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Thermal Wax printers for custom decals ok?

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  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: and just won't go away.
Thermal Wax printers for custom decals ok?
Posted by Quagmyre on Monday, March 29, 2004 7:18 PM
I have access to a Tektronix Phaser Color Wax printer. The PowerPoint presentations printed on this thing are gem! No it cannot print white. Sad [:(] I imagine this would be good for making decals, and that I would have to seal them with Future or something, but what decal paper would be better to print on with a wax printer, laser or bubble jet?


Current and Subsequent Projects:
1/48 scale Tamiya P-47 "Razorback" - Complete
1/48 scale Testors/Lone Star Models PT-22 Recruit - 20% Complete 
1/48 scale Monogram C-47 Skytrain - Not Started

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 29, 2004 10:15 PM
I have no idea, but I'd research this one pretty good before trying it. I expect that a 'thermal' printer works with heat, and perhaps more heat than a laser printer?? If so, running a decal sheet through it might lead to a real mess inside the printer.

If it's not 'yours', then I'd be pretty sure before 'experimenting'....

Good luck and keep us posted...

Murray
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Central Ohio
Posted by Ashley on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 8:30 AM
The printer should be fine for decals. The ALPS printers are thermal wax, and because the inks are wax (as opposed to resins) they should work fine on the laser decal paper. I use that in my ALPS all the time. Resin printers use a very high heat to melt the pigments and they will destroy decal paper, but wax is applied much cooler. The difference in the inkjet paper is a coating to keep the water-based inks from running, so it should work as well.

An overcoat is always needed because the wax will scrape off the decal paper. If you handle the decals carefully, then the overcoat you use on the model will suffice. I always coat mine with Micro liquid decal film.

Go to Yahoo groups and check out the alpsdecal group message threads. Just about any question you might have has been posed there!

Have you flown a Ford lately?

  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: and just won't go away.
Posted by Quagmyre on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 9:53 AM
Thanks Ashley! Thats just what I needed to hear.

...and nice bonus info. on the Yahoo! Groups alpsdecal group message threads


Current and Subsequent Projects:
1/48 scale Tamiya P-47 "Razorback" - Complete
1/48 scale Testors/Lone Star Models PT-22 Recruit - 20% Complete 
1/48 scale Monogram C-47 Skytrain - Not Started

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