ink, Dupont, which holds the patent on all printer inks, which is why they are so rich. Personally, I only use printers that use PIGMENT INK. DYE INK runs when wet, or if the glue gets too moist.

Pigment Ink is considered archival, and can last up to 100 years and does not fade in U.V. light. Dye Ink will turn white when exposed to long term U.V. Rays.

Pigment Ink works on a different principle, and the ink cannot be swapped with Dye ink, or vice versa. Pigment Ink goes on with heat and the molecules go into the paper and are locked into it. Also, the chemical makeup makes it impervious to U.V. Rays.

Pigment Ink printers can be a bit of a pain in the a$$ though. You have to use them all the time, or the heads get clogged. Printing a full page of something once a week will take care of any issues. I repair these things, so for me, it's not a big deal to take one apart, remove the head, and clean it.

These are things to consider. The Epson Eco Tank models only use Pigment ink with the Black Ink, the color inks are Dye based.

 

[zathros]

Good luck.

 

[Kairu]

Wow thanks! Up to this point I only knew there was inkjets and laser printers haha

 

[Toutenkarton]

Hi,
I got myself a CANON megatank G6050, it's now 2 years old and I'm very happy with it and the neutral gray is neutral.

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

The most IMPORTANT thing to consider when purchasing a printer for making paper models is to make certain that it is an inkjet printer. The reason why, is that the ink permeates into the paper. You had made mention that with the printer that you use, "the ink seems to sit on top of the paper". This is a common trait with laserjet printers. Stay away from them, when printing paper model templates.

 

[Kairu]

Yeah that’s what I thought, the colors on the laser jet are really good, but it’s become a habit to grab my brush pen and fill in the blanks on all the black parts, like i “repainted” this entire mustang nose…again from onimak’s website. When I want an ojimak model for display I use card stock, this one is 90lb stock because they glide soo much better, but that weight warps terribly after a few months.

 

[Revell-Fan]

I use an HP Officejet Pro 8710 and print on 160gsm archival paper. The colours remain stable for decades. HP is very restrictive because it only accepts original HP ink cartridges. If you use compatible cartridges from other manufacturers the device will stop working indefinitely. I learned that the hard way but since HP has a brilliant printing quality I stayed with them. HP ink is VERY expensive but HP offers a subscription service called Instant Ink. There are several plans from which you can choose. You don't pay per cartridge but per printed page. The service works and is the most efficient solution. Just look it up.

 

[zathros]

I use an HP Officejet Pro 8710 and print on 160gsm archival paper. The colours remain stable for decades. HP is very restrictive because it only accepts original HP ink cartridges. If you use compatible cartridges from other manufacturers the device will stop working indefinitely. I learned that the hard way but since HP has a brilliant printing quality I stayed with them. HP ink is VERY expensive but HP offers a subscription service called Instant Ink. There are several plans from which you can choose. You don't pay per cartridge but per printed page. The service works and is the most efficient solution. Just look it up.

If you were in the U.S., you could get ink from www.inkproducts.com Their cartridges are supplied full, and a refillable. They have cracked all the manufacturer's impedance to using the printer you purchased. That is legal in the U.S. Different countries, different laws. The ink that the website I refer to is O.E.M. ink, as all ink in the world comes from Dupont. If it is manufactured in another country, it is licensed by Dupont. Their monopoly on ink is complete, but the resellers bump the price up. That's on the printer manufacturers.

I know this because I know the engineer who designed the H.P. Ink jet Printer's head that all ink jets are based on. He verified the information, he was bound by nondisclosure and could not tell me, however, I found out this from somewhere else, which made his contract moot, thus his verification of what I learned followed, and quite an education from this man who frankly, in my opinion, is a genius on how printers work.

I have learned much from people who have passed through this forum. I have models gifted to me that I had to sign a nondisclosure forms for. Some of the models are printed on both sides of the pages of the books, and frankly, too beautiful to cut up and make. Imagine a model that when you look at the sheet sideways, the ink is built up on the paper like a Picasso. This model was printed on a one of a kind printer he designed, built, and wrote the software for.

 

[Revell-Fan]

Very impressive!