laser printing decals

[PHPaul]

I recently bought a Brother color LED (vs. laser) printer and want to print some small decals.

I also got some clear waterslide decal paper.  It comes in 8.5 x 11 sheets.

After printing decals can I trim the paper back square after cutting out the decals and reuse a partial sheet?

I'd hate to burn up a whole sheet for 1 or 2 small decals.

[crazyjim]

I do it all the time.

[Erik Smith]

I print out a test on normal paper, then cut out a small piece of decal paper and tape it on to the paper over the test print and send the whole thing through and print again.

Edited January 30, 2020 by Erik Smith

[PHPaul]

39 minutes ago, Erik Smith said:

I print out a test on normal paper, then cut out a small piece of decal paper and tape it on to the paper over the test print and send the whole thing through and print again.

Genius!  Makes perfect sense and avoids dicking around resetting paper size all the time.  Thanks!

[PHPaul]

While waiting on a reply, I reset my printer for the smallest paper size it can handle and cut a piece of decal paper to that size. (A6) 

Printed out and applied the MMPA (Michigan Milk Producer's Association) decal for my scratch-bashed 1/64th milk truck.

I've wanted to be able to print custom decals for years, now the technology (and my budget) have caught up with my dreams!

[Tom Geiger]

3 hours ago, Erik Smith said:

I print out a test on normal paper, then cut out a small piece of decal paper and tape it on to the paper over the test print and send the whole thing through and print again.

I do the same on my inkjet. Make sure you have taped the leading edge flat so it doesn’t snag and jam as the machine pulls in the paper

[Ben Brown]

I bunch all of my images at the top (or bottom) of the page and then print. I cut that strip off and just run the shorter paper through the printer the next time I print decals.

 

Ben

[peteski]

I do the same on my Alps printer.  Place the decal images at the top of the page, print, then  trim.  No need to change paper size every time, since the printer will not know the paper is short until it it finishes printing and ejects the paper. Then it doesn't care that it ended too soon (at least my printed doesn't care).

Many of my decals are small and I also split letter size sheets vertically, so I end up with a 4.5" x 11" blank sheets of paper.  I still practice the top-of-sheet printing on it too.  But I don't think that inkjet or laser printers can handle that size paper (Alps can).

[George Bojaciuk]

Cut your paper to 4x6. Spec it as such in your print. You’ll only waste what doesn’t fit the new page.

[bisc63]

Nice work on that TINY decal!

[mgreco53]

This may be a stupid question, but what is difference between a led and a laser printer?

[Mr. Muppet]

2 hours ago, mgreco53 said:

This may be a stupid question, but what is difference between a led and a laser printer?

They're very similar.  A laser printer uses a laser to melt toner to the paper, while an LED printer uses light emitting diodes to do the same thing.  Unlike a laser printer, where the laser moves back and forth (side to side, really), the LED printer uses an array of LEDs to do an entire line at once.

[mgreco53]

8 hours ago, Mr. Muppet said:

They're very similar.  A laser printer uses a laser to melt toner to the paper, while an LED printer uses light emitting diodes to do the same thing.  Unlike a laser printer, where the laser moves back and forth (side to side, really), the LED printer uses an array of LEDs to do an entire line at once.

The same still holds true for printing white?

[Mr. Muppet]

1 hour ago, mgreco53 said:

The same still holds true for printing white?

If the printer has white toner, yeah.

Edited January 31, 2020 by Mr. Muppet

[peteski]

On 1/31/2020 at 12:37 AM, Mr. Muppet said:

They're very similar.  A laser printer uses a laser to melt toner to the paper, while an LED printer uses light emitting diodes to do the same thing.  Unlike a laser printer, where the laser moves back and forth (side to side, really), the LED printer uses an array of LEDs to do an entire line at once.

Not quite.  You are correct that the function of the laser laser or the LEDs is to create the image onto the printer's drum. But the melting of the toner is done by the fuser (a hot rubber roller that is heated from the inside - usually by a halogen lamp).  But as you said, both types are very similar otherwise.