I give up...

[Southtexas]

I surrender... hands behind my head leaning on the hood...

I ordered a laser printer. I've spent enough on different things that were supposed to make my inkjet usable to have bought one already.
Each time I'd try a new scheme for the inkjet it would 'almost' work. That would give me hope I could fine tune it so I'd waste another week or so finding out that the first ones were the best I ever got. Sigh...
So the parchment paper is sitting here waiting on the printer to arrive. I have been known to be stubborn to the point of stupid. :bow:

 

[dlilazteca]

Have you seen my video for the image transfer for laser printer?

http://www.engraverscafe.com/showthread.php?15192-How-to-image-transfer-laser-printer

did you try the tom white solution for the inkjet?

 

[Sam]

I gave up on 'em too. Maybe one day I'll give it another go, but I had terrible luck with them. Not with transfers, but with the dang printers which would die just after warranty expiration, and my stockpile of inkjet cartridges wouldn't work with the new versions of the same printer. I don't do enough transferring to make it worth the expense and hassle. Others have had great successes but I'm not one of them.

Edit: I should clarify that I think the inkjet method is, by far, the best and sharpest transfer method out there. My problems were totally hardware related. When everything worked, it was bloody fantastic. As I said, I might revisit this method again in the future but have no immediate plans to do so.

 

[BrianPowley]

I'm with Sam...I tried that transfer thing a long time ago and just couldn't make it work consistently.
I developed my own electro-etching equipment for scrolls but the majority of the stuff is done with a pantograph and pencil.

 

[Southern Custom]

Pantograph? Now that's a method I've never given much thought to. As in using a pantograph to trace over an existing drawing in order to transfer to the surface to be engraved?
I've been using the laser and acetone transfer lately as well. Not as crisp but for most things I only need the backbone and a general reference. For super accurate stuff, I think the inkjet works great and has worked for me on projects but yep, it's a pain to get right. Oh but boy when you do! That's a nice transfer!
Layne

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

A laser printer costs say 50 euro, a toner cartridge for that printer costs 25 euro. Bakery parchment 1 euro, as the cheap one works best and is a bit tinner so easier to see true.
One toner cartridge is almost enough for printing all my B&W documents including transfers.
So I really do not understand why some of you try a inkjet printer, that drinks ink (euros) and the price of a cartridge is the same as the whole printer itself.
And a inkjet printer, every time you want to print, fist it has to spoil ink to clean the printer head. that is just crazy

arnaud

 

[silverchip]

Years ago before computers, printers and graphics programs, we used a LUCI GRAPH and a pantograph to make transfers onto gold and silver to saw out and repeat patterns. Most were done at 2:1 but some were 4:1. the lucigraph was two lenses and a platform in a box. the platform and the lenses were on rails that moved up and down with a marked scale on the side. you could do a sketch and then blow it up with the lucigraph and make corrections on the fly with a pencil. when you got your drawing out it was glued to a piece of plexiglass and engraved with a round bottom graver for the stylus on the pantograph to follow in the groove.

 

[vilts]

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. Ink version just works, and works very well. Pictorico Premium transparencies and Epson pigment ink. Big plus against laser is that I can see exactly where the image ends up during transfer. I use ink printer just for the transfers and only black ink is original, colors are cheap third party ones. As Arnaud said, the ink ridiculously expensive. But totally worth for the transfers...

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Viljo you are right about that you can see exactly where the image ends up during transfer.
If I need a transfer precisely on the right place, I use scissors to cut out the outline on the bakery parchment

arnaud

 

[Andrew Biggs]

I use the inkjet exclusively. (HP Officejet 5610 All in One)

The reason I use this method is because it's transparent you can place the transfer exactly where you want it. This is great for small complex areas, repeat jobs and exact positioning which is what I want. Yes, ink is expensive and all the rest of it. But it's charged into the job and a cartridge goes a long way.

I use my own brew of 10-20% damar varnish and 80-90% IPA. Also the Pictorico transparencies. But I have to say that Tom Whites Magic Transfer solution is a lot better.

When it works it's great. When it doesn't work, it is tear your hair out territory.

But it's like anything we do.......if it works for you, then it's the right way to go.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[monk]

i have an ancient hp inkjet=works like a charm-- never a problem. not so with the epson printer. it worked well as a doorstop. i find the panto quite valuable for layout on small items and for repeat jobs. i've created maybe 300 or more permanent master templates. all templates were drawn direct on the plastic or aluminum plates and cut with a #53 round graver. the groove fits the stylus perfectly.
never underestimate the power of the pencil !

 

[John P. Anderson]

I grab old HP Laserjets at the Thrift Store and other sources. They are usually cheaper than a new toner cartridge. Older ones only have a parallel port but newer ones have USB or network plug.

 

[Idaho Flint]

I use InkJet transfers also, using Transfer Magic. Works great for me. I have noticed that it does not work as well if one of two conditions exist. 1 - If the metal is highly polished to a mirror finish. It does not seem to have anything to grab onto during the transfer. Giving it a little satin finish helps a lot. 2 - If there is condensation on the metal I am transferring to.

Mike