Some laser printers transfer easily with acetone, and some do not

[truehand]

I've always used a Samsung ML-3051ND with cheap recycled white paper and acetone for easy, durable, great transfers.
I just purchased a new Samsung ML-2165W and it does not tranfser well, if at all. Likely the damar varnish and parchment trick would help but..
I then purchased an HP Laserjet P1005 and it transfers beautifully!

I had always wondered why people were going to such lengths to get a good laser&acetone transfer. Evidently, some printers make it very easy, some make it very hard.

Maybe we should compile a list?

 

[monk]

lots of info on the subject in the tips section of the forum.

 

[truehand]

Why so dismissive, Monk? This is a discussion forum, not a search archive. Yes, I realize transfers have been discussed ad nauseam and I posted because I think most of the advice/tips/tricks for laser transfers are a waste of time simply because some laser printers work amazingly well with just acetone and regular paper while other laser printers don't transfer without jumping through crazy hoops. And that this disparity can occur even between two printers of the same brand.
I haven't seen this simple fact stated here before and thought it might save someone a lot of trouble.
I posted one printer that does not work and two that definitely do.

 

[Bob A]

My investigation when learning to etch brought me to the conclusion that printers with cartridges with a high Iron content listed on the MSDS transferred better than cartridges that didn't. I had exactly the same experience with three printers bought at [a common office supply store] and now that I've resurrected an old HP with original stock cartridges it's no problem. There is a firm that sells cartridges with higher iron content for printers for use in printing checks that work pretty well for many printers.

There is also a correlation between heat of transfer if that's the way you choose to transfer. Try to use a modern day Samsung, the paper will burn before the ink gets hot enough to transfer to your work!

Bob

 

[Bob A]

My investigation when learning to etch brought me to the conclusion that printers with cartridges with a high Iron content listed on the MSDS transferred better than cartridges that didn't. I had exactly the same experience with three printers bought at [a common office supply store] and now that I've resurrected an old HP with original stock cartridges it's no problem. There is a firm that sells cartridges with higher iron content for printers for use in printing checks that work pretty well for many printers.

There is also a correlation between heat of transfer if that's the way you choose to transfer. Try to use a modern day Samsung, the paper will burn before the ink gets hot enough to transfer to your work!

Bob

I forgot to mention - the easiest and cheapest modern day solution I found with the "good" ink was a Canon Personal Copier. Under a couple hundred bucks and scads of cartridges available. Either acetone or heat should work with that puppy.

Bob

 

[mcblank]

i found this Samsung SCX-3405W printer at walmart, says it does just black n white which would be sufficient for transfers, but i was looking at the printing details and it gives the dpi but idk if it would be a good printer for transfers, i was just thinking where its a black n white, i could you it for that.