Laser printer for decals

Why laser and not inkjet?

Laser doesn't "bleed" or "bead up" or  "not stick" to the paper like inkjet can. (laser is also cheaper per page if you use them for more than one cartridge change)

I have an HP CP 1025nw color laser. It has four individual color toner cartridges, and you can get a "large capacity" black cartridge for it as one of your options when you buy supplies.

Standard laser decal paper works in it, you just print, let your paper cool down, and spray with the overcoat.

go to someone like Staples or New Egg, and look at something like these

www.staples.com/.../cat_CL142044|4224931354|56649

There is no need to pay a lot for speed, so, I checked the lowest price box when sorting that page

Rex

I've used both an inkjet and a laser for decals and I find laser is just better. Easier to use, with no post-printing clear coating of the decal needed. Plus, I've never had an inkjet printer last me longer than a year, (and I'm not a heavy user of the printing process). On the other hand, my wife and I have shared a laser printer for the last 4 years and she's an event planner who also creates custom invitations (and hence, is a really heavy user of the printer). I'm in the process of starting my own business and figured I could purchase my own dedicated printer (and stop waiting for dear wife to get off the shared printer) and write the whole thing off as a business expense.

Things to consider:

DPI, the higher the resolution, the finer the print.

Paper Path: the straighter the better.

Single Path printing: where the paper only goes through once, rather than 4 times, as registration of the colours more accurate.

Most modern laser printers use separate colo(u)r carts, this is preferable.

Availability & cost of carts:  No point in getting a sub-USD$200 printer if the set of carts cost $800+ ?

Also TCO; total cost of ownership (all costs divided by printed sheets produced = cost per sheet)

Buy carts in sets & online much cheaper.

Interoperability: If you have one already, try to get an improved model of printer that takes the same carts, saves on dead $ tied up in carts & you could always 'borrow' the other one?

I find laser printed decals DO need to be sealed.  I have made both types.  The inkjet stuff of course is water soluble, so needs to be sealed.  Laser toner doesn't have great adhesion to the paper, so needs to be sealed because of that.  You can even rub the stuff off with your fingers if you do not seal it.

If you use the proper paper inkjet ink does not ball up and refuse to wet the paper (some very early papers did but that was years ago).  The only major problem I have with inkjet inks is that some of them are hard to seal- the inks dissolve in the sealer.

I find modern inkjet printers capable of more colors and higher resolution than all but very expensive lasers.

That's the exact opposite of my experience and I've made both types and have been laser exclusive for the last two years.

I've gone in the opposite direction, so have not bought laser paper for a couple of years. It may be that newer stuff may have better adhesion.

As far as the resolution, my inkjet printers now print nice decals at 400 or 600 pixels per inch.  My laser printer can barely handle 300.  Of course, my laser printer is a cheapie- less than 100 bucks and black only (though most of the decals I print are black anyway).  The low price I am willing to pay for a laser printer may be coloring my opinion.