Transfer Solutions Printers

I use the transfer solutions product and love the sharp transfers I have been getting. Unfortunately, my printer (Epson C86) just died yesterday and I have to get another printer. I can't seem to find the same model. I have the list of printers that was supplied with the solution, but I have no experience as to the durability of these models. My question is what printers have been used that are reliable and aren't breaking down?

I see that Staples has the C88. Has anyone used this printer? It is probably the easiest one for me to get my hands on.

Thanks.

Tira, you may want to try ebay if you liked the c86.

Cody

Tira: The c86 has been discontinued and replaced with the C88. My c86 died too, and I had to get the C88. The c86 inks are different than the new c88, but I put them in the C88 anyway and got them to work. I used the high capacity black for the c86 and it would not fit the C88. In the end, the C88 works fine for transfers. I think any Epson that uses DuraBrite inks will work. As for reliability, I've had the same experienc as you. My printer lasted about a year with very low print volume.

Hey guys I am using a $30 Hp3740 printer I bought at walmart. Yes I said $30.

The ink refills are only $16 for the black. Any inkjet printer in the HP3700 series that uses the HP#27 ink cartridge works well for this purpose.

Best of all they are very cheap printers so if it only last you a couple years so what. Mine has past the year two mark and still going though.

Ray

Good information! I'm just starting on using the transfer fluid method so the printer is my next investment. I notice the ink cartridge for the c88 is almost as much as the printer ($60 vs $90). Is this what you are experiencing Sam?
I'm trying to transfer print from my hp, but no cigar. For sure I'm fouled up some where.
Thanks, Glenn

Yes, the inks are usually as much or more than the printer. Don't forget to print with black ink only or it will not transfer. / ~Sam

Hi guys.

I've just got a cheap HP printer that takes the # 27 black cartridge. For transferring I take the colour cartridge out of the printer and print only with the black cartridge. I'm getting about a 99.9% transfer image.

The Epson transparancey works the best by a long shot and is worth every penny. However I've used other transparancies with some success but the image is nowhere as good but works good enough in an emergency.

Personally I think it's an international conspiracy by the printer companies that they make these things to self destruct 1 day after their warranties expire.... (that's along with toasters, electric Kettles and vacume cleaners)

Cheers
Andrew

Andrew I am doing the same thing. I pulled the color cartridge out and only use the black #27. I set it on best quality, plain paper, grayscale settings and I am also getting 99% transfers from a $30 printer with a $16 cartridge.

Ray

I am using an Epson cx4600, it uses the durabright ink, but I am only getting about 60% transfer, all my print settings are as Sam suggests, So I am wondering if the transparency I am using is the problem, they are the 3M brand and being transparencies are not cheap I have not tested other brands yet. So my question is, what brands are getting the best results.

Hi Brian

The transfer solution I'm using is "Transfer Magic" available from......

Transfer Solutions
10170 Poquito Valley Rd.
Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 USA
Email: transfersolutions@commspeed.net

The Transparancies are the "Epson" brand. The down side is that they are also the most expensive, but in saying that, they seem to work the best as they release the ink a lot better than most other brands.

Hope that helps

Cheers
Andrew

The website for the Transfer Magic is

http://users.commspeed.net/ttwhite/xtransc.htm

Kevin

A quick update on my printer problem. I went and bought an Epson C88+ at Staples and it seems to be working great. This printer is giving me even better transfers than the C86 did. I would estimate that almost all (90-95%) of the ink leaves the transparency and gets transfered to the metal.

Thanks for all the comments and help.

Hp C3180

I use the HP C3180 and like Ray said will give 99% transfer with ease. I have had it work with cheap office max transparency too.

I have a Xerox phaser 6300 if I need to transfer in color. I was only using acetone transfer method Jason Marchiafava showed me at Blaine's school a few years ago. I was getting a lot of washout under the scope and I am glad to have a new way to transfer

Transfer solution

Hi all just wandering what kind of transfer solution you are using. I think that it will be to expensive to order it from the USA to Iceland because of the cemicals in it. So what can I use for the ink-jet method. Got the printer and transparancies but no solution.
And Thanks Sam for your site it has helped me a lot. It is nice that not every body takes theyr knowlege to the grave. Like her one the ice you can´t get in to jewelery busines un less u are relatet to the master.

Hannes: You can mix a small amount of Damar varnish (from art supply shop) with common alcohol and make a transfer solution which works well. I use Tom White's solution (see my iGraver tutorial on engraving a coat of arms) for all my work, but there have been many home-brew recipes for inkjet transfer solutions. / ~Sam
p.s. Be sure to print with black ink only.

I to have just started using transfer fluid. I am mixing 7 1/2 % damar varnish with 92 1/2 % naptha from the paint department at Home Depot.

burnisher shape is imortant

Hello, I am writing my first posting to Sam's forum!

I am a flutemaker by trade, and do some engravings on my copies of flutes from the 18th century. I also served a seven year apprenticeship with Rolls Royce as a toolmaker at the age of 15, so I am pretty good with hammers and chisels, lathes, and such like. By comparison, my engraving is way down the learning curve, and I have been very impressed by the friendly advice offered on other forums, and looking over this forum, I can tell that here too the same friendly sharing of useful tips and information is being offered.

Regarding 'Design Transfer', as soon as I saw Sam use the transparent printout method, I dropped my own cruder method, and started in with Magic Solution from Tom. Despite Tom's advice to consider burnishing techiques as being important, I was looking elsewhere to solve my first trials. I was using burnishers that were a bit too gentle in their curve. So to anyone who may be having some problem with tranfer, try using a ball point pen as the burnisher, and as Sam advised, watch the process under the mircoscope where you will clearly see the ink drop off the sheet.

Results vary, and some users have no trouble dropping the design onto metal, while others like me had some difficulty. The point of contact makes a big difference in the burnishing. Casting back to my days as an engineer... small contact points will generate very high "pressure" at the point of contact when applied with the same force as a large and gently rounded point. That is why a needle makes a wound and a blunt pin does not.

I did a test, taking my burnisher to the limit of smallness, that is, I simple used a ball pen as the burnisher. After all, it has a beautiful polished hardened steel point that rolls and does not score the sheet. It worked like a dream! The added advantage is, if you use some other color pen than black, then it will leave a clear record of where it has been on the sheet, and you can quite readily see if you have covered your whole pattern before you raise the sheet. My sense is that a small radius burnisher actualy deformed the sheet locally and in thta way helps the ink to release.

I trust that I have attaching two pictures, I am still no quite sure of the attachment procedure??

best wishes!

Rod

Rod: thanks for joining the Cafe and for your informative post. It seems the transfer topic is always an interesting one. I like the idea of a ball burnisher. I used to have a couple of these years ago...they came from an art supply shop. The ball was stationary, but I like the idea of a rolling ball even better.

I'm still getting excellent results with my Epson c88 on Epson transparency film. / ~Sam

Burnisher

Never thought of using a pen, good idea. I took a 1/4" drill rod (fits the fingers real good) and put a rounded point about twice the size of ink pen point and on the other end one about 1/8" in. They both work real good and the 1/8" covers a lot of area quickly. Both ends are highly pollished.

I like the idea of a colored ink to map where you've been. I'm going to try this. Thanks