design transfer with laser printer

skylardhunt

New Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
3
hi, I'm new to the forums and am having a tremendous amount of trouble getting designs transferred. I'm using an hp p1102w laser printer, acetone and some sticky clay type substance, ill print my image reversed, use acetone on a paper towel and hold it for about a minute and I'm lucky if i have a really faint transfer, I'm waisting a lot of time with this and can't get anything done. what am i doing wrong/missing?
 

tdelewis

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2010
Messages
752
Location
Volant, PA 60 miles north of Pittsburgh
Take your image to another laser printer or copy machine and try it again to see if you get different results. Also if is an option to make the image darker on the printer or a computer option. I have taken some images to a friends copier and got better results than my printer. But my laser printer is good enough for me. I'm using a HP laser jet pro CM1415.
 

skylardhunt

New Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
3
The goal is to do it from my home, I don't have any other printers to tryout. At this point I'm interested in other transfer methods because I can't even get a faint transfer half thetime. This is my 2nd
laser printer
 

Dan W

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
Messages
122
Location
Yuma, Arizona
Skylardunt, I use the same printer and it works just fine. I have found that it helps to use a very light coat of Damar varnish to prepare the surface of the work piece. Apply a light coat of varnish and wait for it to become tacky. Then apply the transfer as normal. The varnish captures the ink and holds it there. It won't "accidently" wipe off. If your transfers are still too light, try making the lines of the transfer heavier. It will help. I hope this helps. It takes a little experimentation to get a feel for the process.

Dan Weddle
 

ulrigg

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2011
Messages
7
Location
The Woods, WA
When my toner cartridge gets old(as in thousands of pages printed), it doesn't deposit enough toner to transfer well. In that case, the transfer is very faint, and it pretty much all stays on the paper. A good acetone transfer leaves practically no toner on the paper.
 

skylardhunt

New Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
3
thank you guys, I'm gonna go get some varnish, do you think heat might help? or is one paper better than another? also how long should i press the town with acetone to the image? Ive been trying 30 seconds-60
thanks for all the info i appreciate it
 

Jim Disbrow

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2013
Messages
29
Location
Antelope Valley, CA
I also have the same printer - works great for me. From your description I wonder if you are putting too much acetone on. You mention that you "hold it for a minute". I just wipe the acetone on with the paper towel, the paper becomes translucent, blow it dry, and slowly pull the paper off.

Jim Disbrow
 

Silberschweif

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2013
Messages
183
For me the best way is damar vanish with lighter fluid the lighter fluid let dry the damar varnish very quickly. I print on baking paper for that i print first on normal paper and put the baking paper with a litle tesa over it then print again. Aply the fluid very thin to the piece and wait 1-2 minutes put the baking paper with the printed side on the piece and rub it down with your fingernails. If the fluid is dry enough you can rub all the toner on the piece and you have a clean piece of baking paper. Go and fix the design wit a little hairspray thats all very easy and done in only 5 minutes
 

Omar Haltam

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
672
Location
Raleigh, NC
great tips guys, thanks for the info. and good luck skylardhunt
don't give up and keep at it... it will come to you
 

Sam

Chief Administrator & Benevolent Dictator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Messages
10,490
Location
Covington, Louisiana
I put the printed side down on the bare metal, wipe with acetone, wait 2-3 seconds, and it works perfectly. I don't use anything else and see no need for varnish or other surface treatments. With inkjet printers yes, but in all the years of transferring with lasers I've never treated the surface of the metal before the transfer.

Oh...make sure you're using pure acetone! I ran out once and tried my wife's nail polish remover and it did not work.
 

fegarex

~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
2,061
Location
Ludington, MI
I agree with Sam. Unless you have an oddball generic toner that isn't working there shouldn't be any issues. Don't over think or over work it.
I think the biggest problem is using too much acetone. Don't drown the transfer, just get it wet enough to make a transfer.
 

monk

Moderator
Staff member
::::Pledge Member::::
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
10,857
Location
washington, pa
maybe i'm lucky, but my hp inkjet wil transfer on untreated as well as metal that has a layout ground applied. it will work on glass, anything smooth. i do usually use the white ground as the transfer is much easier to see. i bought a brother laser printer, and have yet to experiment with it. not sure how to time it, turn it off, etc.
 

Brian Marshall

~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
3,112
Location
Stockton, California & Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico
Same results as Sam... I use an old Samsung ML 1710 for just transfer purposes.

At the time it cost less than the toner cartridge alone - and of course, came with the exact same one IN it.

Never figured out their logic behind that? Cheaper to just buy a new printer than a refill...

Dunno if they still make/sell 'em? This one was bought 8 or 10 years ago for about $50.


Brian
 

ulrigg

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2011
Messages
7
Location
The Woods, WA
One other bit of advice, pure acetone doesn't always work.

I'm in that boat presently. The cheap nail polish remover I stole from the house works like a champ, pure acetone doesn't. I thought I was losing my mind because one day everything was great, next day couldn't get a transfer to save my life. Took a bit to realize that I'd left the top off the bottle, so refilled with pure acetone.

I'm guessing it has to do with different toner formulations.

So if pure acetone isn't doing the trick, try the nail polish remover.

$.02
 

tdelewis

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2010
Messages
752
Location
Volant, PA 60 miles north of Pittsburgh
Let us know how things are working out and if you did anything different or if one of the suggestions worked better than others.
I always have a bottle of Tom White's Transfer Magic and Pictorico sheets and a cheap HP Deskjet 1000 Printer. I think that most will agree these will give the best possible transfer you can get. If I remember correctly the Transfer Magic costs about $40 and the transparencies cost is about $20 for 20. I'm Surprised that no one has suggested this. Of course I only use the Transfer Magic on special occasions and not for most of the things I do as it is expensive.
 

monk

Moderator
Staff member
::::Pledge Member::::
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
10,857
Location
washington, pa
hi, I'm new to the forums and am having a tremendous amount of trouble getting designs transferred. I'm using an hp p1102w laser printer, acetone and some sticky clay type substance, ill print my image reversed, use acetone on a paper towel and hold it for about a minute and I'm lucky if i have a really faint transfer, I'm waisting a lot of time with this and can't get anything done. what am i doing wrong/missing?
yesterday i began testing this very thing. but done in an entirely different way. will perform actual test later this pm. will post results tomorrow. this technique doesn't involve turning off the heat. i never figgereda way to turn the laser off at just the right time.
 

rocketpilot

Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
22
Location
oceanside calif.
make sure the metal is free of any grease, dirt or other foreign material. sounds like you are not rubbing the paper hard enough. i have found that if you rub until the paper is almost falling apart, it works better for me.
 

Latest posts

Sponsors

Top