Help needed with digtal printing.

[oc1]

My printer and paint.net graphics program are now in unison. If I draw a box on the screen of 4" x 3" that is exactly what comes out of the printer.

That's a huge achievement.  I have to burn up a print cartridge fumbling around trying to get there.

[buzzawak]

 It just took 2 hours to scan and reproduce one Shakespear 2100 series 070 spool decal. tomorrow we test !

[Dominick]

This is over my pay grade.  I am enjoying the results.  Dominick

[happyhooker]

Keep at it!

Frank

[buzzawak]

This is the result when you buy 5 Pcs A4 Size Inkjet Water Slide Decal Paper Transparent Printing Water Transfer Paper Clear Inkjet Waterslide Decal Paper
from china for $9.80 AU including postage. Well off to the hobby shop to buy the real stuff!

[happyhooker]

Ouch, on the China paper.  Just a temporary stumbling block.  You impress me as a guy who won't be overly fazed by a little hiccup.

Frank

[buzzawak]

Got some better quality decal paper and had the first go. Will have to experiment with the materials and process.
Before and after shot

[Breadfan]

I commend you for your efforts. I run the platesetter and do all the layout in a 40,000 sqft print shop and I have seen just about every scenario come through the door wanting one off's like you are trying to do. I've thought about and I've had a brain storm and possibly the best answer for all of your problems and any other decals you may need in the future. I build rods and I have been looking for the same answer for my logos. I don't really want to pay someone to make my logos, rod specs ect, if I don't have to. Have you seen the Cricut machine? Google it. It will die cut all of your letters on a multitude of sticky backed substrates in whatever color you wish, then all you have to do is apply it your spool. They make a small version, mine is is about 6 inches wide. There is a learning curve to it and I just got mine, and I've just started to learn how it works. The only problem I see is, that you would have to paint the area white, as everything is die-cut, all the letters, shapes, everything. When it comes out of the machine, you remove the stuff you don't want, leaving  the rest in position, on the substrate  and then apply that to your spool. If you painted the area you wanted to be white, no one would ever know the difference. Looking at your spool, I don't see the need for the white, maybe I missed something? The Cricut machine would be perfect for this, with the metal showing through. Food for thought.


Example:    

[buzzawak]

Thanks, Breadfan for the input. Interesting I heard about the Cricut as my daughter got one for Christmas. Unfortunately, I am in Australia and she is in the states.
I think it would be a perfect solution and having clear text with a metal or white background would work. I will do some more research. On a bit of a tangent at the moment
playing with 3D printing of parts.