Full Version: OEM..What is it?
From: Becky (KIAIJANE) [#4]
26 Dec 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#3] 26 Dec 2006
Dave-
So, what your saying is, if I understand this correctly, I can use my laser printer and special paper designed for transferring images from a laser printer, and my heat presses similar to the sublimation inks with my Epson C88? Am I getting that right? In other words, could I make the same mugs etc. with my laser printer that I do with my Epson C88?
Thanks
Becky
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#5]
26 Dec 2006
To: Becky (KIAIJANE) [#4] 26 Dec 2006
It depends what kind of laser printer you have. Printers such as the Konica-Minolta and others, which don't use "magnetic" toner (Hewlett-Packard Laserjets use magnetic toner) will work.
Edit: We have one forum member claiming successful use of magnetic OEM toner and a special transfer paper, with an HP printer, in the following thread:
http://www.engravingetc.org/forum/index.php?webtag=EE&msg=4497.1
EDITED: 26 Dec 2006 by DGL
From: Becky (KIAIJANE) [#6]
26 Dec 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#5] 26 Dec 2006
Dave-
Well here is why I am inquiring (other than just being curious) I recently had to refer a job to a screen printer because I couldn't do sublimation on the colored shirts they wanted. Don't know if I would have been able to do it anyway with the time frame and budget they wanted. But it was the first time I have had to tell someone flat out "no I can't do it" Granted, though it was the first, I'm sure it won't be the last.
I was at the NBM show in Baltimore and saw the Powerful Papers booth. It certainly seems as though their products add a lot more possibilities if you have the right kind of printer. I have a Dell 3100cn so I have no clue if that would work or not.
I am going to keep searching. Thank you all for the help!!
55 days and counting!!!! Woo Hoo!!
Becky
From: UncleSteve [#7]
26 Dec 2006
To: Becky (KIAIJANE) [#6] 26 Dec 2006
Why not "search" for a screen printer to farm out the work to instead of just turning over the customer to them?
There are also companies like Ace Transfer ( www.acetransco.com ) that will print the transfers for you. You keep the customer AND most of the profits... :D
From: Becky (KIAIJANE) [#8]
26 Dec 2006
To: UncleSteve [#7] 26 Dec 2006
Well, for several reasons.
#1, the customer is a small non-profit group that needed them in a hurry and had a tiny tiny budget...2 things that mix like oil and water. So, I knew the only way for them to get the price they wanted at the speed they wanted was to deal directly with the screen printer.
#2, the screen printer to which I referred them is a customer of mine. We are "strategic allies" with one another so it was not a big deal. I may have lost that transaction but have still retained the original customer and kept my alliance in tact.
From: UncleSteve [#9]
26 Dec 2006
To: Becky (KIAIJANE) [#8] 26 Dec 2006
I love stories with happy, happy, happy endings!
:-)
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#10]
26 Dec 2006
To: Becky (KIAIJANE) [#6] 26 Dec 2006
From what you've said in the ensuing posts, I think you made the right call.
There was no money to be had in the job and you made a customer happy.
Besides, at this point, you have no experience with the OEM laser toner process, which means you may have opened up a can of worms, that you may have regretted.
I don't know if your Dell printer would be compatible with the special transfer papers. If it is a compatible printer, I'd suggest getting some of the transfer paper and experimenting.
That way, printing to fabric won't be a mystery and you'll be able to decide if taking on that type of work is desireable.