# to use laser printer - dye sub only or OEM too?



## havilahgold (Feb 4, 2007)

I know how dye sub lasers can work on 50/50 cotton/poly, and even on 100% cotton with pre-sprays, but is that the only laser option or can you use OEM laser toner too, and if so, which transfer papers do you use with OEM? Thanks.


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## DAGuide (Oct 2, 2006)

You can definitely use standard laser toner to do traditional inkjet transfers. Here is a page to a supplier's website that sells several different lasers products depending on the type of printer you have.

Laser Transfer Paper


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## havilahgold (Feb 4, 2007)

Thank you. The papers say they work in "most" printers. How do I find out if it would work in a printer I'm considering, such as an Oki c5200 or c3200?, and which paper would be the right paper for light fabrics?


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## havilahgold (Feb 4, 2007)

Also, is OEM laser toner transfer a common thing or is it the minority of laser transfers? How does it compare to laser dye-sub on 100% cotton? Thanks.


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## DAGuide (Oct 2, 2006)

I believe the Image Clip is the preferred two-step paper for that printer for light color garments. I would call them and ask which paper would be best.

In terms of the number people using lasers versus the number of people using inkjets, I would say inkjet printers are used more. They are cheaper in most cases and you can get a wider printer for less money. However, if you base the number of transfers done in the industry, then it is much closer. Laser printers are used by the larger companies that are pumping out transfers because they are faster and the cost per a print is less from what I have been told. You also have less maintenance issues (which is important to minimize your down-time when you are running multiple shifts). Hope this helps.


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## havilahgold (Feb 4, 2007)

Thanks. Actually I was wondering about the differences between laser OEM and laser dye-sub. I can't keep up with the nozzle care of an ink jet. Between the 2 laser transfer types, how much more common is one over the other, and what is the difference in quality between the 2 types on a 100% cotton shirt? 

Thanks in advance for anyone who can answer.


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## havilahgold (Feb 4, 2007)

Whoops - just realized this question is more appropriate for the general heat transfer forum - I'll ask it there. Thanks!


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

havilahgold said:


> Whoops - just realized this question is more appropriate for the general heat transfer forum - I'll ask it there. Thanks!


If it's about dye sub, then this forum is fine  No need to repost. 

If you still have questions, feel free to follow them up in this thread so we can consolidate the answers.


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## havilahgold (Feb 4, 2007)

Thanks. Then we'll continue the question here as my question didn't post to the other forum due to our sporadic internet connection with this wild winter weather.

I'd like to know the difference in popularity and quality between laser OEM and laser dye-sub transfers on 100% cotton shirts.

Thank you.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

Are you talking about OEM Laser "heat transfers" vs OEM Laser "dye sub".

I don't think there can be an OEM Laser "dye sub" on 100% cotton, so that might rule out that option?


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## havilahgold (Feb 4, 2007)

I'm just learning so my understandings might be wrong, but it's my understanding that both types of toner - OEM and dye sub - will work for making t-shirts on 100% cotton, and I want to know which toner is more popular and if there's a quality difference. I know that dye-sub toner does not normally transfer to 100% cotton, but can be made to work with the proper prep-sprays and a certain kind of transfer paper (hottee?). Do I have that right? Or is that only for use on 50/50% cotton/poly? Does it work fine for 100% cotton too? 

And I know that OEM toner with the right transfer paper works for 100% cotton also. 

If I get a printer with dye-sub toner, will it be good for 100% cotton shirts besides the poly and 50/50 (I think yes), or is it better to get another printer with OEM toner for that 100% cotton job instead?

And if dye-sub toner can be made to work on 100% cotton with the prep spray and special paper, how does it compare to regular OEM toner heat transfers? Which type of toner is the most popular for 100% cotton t-shirts?

Thanks for listening. I hope you can see the spider webs that might be confusing me. I hope someone can clear it up for me. I'm thankful for this forum!


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## mr8500 (Jan 16, 2007)

havilahgold said:


> Thank you. The papers say they work in "most" printers. How do I find out if it would work in a printer I'm considering, such as an Oki c5200 or c3200?, and which paper would be the right paper for light fabrics?


I am doing OEM transfers with an OKI 5200 and I am using the SG paper from jblgraphics.com it works well with the printer. I got a bunch of different samples to try out when I first bought the printer and I ran into paper jams with most of them. The jbl paper seems to work the best for me.


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

For best results with dye sub you need to use poly shirts, 65% poly or more, 100% poly is preferred.

There _are_ ways to make it work with 100% cotton, but since it's not really designed for that purpose you are not going to have the best results.

See this thread for more info:

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/dye-sublimation/t39.html


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## vctradingcubao (Nov 15, 2006)

havilahgold said:


> If I get a printer with dye-sub toner,.....
> 
> And if dye-sub toner can be made to work on 100% cotton with the prep spray and special paper, how does it compare to regular OEM toner heat transfers? Which type of toner is the most popular for 100% cotton t-shirts?


Can you get a laser printer with "dye-sub toner"? I haven't heard of it yet?

CLC's using fuser oil, I think, are best to use on 100% cotton shirts. I have tried the photo-trans plus, and the photo-trans plus SC (manufactured by Neenah) and I got great results. Duracotton-Oil paper is also for this type of printer. Papers for this "oil type" CLC's are the cheapest in the industry.

Regular laser printers or CLC's not using fuser oil are the ones usually available for home & small office use, and they are the ones usually sold in your local computer/office supply stores. They tend to have higher fuser temperatures so that special laser papers were made for them like the Duracotton-HT, and the other papers by Neenah, techniprint, I think.

I'm a little confused with laser with dye-sub toner though. But duracotton paper also has a third type, the Duracotton-Sub (???). Another member could shed light on this.

Hope this helps.


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## havilahgold (Feb 4, 2007)

Well, yes, laser dye-sub is out there. In my newness in researching I apparently stumbled across it I guess, since you haven't heard of it. Laser is the ideal solution for me since I can't keep a regular printing schedule to keep those ink jet print heads from drying out. Dye-sublimation toner, white toner, transfer paper, release paper and Geo Knight heat presses. uses laser dye-sub for their business. I've read that the laser dye-sub quality isn't good enough for hard goods by some people's standards, but it's just grand for selling t-shirts, which is I want to do. Now I'm hearing that laser OEM toner is cheaper, but the paper I'm about to try for an OEM printer seems only fit to run through the printer in short runs, like 10. 

I'd like to know about the color laser copiers for a someday possibilty. You have to copy every image? You can't just send it direct from your computer? I'd think there'd be some image degradation but apparently it isn't much or people wouldn't use it. 

So this discussion is about laser dye-sub vs. laser OEM on 100% cotton. Perhaps the difference is mainly economical (I'd like to hear some opinions), but I'd like to hear about quality differences and get a good idea of what people use and why. I'd also like to know if people have an overwhelming preference for 100% or if 50/50 is a popular choice, but that's a question for another forum.

Thanks.


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## vctradingcubao (Nov 15, 2006)

Yes, you can print on the digital CLCs (so no image degradation there), and I think the fuser oil type is the best to use on 100% cotton. The papers used for this are also the least expensive.
I've checked the link you posted and asked some friends, and they acknowledge that there's dye-sub laser toners. On white polyester fabrics, dye sub could be better. But you can't use them on cotton fabrics, except maybe with the help of an expensive "hybrid" dye-sub-dark transfer paper. I'm also wondering if you can use a regular ink-jet dye-sub paper for this laser printer since it gets really hot on the inside of the printer.


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