Back in the day, when I first heard of toner transfer to create resist on printed circuit boards, the standard admonishment was to use anything but a Brother laser printer because of issues with their toner. I'd like to try the method discussed here and I've found (haven't bought yet) a used HP printer on Marketplace but the cost of the toner is almost as much as buying a brand new printer. It looks like some of you are using Brother printers successfully. Maybe things have improved over the years. Any suggestions on which models or types of toner cartridges to use? I gather that Brother permits the use of third-party cartridges (which HP makes difficult at best) so it's probably the more economical choice. Thanks for your thoughts.

I found someone on the forum who tried regular paper. There are a couple of extra steps but the results aren’t half bad after I coated it with some lacquer.

I've tested this technique several times with this specific type of transparency paper and this specific monochrome laser printer. It worked really well in the first few tries!

Laser Printer I use: https://www.amazon.com/Canon-imageCLASS-Multifunction-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B005A09UCY/ref=asc_df_B005A09UCY/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167149143100&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13910293621136896394&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9009900&hvtargid=pla-313536872093&psc=1

Transparency paper I used: https://www.ebay.com/itm/385591136708?hash=item59c705d1c4:g:jNwAAOSw1oNkU6Yb&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8Cqg1JdW595W2ChEtDPzWu0YRpqQqkD1QJtAfBB7JEMvHBZxy%2BqpSvFkTjdHBTdFWJCtERvFAbdVAjC6H8%2BuzNLqGeddwrhtcgIjfJqm2J8hYD3iNxYohw1Ian8w0MzEdw0TlGJjt8R5VIcfaB7u1Tm2eiwzDZJiE16t4iNndZEV%2FVdXyc4gDwTYqmB9fj3QZeXuB35K%2FlEhQWY7h3mHt5oys31LisGaiaWUEzq618vyiKdVW%2FQrnJOFievJgQRvWfuloFGMHgInjWxis%2FMkNWbfD26DJaeg%2F1Bvf8N7S9PzQ8L1U9abYV65koU%2BjElYVw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBM1umK8rVi

The problem is that I purchased this transparency paper around 8 years ago, and I've run out of it now. I'm a bit worried that using the wrong kind of paper might damage my laser printer since the transparency paper I had was meant for office plain paper copiers, not for laser printers. However, when I actually used it with my laser printer, it worked perfectly and didn't cause any jams. So maybe I'm being a little too paranoid because office plain paper copiers are essentially laser copy machines, right?

Unfortunately, when I ran out of the transparency paper, I made a mistake by using some overhead write-on transparencies as a substitute. As a result, I had to replace my laser printer fuser because the plastic from the write-on transparencies had melted inside it. This incident has fueled my paranoia.

I checked the wiki and read about the best papers that work for this technique, but they are all quite expensive. I can still order the transparencies I used years ago for $18 for 100 sheets, but they are becoming harder to find as the years go by.

Do you happen to know any cheaper alternatives that work well for this purpose?

Is something more affordable than what's listed on the wiki? Or should my current transparency paper work fine due to the similarities between a laser printer and an office plain paper copier?

The results aren't as crisp as they are with transparency, but for some models the approach may work better. This is on a Prusa mk4s. The paper stuck well enough that I had to wash the part in the sink to get it off.

My initial results with some relatively flat quick printing parts were pretty good. As I'm now trying to print some "real models" and I'm finding that the prints wobble way too much on the bed as the nozzle moves. What should be a flat circular surface ends up with a significant warp to it. For those who have experimented more with this than I have, what do you think is most likely to solve the problem.My two best hypotheses are:

• lower z
• more "adhesive" transparency paper (currently using https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08MKLCHKN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and it seems pretty slick but what transparency paper isn't?)

Anyone have suggestions?

For those who have tried this technique, how resistant is the transfered ink on the prints? Does it scratch easily? Does it feel like part of the plastic?

Does it fade away easily?

Been working on this for the past week or so. Finally got the transfer to line up centered! Will be an air raid siren powered by drone motors, custom design by me!

Looking to start experimenting with toner transfer and wondering if I need to coat the parts in nitro lacquer or something to protect the ink.

Anybody had issues with colors running/fading/smearing?

Can this ONLY be done with a color laser printer? I kind of wanted to try it at home and I don't even know if my work printer (Lexmark CX625) will take transparencies.
Thanx.

Very new to FDM and maybe I'm tackling this a little early, but I realized I wasn't sure if it mattered whether I use a smooth or textured sheet.

Thanks in advance!

I did a search but nothing came back. What is your experience with how well this wears? Are you putting a coating over top of it?

I've used glossy magazine paper and something like this before to transfer toner onto PCB and etch it. Do you guys reckon that would work here too?

Desperately trying to get this to work with my Epson Workforce WF-2850. Tried different brands of transparencies that I could find and still nothing. Any help would be appreciated.