Printer - (less sh*tty news)

Creative Arts
#1

Our Epson has been down for parts.
@pandabob is our patron saint of the printers. He came back with a report that the parts wont be here till March. Yes, you heard me correctly. March.

We are looking at all sorts of different solutions at this point including buying a short term printer so we don’t stall out the silkscreen program we intend on working. The big big one is working but we don’t want to run it in the dust storm known as the annex while it’s getting worked on.

We will have a solution soon.

#2

I hate to do this, but off to FedEx Kinko’s. :frowning:

Need to get this test layout printed or I won’t make pinfest with this project.

#3

Which printer is working?

#4

The new one 64" of glory. It’s not outfitted with refillable cartridges and we’re worried about the sawdust situation. Coming up tomorrow to brainstorm.

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#5

There’s the basic Epson wide format, Not exactly cheap. But also less complicated and quicker than a plotter.

https://epson.com/For-Home/Printers/Photo/Epson-Artisan-1430-Inkjet-Printer/p/C11CB53201

11x17 is pretty big on a shirt, also a popular size for gig posters. There’s also a external ink package you can buy third party. It works very to obtain a full dark transparency even using the cheap ink it ships with.

IMHO - At this point it’d pay for it’s self through the fact of not holding off $35 classes another week or two.

#6

Agreed - I showed that to Steve and he said it’s a dye ink and not a pigment based ink. He said he was looking at another option but I’m two minutes from pulling the trigger on this purchase so we don’t delay anyone.

#7

What’s his opinion on dye vs. pigment?

#8

He doesn’t believe the 1430 will have rich enough blacks for us.

#9

My impression was it’s just a printer, with the external ink cartridge, you can buy which ever brand of dye or pigment based ink you’d like in any volume and fill it up. Printing with “PHOTO RPM” and the cheap dye inks always seemed to work for me. I feel the “black max” inks from ryonet are a marketing sham. Yes it’s important to get a dark print, but fine tuning the settings on your computer should be plenty to achieve this. -Devin

#10

@pandabob please take a look see above.

#11

Queue theme song: Girls With Guns* … Tommy Shaw

  • Or Credit Card.
#12

If the printer is holding the classes up you could just use the vinyl cutter to make the emulsion masks like we used to. They work just as well.

That also means you don’t have to buy ANOTHER machine to have to deal with in the room

Extra edit. Please use the committee funds wisely and try to use the machines we have before spending more on a bandaid

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#13

I do understand how this could looks sideways to consider another machine. I do believe I’ve been careful with money - although I buy quite a bit. I understand your concerns and I welcome anyone to look at the expensify account if they wonder whats being purchased for CA.

The issue with the larger printer is the cost per square foot - without it being adapted to take refill inks it’s quite costly and we have nowhere to put the biggin’ yet.

The vinyl would work for some things but for the most flexibility a printer is going to be what most people will end up using. You can even use cut paper or anything to block the light .

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#14

I do like the speed and simplicity of a vinyl stencil, but with everything there’s advantages. It does lack in anything outside a basic logo or large text.

IMG_1599.JPG3264×2448 2.3 MB
I consider this image as the starting point of image complexity that would require an burned emulsion screen. Any sort of fine lines would not last more than several prints with vinyl. I also assume it would have to be used and disposed of instead of cleaned and saved for later. For posters, I will have to wait on a printer, which is my push to expedite things.

#15

You could easily use emulsion for that. Not vinyl as the screen. Vinyl as the opaque mask to expose the emulsion.

It’s how all of the DMS screens have been burned in up till now. I made them.

You could do all of that example in one sticker with the vinyl cutter.

Nicole I will show you how this is an easy alternative that you already have the supplies for at the space next time we can meet up.

Again you can make burned in screens by using the vinyl in place of transparency. I’m not taking about replacing emulsion

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#16

Well never thought of that, Do you stick it to a transparency first?

#17

Directly to the emulsion. It also helps solve the problems of transparency not laying flat or shifting during exposure.

#18

Does it wash off when wet then?

#19

Peel it off and the emulsion washes off. I’d say you could wash the opposite side of the screen to get the sticker off but I don’t want vinyl in the drain, do your best to get most of it off before hand

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#20

Pearce is correct…I’ve used both vinyl and paper cut-outs as exposure masks for my home unit. Don’t know why it wouldn’t work. Could apply the vinyl to the transparency film to make it reusable for the DMS themed ones.