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If your question isn't listed or you need additional
information, Please call: 817-489-5249
Our Office hours are from 9AM to 5PM CST
Q. I want to make temporary tattoos in a
relatively large quantity or a few hundred or more at a time.
Can I use your paper ?
A. No. We do not feel that is is practical to use our temporary
tattoo paper for large production runs. For small runs of one hundred or
less tattoos at a time our media is just what you are looking for.
Q. I want to make outdoor labels that must
last up to 5 years. Can this be done?
A. No. Unfortunately due to the limitations of the ink/toner used
in home printers this is not possible. The ONLY way to accomplish this
is to use professional grade UV resistant inks certified for this
purpose, such as those used in screen printing. With over-laminate
protection your ink/toner and our media can be surprisingly durable, but
5 years is not a reasonable outdoor life expectation.
Q. I want to make bumper stickers using my
inkjet printer. Can this be done ?
A. Yes, you can use our waterproof vinyl along with an over-laminate.
The main limiting factor will be UV resistance rather than water fastness.
Using photo inks or dye based inks (such as Epson Durabrite inks) will
increase outdoor life.
Q. I want to use your Aqua Slide Paper to make a
ceramic decal and fire it in a ceramic kiln. Can this be done?
A. No. See the following question for more
detail.
Q. I want to make Ceramic Decals. Can
I use your paper?
A. No. Our decal paper can be used to make decorative decals to apply
after firing, but our decals are not suitable for firing in a kiln. To make
such decals you would have to use special over-glaze colors along with a
screen printing machine.
Q. How can an inkjet media be
waterproof if the ink itself is water-soluble? ?
-
- A. It is similar in concept to spilling fruit juice on
a white cotton fabric. The dye molecules are trapped in the fibers
and can not be removed easily by using only cold water. Sometimes
even with warm water and soap the stain will not come out.
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- Q. What is an Alps printer ? (MD
series)
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- A. A special computer printer which uses dry ink rather
than water soluble ink like a standard inkjet printer.
When we refer to an "Alps" printer we actually are referring to
all dry resin printers. Alps is the brand name of one
manufacturer. Citizen, OKI, and Mitsubishi among others also
offer dry resin printers.
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- Q. In most of the instructions
you talk about using the Regular Ribbons.
- What do you mean by "the
Regular Ribbons" ?
-
- A. If you are using Alps MD1000, MD4000 or other Alps printers
that do not
- offer a "dye sub mode" you don’t have to worry
about this as the regular
- ribbons are the only ribbons your printer will accept. Other
Alps printers
- offer a printing mode called Dye Sub Mode using a special dye
sub ribbon.
Q. What will
happen if I use the Photo Quality Ribbons (sometimes referredto to
as "Dye Sub" ribbons) instead of the regular ribbons
?
A. Depending on the media you intend to print on, the ribbons
may tear.
Q. How can I tell the difference
between the Photo Quality (dye sub ribbons) and the regular ribbons?
A. If you want to physically distinguish between the cartridges, the
Dye Sub Cartridges are blue. The regular ribbons (the plastic
cartridge enclosure) are black.
Q. I want to use your Aqua Slide Paper
to make a ceramic decal and fire it in a ceramic kiln. Can this be done?
A. No. The Alps printer does not
print with ceramic over-glaze colors. But you can BAKE the decal onto a
mug or other item that can be heated to produce a semi permanent or
dishwasher resistant decal using your kitchen oven.
Q. I want to use a color laser
and your PAS paper to make dye sub images on ceramic tiles. Can I
do this using a Color Laser Printer?
NO. Sublimation and ceramic decals are two
totally different things.
Ceramic decals are printed using lead
fritted metal oxide (china paint) that fuses onto the glaze of
porcelain and ceramic at 800 degrees celsius.
Dye sublimation is the transfer of dye
sublimation ink using low heat onto ceramic ware that has been coated
with a urethane based film. This process takes place at around
148 degrees Celsius.
Printing on the PAS film is a COLD
transfer where you use water to slide the carrier film onto the
item. Baking will make this film stick better and using the urethane
over-laminate makes this film invisible.
Q. What is the difference between PAS/N
and PAS/4 decal media?
A. The PAS/N is softer, has less gloss and will form to relief and
curves. PAS/4 is stronger, glossier and stiffer.
Q. Your instructions mention only
regular ribbons for the white vinyl but I have printed on it using my
dye sub ribbons with good results.
A. The white vinyl may or may not accept the dye sub ribbons.
Therefore ,the instructions recommend only regular ribbons even though
most of our customers use dye sub mode with the white vinyl (the glossy
one).
Q. How well will the Alps ink resist
fading if placed where it is exposed to direct sunlight ?
A. The Alps ink is extremely resistant to the UV effect of the
sunlight when compared with traditional photographs.
Q. Why can't I use ink jet printers
with the water slide decal paper?
A. The Inkjet printer prints by dropping ink droplets onto the media.
As these droplets are mostly water and the media is a plastic type, the
results will be ink on the surface that will not dry. Take a look at our
IAS & WIAS media which are coated for inkjet printers.
Q. What do you mean by Late Model
Personal Laser printer/copier?
A. The newer generation laser printers/copiers where the fusing
drum/unit is a part of the toner.
Q. Can I use your self adhesive vinyl
in a Laser printer and, if so, also in Color Laser Printers?
A. In most cases our Vinyl can be used with excellent results in B/W
laser printers like HP and Brother and B/W photocopiers, except Xerox.
BUT do NOT use our vinyl in color laser printers.
Q. Can your Static/Tack media be used
in copiers or Laser Printers?
A. NO.
Q. Do you have decal paper that can be
used with the ALPS Photo Quality Ribbons?
A. No.
Q. Do you make or offer white decal
film/paper
A. We do not offer white decal paper for the Alps MD series
printers.
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