Printing on picture postcards with laser-printer?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Marcus O. M. Grabe
  • Start date Start date
M

Marcus O. M. Grabe

Hi all,

can I print on picture postcards with my HP LaserJet 4P?

The problem is not the size of a postcard. I printed other paper in
this format.

But I am anxious about the heat when printing. Can this make the
picture size of the postcard melting or even burning? Like overhead
foils that are not made for printers?

Or can the printer and/or the toner cartridge be damaged?

Thanks for any help, Marcus.
 
can I print on picture postcards with my HP LaserJet 4P?
Click to expand...

Probably not a good idea, glossy finishes may contain low melting
point coatings, possibly based on gelatin for its ink absorbancy
whilst reducing its spread via the papers fibre structure, which
is a feature of ink based printing systems. Lasers are a dry system
so the question of ink spread doesn't arise.
If a coating melts then it, and the white (usually titanium dioxide)
fillers, tend to stick to surfaces.
 
Marcus O. M. Grabe said:
Hi all,

can I print on picture postcards with my HP LaserJet 4P?

The problem is not the size of a postcard. I printed other paper in
this format.

But I am anxious about the heat when printing. Can this make the
picture size of the postcard melting or even burning? Like overhead
foils that are not made for printers?

Or can the printer and/or the toner cartridge be damaged?

Thanks for any help, Marcus.
Click to expand...

Marcus
Under no circumstances should you use any coted paper in a laser printer unless
the printer manufacturer recommends that paper.
The wrong paper can and usually will severely damage a laser (they are much
more picky about paper than inkjets in regard to damage), the usual damage that
occurs is that the coated paper sticks to the hot roller(s) in the fuser and
this nearly always requires a replacement fuser ($$$$$). But if you use paper
that the printer manufacturer approves then you should have no problem. MTW the
same applies to lebels, always use label stock that the manufacturer approves.
Tony
 
Marcus
Under no circumstances should you use any coted paper in a laser printer unless
the printer manufacturer recommends that paper.
The wrong paper can and usually will severely damage a laser (they are much
more picky about paper than inkjets in regard to damage), the usual damage that
occurs is that the coated paper sticks to the hot roller(s) in the fuser and
this nearly always requires a replacement fuser ($$$$$). But if you use paper
that the printer manufacturer approves then you should have no problem. MTW the
same applies to lebels, always use label stock that the manufacturer approves.
Tony
Click to expand...

Hi Tony,

thank you for your explanation. That is unfortunately what I expected.
So I will print on laser-proof labels and stick them onto the cards.
Doesn't look so good but better than hand-writing.

Marcus.
 
Some picture postcards are laminated or have a plastic coating or
"varnish", which may melt with a laser printer. I would not suggest it.

However, if you are willing to sacrifice one card, what you could try is
wrapping the image side with a layer of paper (use tape on the
printable side to hold the paper in place. Then try feeding it through
the printer. After the first time through check if the front image
surface has been damaged in any manner (changed amount of gloss, stuck
to the paper, bubbled up, destroyed, etc.) If not, try running it
through several times in a row, (to get it quite warm) with the paper
still wrapped on the image side, and see if it was damaged. If nothing
happens to it, it is probably safe to run through without the paper
being wrapped around it.

However, I cannot guarantee it won't melt without the wrapper on it, and
if it were to get jammed (which it might if the paper stock is thick) it
might singe or worse.

Laser printers have different fuser temperatures based upon the model
(it is one reason there are so many different toner powders out there),
so there is not hard and fast rule.

Keep a fire extinguisher handy ;-)

If you can figure out a way to easily cover the picture side during
printing you may have a safer method, since, even if the surface did
melt that paper would protect the interior of the printer surfaces.

Art
 
I don't see a problem if you are printing on the blank side and the blank
side isn't coated.
 
I don't see a problem if you are printing on the blank side and the blank
side isn't coated.
Click to expand...

It still goes through the heater, which heats both sides, and last I looked
is usually heated on the lower roller.
 
When you want to print color image by laser printer, there are tw
considerations

1.Increase paper thickness will reduce color saturation that means th
printing quality of image will be much white
2.The heating temperature is possible to rise up to 200 degree C an
melt toner. The potential risk is coating material on the pape
surface is also possible be melted-down at same time and damag
fuser

According my testing of some brands of laser printer, the meltin
temperature of toner is very high. It is possible to make cartridg
distortion and toner loss control. It will be recovery to normal whe
temperature drops down

You may refer this website about the tips of laser printing
http://kolorwell.trustpass.alibaba.com/product/11012456/Laser_Printing_Photo_Paper.htm
 
The card goes through a set of rollers at the fuser. One side is
heated, but the other side also gets very hot, and the heat goes right
through the paper or card, so the other side is critical.

In fact, some laser printers heat the opposite side of the page that the
toner is on.

Art
 
Marcus O. M. Grabe said:
Hi Tony,

thank you for your explanation. That is unfortunately what I expected.
So I will print on laser-proof labels and stick them onto the cards.
Doesn't look so good but better than hand-writing.

Marcus.
Click to expand...

Text taken from Okidata C5150n manual.

Media must be able to withstand a temperature of 446 Def F (230 deg C) at a
preasure of up to 25 PSI.

So take heed, I know I won't use anything but Laser approved glossy paper or
labels in mine..

Regards, Rene Lamontagne
 
Hi all,

can I print on picture postcards with my HP LaserJet 4P?

The problem is not the size of a postcard. I printed other paper in
this format.

But I am anxious about the heat when printing. Can this make the
picture size of the postcard melting or even burning? Like overhead
foils that are not made for printers?

Or can the printer and/or the toner cartridge be damaged?

Thanks for any help, Marcus.
Click to expand...

Avery makes pre-scored postcards for laser printers, you may be able
to find them at one of the office supply stores. They are usually just
card stock though, not glossy/photo type paper. Hewlett-Packard now
makes a Glossy Photo Laser Paper. I've found it at Staples. There's a
list on which of their printers it's compatible with. It's not all
that heavyweight, but would probably work well for a postcard, if you
don't mind cutting it out yourself.

---

http://www.FenrirOnline.com

Computer services, custom metal etching,
arts, crafts, and much more.
 
Arthur Entlich said:
The card goes through a set of rollers at the fuser. One side is
heated, but the other side also gets very hot, and the heat goes right
through the paper or card, so the other side is critical.

In fact, some laser printers heat the opposite side of the page that the
toner is on.

Art
Click to expand...

Art
In fact some lasers heat both fuser rollers.
I foresee a question!!!! Why do they do that?
Sorry I have never thought about why before, I must find out one day. It may be
to do with curling, or more accurately curl prevention since the printers that
heat both rollers are usuall big fast printers often A3 or bigger.
The other point I should have made to the original poster and for general
information is that the same applies to transparencies, only Laser friendly
transparencies should be used.
Coated paper and labels can damage fusers, the wrong sort of transparencies
always destroy fusers the very first time, makes a horrible mess.
Tony
 
I could see an advantage to both fuser rollers being heated for thick
stock that didn't allow the heat to penetrate fully otherwise. Do some
lasers have a way to duplex the toner transfer on the sheet before
fusing somehow?

Art
 
Arthur Entlich said:
I could see an advantage to both fuser rollers being heated for thick
stock that didn't allow the heat to penetrate fully otherwise. Do some
lasers have a way to duplex the toner transfer on the sheet before
fusing somehow?
Click to expand...

I doubt it Art, I have certainly not come across one; I suspect it would be
very difficult to do and at the same time avoid some sort of defect (smudge or
similar) since you would either have to pass the paper over the drum twice
before it is fused or have two opposing drums os something like that.
I think your suggestion of card printing is most likely.
Tony
 
Arthur Entlich said:
These printers are no desktop models, eh?
Click to expand...

Given that they can do it on a machine like that, maybe some of the
Canon and Xerox production machines will do, something like Canon's
CLC5100 probably ought to, although I don't think it does.
 
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