My dad recently got a patent, and I am wanting to print it out on the blue blueprint paper and build a frame for it. The only issue is I want to print white on blue… How would you do this? Do they make inkjet printers capable of printing white? If so, where can I get one? If the makerspace has a way to do this, that would be awesome! But I assume this is a pretty specialized tool…
1 Like
I looked into this several years ago and every option that I found was expensive. I read that Alps printers can print white but you can’t buy them new anymore and used Alps printers are expensive. Your best bet would probably be to contact a print shop. I don’t know if there are plans to purchase a printer that can print white after the expansion? @uglyknees
1 Like
Congrats to your dad!
You can do it, basically you take your document or image or whatever and adjust it in an image editor so it’s white on a blue background. Then when you print it you’re really printing the blue.
Here’s one tutorial:
2 Likes
If you wanted to get crazy, you could screen print this project. White ink on colored paper is no problem for screen printing.
2 Likes
There are other newer printers which can print white, but they are also expensive.
1 Like
You might try silk screening it.
2 Likes
I saw other new printers that could print white but at the time they made the Alps printers look cheap. Now I’m looking again and Alps printers have more than doubled in price since the last time I looked at this.
1 Like
If DMS was to buy something like this, I’ll donate a couple of Benjamins…
2 Likes
You could always go the more authentic route:
https://hackaday.io/project/546/instructions
It obviously looks like a lot more work, but it might look more authentic etc.
4 Likes
You could go crazy and try this…
-Engrave your design (as a mirrored relief) in a sheet of plywood
-Roll on a bunch of white ink
-Stamp on blue paper
It could also end up looking a bit rustic which might be what you want?
That would be awesome - I used to want an Alps printer for resin experiments but that was when they were under $500. At the current price which appears to be in the $1K range from my quick search, it’s off my list of tools to buy someday. 
Ok, that’s cool. I’m going to try it
4 Likes
I don’t have anything I want to print but immediately started trying to find something when I saw that… Hehe.
The Garland ISD Printing Services Department has a large-format inkjet printer that can place white ink. They do work for outside entities - as long as you understand that school district rush jobs take priority. Contact Boyd Pace at [email protected]
Although… I’m not real sure why you want to print white. Blueprints are actually kind of deep purple, and the “white” areas end up kind of a grungy lavender. The photoshop concept outlined above seems more appropriate to me.
3 Likes
Decals for model building is the application I have in mind.
Something like this:
https://www.airplanesofthepast.com/us-air-force-buzz-numbers.htm
2 Likes
Yep the Alps “print in white” printers were the shizz for making custom decals with white elements on a clear background.
2 Likes
Metallics too.
4 Likes
back in the 1990’s my buddy had a cartridge tape style printer that would print anything, gloss, white, gold, etc. it might have been alps or some one else. but see, this might be a good solution buying this white toner kit from us cutter
Hmm, print a “secret” message in white on regular paper. Color it with a crayon to read. Probably very entertaining for kids.