What to look for in a printer?

[Pemil_99]

Hey!

I downloaded Inkscape and started making decals which went out of hand. I wa planning on just making a handful of designs and then do a testprint. But the printer we had  have given up. 

Making decals was fun though so I've probably made around 30 designs and versions by now.

 

But since the printer did not work I need a printer so I can use the decal designs.

So to my question, what to look for in a printer?

Is Inkjet or laserjet the best for printing decals?

I have planned to more or less only use clear decal paper.

I've read about dpi and settings and everything. My knowledge about printers are close to zero.

 

What should I be looking for when buying a printer? Is there something specific I should look into or can I just go to the store and buy the cheapest inkjet they have?

 

I'd love to hear what you have to say so I can start printing and share what I've been working on!

Edited April 15, 2024 by Pemil_99

[Horation]

On 2/3/2024 at 8:14 PM, Pemil_99 said:

...

So to my question, what to look for in a printer?

Is IÚnkjet or laserjet the best for printing decals?

...

What should I be looking for when buying a printer? Is there something specific I should look into or can O just go to the store and buy the cheapest inkjet they have?

...

Any printer can do, just buy the right kind of decal papaer for it.

Edited February 6, 2024 by LuxorV
No need to quote the whole post above yours. Thank you.

[Pemil_99]

On 2/6/2024 at 3:36 AM, Horation said:

Any printer can do, just buy the right kind of decal paper for it.

Yeah I know there's different papers for the Inkjets and laserjets.

 

Is there something to look for? I've read about dpi and stuff, is that something I should worry about or any new printer of the two types should be able to print good decals on the right paper?

[Horation]

3 hours ago, Pemil_99 said:

Is there something to look for? I've read about dpi and stuff, is that something I should worry about or any new printer of the two types should be able to print good decals on the right paper?

I haven't really heard anything about DPI being a problem (as long as you have a fairly recent printer), just make sure to read the instructions for the paper, other than that, go with what seems best based upon the necessities you have.

[Project Black Brick]

Either printer type inkjet or laser will yield excellent results however I personally went with a laser printer. The convenience of printing out a design and being able to apply to the object immediately is worth it. Unlike with an inkjet where you will need to apply either 1-3 coats of clear coat onto the waterslide decal paper to prevent the design from washing away when submerged into water. 

[Pemil_99]

On 2/14/2024 at 9:48 PM, Project Black Brick said:

Either printer type inkjet or laser will yield excellent results however I personally went with a laser printer. The convenience of printing out a design and being able to apply to the object immediately is worth it. Unlike with an inkjet where you will need to apply either 1-3 coats of clear coat onto the waterslide decal paper to prevent the design from washing away when submerged into water. 

Thank you!

I've done a test print of some decals at university with their black and white laser printer on normal paper.

Looking closely it's possible to see the dots, but the convenience factor is a big one.

I'm looking at a Brother laser printer which says it can print 2400x600 DPI, which doesn't tell me much. As a student with limited funds I'm just afraid to spend 300€+ on a printer to find out it won't work. 

But I hope it will work!