Finally!! Access to white printing for the masses!

[Grayson72]

I searched in this forum to check if this had been posted somewhere else but I didn't find anything.

I just found this last night, there is a German company making white printer toner cartridges for numerous HP, Canon and Lexmark laser printers.

https://www.ghost-white-toner.com/

You just swap out the black cartridge for the white, I've seen printed examples on a railroading site, and there are several YouTube videos about it.

The cartridges are a bit expensive but one should last you several years.

[mickyg]

About time!  Been wondering when this sort of thing would become possible.  Opens up a whole lotta possibilities for decal printing now that simply wheren't there to the home hobbyist before.  Couple this with a Silhouette vinyl cutter and you're set for almost anything!

[Grayson72]

I know right? I almost fell out of my chair when I found this. 

Oh, you don’t need a deficated vinyl cutter for personal use. I have a Brother Scan-n-Cut that is a modelers dream com true. Cut vinyl, styrene, thin wood, etc. 

[mickyg]

You mean there are competitors to Silhouette now? Awesome!

[Grayson72]

Search YouTube for "brother scan n cut 2"... you'll cry at the possibilities.

I haven't seen any videos where it is being used for modeling purposes but you can extrapolate what it could do and it is invaluable to me.

[mickyg]

Did exactly that, just prior to your reply. Wow...

Must budget now. I see many possibilities now. 

 

[Grayson72]

it's the only one that has a built in scanner.  If you have a line drawing or a pattern that you'd like to cut, you scan it in, it detects the outlines and then it will cut them out for you.   Afterwards you can save the pattern and use it over and over.  The software for it is pretty sophisticated and there's is an accompanying website where you can design or modify your patterns and then upload them wirelessly to the machine or vice versa.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Grayson72

[wmkjr]

That's great news to hear! I got a Silhouette and that Brothers one seems like a great option to look into.

[David Hingtgen]

So can the scan-n-cut say, make vinyl masks for painting?   And if you didn't need to scan, but already had a PNG or JPG file--are there cheaper options that "just cut"? 

[Gabe Q]

If the black cartridge is replaced by the white cartridge how do you print black and white at the same time?

[Grayson72]

1 hour ago, Gabe Q said:

If the black cartridge is replaced by the white cartridge how do you print black and white at the same time?

In the demos I saw they did it in a two step process. 

[Grayson72]

1 hour ago, David Hingtgen said:

So can the scan-n-cut say, make vinyl masks for painting?   And if you didn't need to scan, but already had a PNG or JPG file--are there cheaper options that "just cut"? 

Oh definately, I’ve used it for that very purpose. I bought a whole role of paper backed sticky vinyl at the sewing store where they sell supplies for the scan n cut. I think another cheap option is the Cricut, which you can get at major arts and crafts stores. 

[wmkjr]

3 hours ago, Gabe Q said:

If the black cartridge is replaced by the white cartridge how do you print black and white at the same time?

From their website:

The easiest way is to create two files. The first file contains all text, areas, logos and pictures which should be white or colored on the final print. All these areas have to be black on your screen in this first file. Set your printer driver to grayscale and make sure you have the white toner cartridge installed.
After printing this first file please reinsert the page into your printer. Make sure that the alignment is right.
The second file should contain all colored and black areas. Please delete all areas that came out white on the first printout. Otherwise these areas will be printed again.
Insert the black toner cartridge and print the second file

[Gabe Q]

16 hours ago, wmkjr said:

From their website:

The easiest way is to create two files. The first file contains all text, areas, logos and pictures which should be white or colored on the final print. All these areas have to be black on your screen in this first file. Set your printer driver to grayscale and make sure you have the white toner cartridge installed.
After printing this first file please reinsert the page into your printer. Make sure that the alignment is right.
The second file should contain all colored and black areas. Please delete all areas that came out white on the first printout. Otherwise these areas will be printed again.
Insert the black toner cartridge and print the second file

Seems like the more complex images wouldn't register precisely the second time around. I'm extremely skeptical.

[NZEOD]

if those cartridges are for commercial printers like the one my work uses for its expo brochures then it will pick up the page and register the second pass fairly accurately.

[electric indigo]

If you want to be on the safe side, print the black on a separate decal sheet and register manually.

[Sildani]

I’ll just order a complete decal sheet from one of you guys. It’s the only way to be sure. 

[Grayson72]

It will suit my needs of printing white lettering and white backgrounds for color decals.

Edited December 7, 2017 by Grayson72

[Grayson72]

14 hours ago, NZEOD said:

if those cartridges are for commercial printers like the one my work uses for its expo brochures then it will pick up the page and register the second pass fairly accurately.

They are actually for your every day color laser printer like an HP LaserJet

[arbit]

Cool! Now we can do anything.

[NZEOD]

On ‎8‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 9:42 AM, Grayson72 said:

They are actually for your every day color laser printer like an HP LaserJet

That big cartridge is for a commercial small scale HP publishing printer. Its the same ones we have at work

[Grayson72]

I’m not sure which cartridge you mean. I only looked at their list of compatible printers like the HP Color LaserJet Pro M 252, I can buy that one on Amazon for cheap. 

[MechTech]

Thanks for sharing Grayson! I may think about this for work graphics too! - MT

[wmkjr]

On 12/8/2017 at 10:27 PM, NZEOD said:

That big cartridge is for a commercial small scale HP publishing printer. Its the same ones we have at work

Is it the LaserJet Enterprise 700 Color MFP M775z plus?  The white toner for that is almost a grand.