Best computer printer detail?

[sjordan2]

Any suggestions for either a laser printing service like Kinko's or a home inkjet printer that can reproduce the sharpest, finest detail for instrument gauges, engine compartment labels and ID plates, etc? I see stuff on Franklin Mint decals, such as 1/24 shift knob patterns, that are unbelievable.

(The answer is NOT to increase printer resolution - that just lays down more ink that blends together.)

[my66s55]

It may be more the file type than the printer. A vector file will be much clearer than a raster file.

[Art Anderson]

For starters, Franklin Mint, as with most diecast manufacturers, does most (if not all) their detailing with Tampo Printing" which is called in the trade "pad printing". Too complicated to describe here, but they definitely are not puter printed.

Art

[Harry P.]

The problem is generally not the printer, but the file you're printing.

GIGO. Garbage In = Garbage out.

Almost any home printer has the resolution to output razor sharp detail, if the file you're printing has the sharp detail in it to begin with, and you're printing on high quality coated paper (photo paper). Printing on plain paper won't do, the paper absorbs the ink and fine detail is lost.

If it's vector art you're printing, resolution is irrelevant, vector art has no resolution. If it's raster (pixel-based) art like a jpeg or any Photoshop image, your original file should be created at 300 dpi minimum. Any lower resolution than that will not look sharp when printed, no mater what printer you use.

So bottom line: raster art must be created at 300 dpi minimum, and you need to print on coated stock ("photo paper," not plain old copy paper).

[slotbaker]

I see stuff on Franklin Mint decals, such as 1/24 shift knob patterns, that are unbelievable.

For starters, Franklin Mint, as with most diecast manufacturers, does most (if not all) their detailing with Tampo Printing" which is called in the trade "pad printing". Too complicated to describe here...

For anyone interested in Tampo (Tampon) printing, it works like this;

An image of the print is etched into a cliche (flat steel or plastic plate) that is mounted in the press. The etch is about 0.1mm deep.

Steel cliches for high volume.

A squeegie pushes ink back and forth once accross the cliche, leaving the etched image full of ink.

Better describe what the tampon is before the next step.

It is a soft and very pliable rubber shape that is held in the top part of the press above the cliche. The shape and size depends on the size of the image, and the shape of the article being printed. To give you an idea of what it feels like. Have you ever been lying on your back, and had a naked female partner leaning over you? Well, you would have experienced 2 tampons.

The tampons are designed to be very pliable to be able to print onto curved surfaces.

Anyway, the press lowers the tampon down onto the cliche, and the surface tension on the air side of the ink is greater than that of the cliche, and the ink 'sticks' to the tampon.

The press raises the tampon taking the ink, and an automated slide moves the work piece in over the cliche.

The press lowers the tampon onto the work piece and the surface tension on the air side of the ink is greater which now makes the ink stay on the job.

The ink used on better quality models would be a 2 pack low temp bake to get the best adhesion. Lower quality prints would be air dry.

All of this gives one colour.

The process takes about 2 to 4 seconds.

For every colour, a different cliche is required, and a progressive printing line would be used.

The real cleaver part of this process is generating an image in the flat cliche that ends up correctly proportioned on a curved surface. Then add the complications of multi coloured images.

Have a close look at a curved, multi-colour print to see how accurate the detail is, then think how the image would look if was flattened out. Pretty amazing stuff.