Laser Printer Needed (Mono).

[NikGrey]

I need a printer just to make negatives, so it needs to print BLACK - so no light penetrates it at all.

The problem is I need to print onto Film, to make negatives - my Ricoh's will not recognise the film.. had all sorts of problems today, tried all sorts but now realise it's not worth the hassle and I certainly don't want to put one of my beloved Ricoh's out of action.

So I think the best course of action is to find a Laser Printer.

Found an OKI B2200 for £35 and wondering if anyone knows this machine (and any possible problems it has) or if anyone can recommend an alternative ?

[pisquee]

Do also look at the toner cart costs along with the actual price of the printer - try and work out the TCO

[John G]

I'd be surprised if you got a black from a laser printer that no light penetrates when producing a neg.
I use an old Minolta 2300DL to produce positives to make screens for screen printing, and get good results - but its not as dense as a camera posi would be, and for a full background, or neg, it would struggle. I still have to touch my posi's in with a touch up pen for large solids.

Cheers John

[NikGrey]

The toners for this Oki are inexpensive, chips are readily available too.

The reason I thought a Laser printer would be good for this John is because you can set the 'Blackness' (searching for the correct term here) - for what I saw yesterday there was no way I was going to get anywhere close to black with the Ricoh's - I found 'Postcard - High Quality' to lay down the most ink and that was no where near enough.

I just purchased this Oki for testing, its £35 so not a lot lost - in any case I will find another use for it if this idea fails.

Everything else with this project is coming together - I didnt expect to have this problem but if it were that straight forward there would be no fun in it..

[John G]

What are the negs going to be used for?

[NikGrey]

For exposing stamp plates, polymer stamps.

[John G]

You could always use an inkjet printer and folex opaque transparency sheets. You'd maybe get a better black.

[arthur.daley]

Hi Nik

How about cutting vinyl or any similar opaque material as a neg?


Arthur

[John G]

too small to weed and probably too intricate for a plotter - stamp size. If it was possible the material to use would be something like amber.

[NikGrey]

Little Oki arrived - still no where near good enough at producing a negative.

Is smoke supposed to come out of the top of the printer when printing? It smells like burning electronics..

I have never seen a printer print as fast as this little thing - really happy with it for the price but I still cant make negatives.

Just tried printing on some Acetate with my Richo - this is the best result so-far but still not good enough - going to order some of the opaque paper John suggested next and whilst waiting for that to arrive I will get some spray mount and work on getting the 'imageblack' film I have through the Ricoh.