Transparency printing at STAPLES

<p>I'm a photographer and I am going to STAPLES to find a printer and something to print on that is totally transparent and as large as possible. I need to make high quality images that are about 150 dots per inch, printing speed and price are not important.<br>

-Thanks</p>

<p>Good luck at Staples. All the transparency film I've seen there is 8.5X11 and designed for use in laser/dry ink printers. Also, most of the printers are also 8.5X11 paper size and designed more for general home/office work rather than high-quality photo printing. You might have better luck finding the right printer at a store like Best Buy, but I'm not sure where you'll find the transparency film you need.</p>

<p>Usually this type of transparency is for school type "overhead projector transparencies" ie pies charts; what animals live in Africa; bar graphs with different colors of sales of widgets per company division; or real estate sales stuff showing a photo of a house and its floor plan.</p>

<p>*****The type of transparency material is matched to the printer; if wrong results can be poor.; and sometimes on a fuser type machine the printer gets ruined; if drum distroyed***</p>

<p>Here with T-shirts the 11x17 transparency goes into our 15,000 buck color copier; a toner based machine. These higher end transparencies cost me about 1 dollar each my cost; but they are good in quality. A lessor material here gives worse results. If the wrong material is used; it gets/fuses on the drum and I am out a 800 to 1,000 buck drum.</p>

<p>Thus what happens is some Goober guy wants me to drop my transparency prices if he brings in some garbage unknown transparency. We lost a drum long ago by doing this. In a way it is like if old Goober shoots a rat and then brings it to a 5 star eating place and wants it cooked and wants the meals price dropped.</p>

<p>Many of these transparency materials have to be fed thru a "side tray" instead of the normal trays were 8.5x11 and 11x17 paper goes; thus one has more labor; no automation</p>

<p>I had a friend that ran a print shop and they had rolls of transparency films.<br>

Seems like I did find some 11x17 somewhere, but cant remember where.</p>

<p>For quality transparency material use Pictorico OHP, Inkpress transparncy material or the transparency material sold by Freestyle photo.</p>

<p>I have no idea what Kelly Flanigan is trying to communicate.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Is there a printer and transparency material to print on that anyone would recommend, that I can order online?<br>

I need the transparent film to be totally transparent, I am going to be putting it on top of normal paper without a light source in the back, and as thin as possible.<br>

I am trying to print out a grid-like pattern on these transparencies. Would that be better to do on a laser printer? because on an inkjet the grid wouldn't be totally precise?</p>

<p>Is there a printer and transparency material to print on that anyone would recommend, that I can order online?<br /> I need the transparent film to be totally transparent, there is going to be no light source in the back, also it needs to be as thin as possible.<br /> I am trying to print out a grid-like pattern on these transparencies. Would that be better to do on a laser printer? because on an inkjet the grid-like pattern wouldn't be totally precise?</p>

<p>An inkjet printer can make precise prints. Any of the transparency materials I listed above can be ordered online.</p>

<p>Donald;<br /> Re "I have no idea what Kelly Flanigan is trying to communicate"</p>

<p>*****Ok back to the basics; for clarity:<br /> (1) Bill does not mention what kind of printer he has or wants<br /> (2) Printers can be inkjet or toner based.<br /> (3) most all transparency materials sold are for toner based machines<br /> (4) Unless the printer model is known; there is no logical way to choose a transparency material<br /> (5) In lower end transparency materials the material sometimes supports less ink or toner; it is use for grade school stuff; not high end pictorial stuff.</p>

<p>Transparency materials are made for either type printer. (inkjet and toner based)</p>

<p>If one places an inkjet type transparency material in a toner based printer; it can ruin the drum; the heart of the printer. It often voids the warranty of service contact. It is like placing sugar in a cars gas tank; or diesel in a gas car; ie problems</p>

<p>If one places a toner based transparency material in an inkjet; some combos never dry; you get a sticky mess. Ie you leave the sheets on tables and wait a week or two; with a box fan blowing on them. This then requires one to have alot of tables and paper weights</p>

<p>If the wrong toner based transparency material is placed in a toner based machine one can get blotchy results; or toner that flakes off; or again the drum is ruined. On a high end printer the drum can be 2 grand; plus labor too.</p>

<p>A wrong combo is like mixing two types of blood; it might not work.</p>

<p>Unless one knows the actual printer; there is no logical way to choose a transparency material; unless folks like to guess.</p>

<p>With a toner based transparency; different printers run different fuser temperatures; a wrong material can ruin the drum</p>

<p>With the wrong inkjet material in an inkjet printer the ink may never like to dry; it just sits there all tacky like flypaper. If you place one finshed sheet on top of another; they get glued together and ink transfers ruining both. This was common long ago when one had epson; HP and novajet inks. You ordered transparency material for the printer one used; a wrong combo would make a bloody mess an often be tacky 2 weeks later.</p>

<p>In toner based printers a lower cost transparency material can be B&W only; if used for colors it might allows one to make cheaper pie charts; but poorer pictorial stuff; ie photos.</p>

<p>With toner based transparency materials a better product comes in as sealed bag with a drying agent; if the unused material is left out in a humid room; one gets a blotchy poor image; it shows up bad in areas of one tone. New old stock and poorly stored stuff can be like this.</p>

<p>In backlite signage pigmented inks are often used with transparency materials; to fend off UV damage due to the lights. Pigmented inks can require a different transparency material than a water based inkjet; again because of drying and smearing issues.</p>

<p>In printing for the public the lay public often wants to buy their own transparency materials at some box store; surplus outlet or ebay and have us use the unknown stuff; all it does is cause issues; thus you hand it back the them.<br /> <br /> There are about an order of magnitude more issues that I have seen; in using and selling transparency materials for pen plotters; inkjet and toner based machines. Most folks think there is only one type of material; thus they want you to "try" their 25 cent piece of stuff in a 16 grand printer; they really want to part of the risk; ie new drum or giant mess. <br>

<br /> Some inkjet printers require a strip so the printer sees the clear stuff; some require a blank paper to have the printer see it</p>

<p>Transparency materials are a vexed subject dealing with the lay public as a printer. After one has screwed up several printers; one just has to say no; it is too damn risky. It is like if Bubba wants to fly Delta airlines and brings in a can of oil and fuel for the airplane; in his world he his helping; ie there is no risk. </p>

<p>What printer/transparent film duo should I buy online?<br>

What type of printer would work best for my grid-like designs?</p>