So close... but the search for the perfect A3 transfer paper continues

Currently going through lots of different A3 transfer papers because the main issue is with guessing which side of the paper to print on. Most have pretty much identical sides and when you are in a rush in busy periods it can be difficult to ensure you use the correct side of the paper.

Just tried the first of the new A3 transfers from City Ink Express and really impressed with the quality of the transfer. Initially a little worried because it's the thinnest transfer paper I've used but it worked fine.

The colour transfer was fabulous and really good blacks. The most impressive part though was that this is the first transfer paper I've used that not only did not stick to aluminium blanks it also did not leave any residue and gave a great finish.

The worst part is that the instructions say to print on the smoother side of the paper but there is no smooth side. I've given up holding it up to the light, giving it a massage, licking my fingers and giving it a rub and now I just toss a coin to determine which side to print on :(

If the paper just had some distinctive pattern or texture on one side then this would be my perfect paper, but the search continues.

If you mean sublimation transfer paper (as opposed to textile heat transfer paper) then switch to Trupix A3. Not only it is the best paper we have used but it has a distinctive darker side (non print side) so easy to see which way up to put in printer. Go and become a premium member on this forum for only £10 a year and then you can get 10% off prices with some suppliers. For example get 10% off the A3 Trupix paper from Xpres (we do!):
http://www.xpres.co.uk/p-8287-true-p...on-sheets.aspx

Oddly, like most people on here no doubt then Xpres have just emailed about a NEW sublimation paper certified by Sawgrass although not sure what colour is on the backing!
http://www.xpres.co.uk/p-9451-sublip...112gsm-a3.aspx

Only a couple of pounds cheaper mind but if anyone has or is going to use this then perhaps you could leave a review.

Things getting more odd! Five minutes after posting the above then we had a knock on the door and it was a rep from Fotospeed paper merchants talking about dye sub paper! We aim to get prices and samples.

lick finger .... sticks to correct side!

lick finger .... sticks to correct side!

Tried that but does not work with this paper.

One thing I noticed with the City Ink Express paper this morning is that it takes a long, long time to dry - over 20 minutes.
I printed an aluminium clock this morning with a white background, I left the paper for about 5 minutes after printing, the normal amount of time I leave transfer paper for.

Put the clock face on the paper thinking it was dry - it looked and felt that way - and moved it around to centre it up. Did the heat and took the paper off and there were smug marks around where I had moved the clock face.

Edit: that said, I saved time because the paper came off without leaving any marks or residue. with most transfer the paper sticks or leave a residue so I have to soak the clock face in water to soak the paper before trying to peel away the paper and polish of any residue.
I guess I'm just moving the time from the end of the print to the start of the print. And I can do other things while the paper dries.

Had to leave the transfer for about 30 minutes the second time before I felt safe using it. I think the transfer is great for hobbyist printer but when you have a lot of work on the dry time for the print is just too long.

Just had some City Ink Express A3 paper delivered this morning. I wanted to try this paper to try get rid of my haze/water mark problem left on metal after pressing. I've literally spent weeks adjusting temp/time/pressure of press, metal up/down, adding fabrics etc.. you either get a bad transfer or a hazey print using Trupix paper on metal.

This stuff is definitely leaving a cleaner print on the metal. It was just as bad to start with but after adjusting my settings it was good. Still not perfect but good. Maybe I just need to tinker with my settings again for perfect results or maybe even try your screen cleaner method ;) Thanks for recommending this paper.

Oh and my packet of paper had a "PRINT ON THIS SIDE" sticker on one side. Slid the whole pack into an A3 sized paper tray next to the printer (print side up) so now I know which side to print on instantly :) I also dried a few prints with a calm warm breeze of a hair dryer and it dried very quickly with no difference to the finished print.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mitchell

Just had some City Ink Express A3 paper delivered this morning. I wanted to try this paper to try get rid of my haze/water mark problem left on metal after pressing. I've literally spent weeks adjusting temp/time/pressure of press, metal up/down, adding fabrics etc.. you either get a bad transfer or a hazey print using Trupix paper on metal.

This stuff is definitely leaving a cleaner print on the metal. It was just as bad to start with but after adjusting my settings it was good. Still not perfect but good. Maybe I just need to tinker with my settings again for perfect results or maybe even try your screen cleaner method ;) Thanks for recommending this paper.

Oh and my packet of paper had a "PRINT ON THIS SIDE" sticker on one side. Slid the whole pack into an A3 sized paper tray next to the printer (print side up) so now I know which side to print on instantly :) I also dried a few prints with a calm warm breeze of a hair dryer and it dried very quickly with no difference to the finished print.

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I got rid of the 'marbling' effect on aluminium sheets by setting the pressure on my press so light that it was virtually just the weight of the top platen resting on the job.