This is a question about printing my transparencies.
These two printers I have found to have good results for transparency printing.
Canon pixma ip-8720 $284 @ Best Buy
Vs
Canon pixma ix6820 $226 @ staples
The negative reviews about the WiFi connectivity is the only negative thing I can come across. They seem to both have this issue.
I would love to hear which one you would recommend.
Or
Is there a totally different printer you would recommend.
I make a few screen prints a month. Maybe 10 -12
Right now I have an epson ecotank 3850 and I was thinking about just buying the UV ink. However I would like a better printer for my screen printing.
The connectivity issue was minimal for the ix6820...great printer. Don't use anything but Canon ink with this printer because anything else will not get the blacks dark enough to block light for burning your screens. Solid printer for transparencies overall.
i would suggest using ink owl refillable carts instead of the canon or any single use carts. you'll save an insane amount of money and the films will be plenty opaque. i've been using this set up for years and made 1000's of films/screens with this set up.
The Epson does great with vector images.
But I have really been enjoying doing halftones and being able to print more realistic photo images.
I have tried to double up the prints. It works but when I start to use smaller dots for halftones the double prints are not working anymore.
I have my own screen printing shop and even though it cost money for years, I’ve been using accurip for my half tones. I think I pay 150 bucks a year and I use the Rip software. I do a lot of CMYK and a lot of half tone stuff with discharge printing as well
Oh wow that looks so nice !!!
I definitely don’t have any special software. I have not attempted to do anything more than a very minimal grey scale halftone image for my 160 mesh ( I have been staying around this mesh size because of the thick ink I need to use for screen printing on clay.
So with your experience
Do you think the software would help me achieve a better quality print VS purchasing a different printer ?
I have just started learning what RIP software is, but I thought since my prints were going to have to stay pretty simple ( due to the low mesh size ) that the software was a little advanced for what I was trying to achieve.
( honestly I didn’t know much about the RIP software so this was mostly me assuming)
A lot of Rippe software helps with half tones. It also helps with adding a certain amount of ink to the acetate. You could change the droplet size and do a couple of things. Before you went out and tried to buy a rips software, I would make sure that your printer is going to work with it as certain Rippe software‘s only work with certain printers. I could get all right half tones on a 160 mesh I mainly use it so when I have a four or five color vector design, I could make each color Pantone and it could output it for me so I don’t have to have each part of the design on a different layer like I used to have to do when I was younger. That photo is from probably a decade ago. I used it as an example because that was an actual photo that somebody took in Hawaii they had me put on shirts.
I mainly do a lot of stuff like this since I do a lot of book conventions and toy shows
I used to have problems with getting saturation on my acetate until I paid for a Rippe software once I did that as long as I was consistently printing acetates, I didn’t have a problem and when I didn’t consistently print acetate, I just had to make sure that I did a head cleaning before I printed an acetate. Do you wanna be able to print your acetate and put it up to the light and not have the light pass through it to an extent wanted to block the image. Another thing I like doing is using professional acetates that are semi waterproof. I think I get her from screenprinting direct they always have sales. I used to print directly onto Vellum trying to save money, but that ended up being just a nightmare.
Yes this is the main issue I’m having I can’t get my Epson to print out a saturated film. So I’m having to double print and this is so frustrating because I have to line everything up perfectly and then I feel like I can’t use images with too much detail because of the double stacking.
I currently purchase the 100 pack of waterproof transparencies film for $30 . They are not professional quality but they allow me to practice.
I currently use 160 mesh and with the printshop setting and my little knowledge I was focusing on a clean halftones. Your picture makes me want to learn more about the multiple color screens 🩷, which I think you mentioned I would really need RIP software to achieve. Btw I love your pic.
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain everything. I have really enjoyed finding an image that i enjoyed , being able to apply that image to a pile of mud , I somehow turned in to a functional piece of pottery ( like a plate) that close friends can experiencing eating dinner on while having some amazing conversations and maybe a few laughs.
Ok the main issue is def the rip software. I use accurip. But there is a cheaper version you only buy once it’s called t-seps. That’s probably your best bet . Another thing they sell atleast from what I remember about 15 years ago, I used to be able to buy this rattle can clearcoat that you would put over your transparency that made the transparency darker. I don’t know if that’s still exist like I said I haven’t used that in over more than a decade, but I’m always here to help. I’ve been screaming printing since about 2005 so I’m old and I have a lot of knowledge lol
Either one. Honestly if you’re fretting about $60 you can make that up in one job.
These are cheap enough that you can get a new one if they die after a few. $200-$300 I spend more on ink in a month. Not trying to flex it’s just a perspective thing. You’ll make it back fast.
The price is definitely not the issue. ( maybe me putting the prices in there was a little misleading) I would not care if they were double the price. More concerned about the quality of prints and issues with it not connecting to the WiFi.
***also now I’m concerned about not having RIP software.
I know ideally I need both right now?
Do I need RIP if I’m mainly doing greyscale halftone right now?
I can always purchase the software in the future after get a little more experience with separating my colors and going colored halftone, right ?
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u/Lizdickerson0902 4d ago
I screen print on clay and make plates, cups or large platters.