Thermal Copier for Ãâ*‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚*£30!

[MrSpoon]

i was contemplating buying one of them thermal copiers off ebay for about *£130 but i decided to take a chance and buy a fax machine with a thermal transfer print head instead so i bought this...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-SAGEM-SP4840-THERMAL-PRINT-FAX-MACHINE-AND-COPIER-/260675161365?pt=UK_BOI_Office_Equipment_Supplies_Fax_Machines&hash=item3cb1734d15

i took out the carbon ribbon cartridge from inside and put a piece of tape over a plastic noggin so it thinks theres a carbon ribbon still installed and removed a 2 inch flap that guides the paper when it comes out the top after copying (as this was causing the stencil to jam) and thats all, all ready to transfer. i've included some photos of the printouts before being copied and after making the carbon print and i've transfered one onto some pig skin so you can see how it looks. i used dettol to get the transfer onto the pigskin.





as for the carbon paper, you carefully pull off the yellow sheet and remove the centre sheet (between tracing paper and carbon layer) and then insert the rest upside down (end where the pieces are joined together)with the carbon stuff facing away from you and the tracing paper towards you into the paper feed

then put whatever you want to copy into the front slot with your design facing you and press copy.

remember tho that whatever you want to copy, you must first flip/mirror the image over on your computer first, then print it out and run it through the fax machine other wise you will end up with back to front tattoos

 

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[skinpix]

wow...i have thought of using one of these but i didn't think they worked,have been doing my stencils by hand...think i might get one and give it a go...cant go wrong for 30 quid.
cheers mrSpoon.

 

[MrSpoon]

no problem, word of advice tho, dont try to make stencils anywhere near a cream leather sofa

 

[skinpix]

no problem, word of advice tho, dont try to make stencils anywhere near a cream leather sofa

Ahh,do they come out a bit messy then ??

 

[MrSpoon]

the tiniest dot on your hand/arm soon spreads like wildfire all over the place, best way to get it off is hairspray and then wipe but be carefull as this can damage the protective laquer on the surface.

i think anyone with common sense wouldn't attempt this, but there you go, thats me haha!

 

[steveo9441]

Hey I am thinking of trying this one out, congrats on the idea :clap:

 

[akka]

nice idea mate cant go wrong for *£30 i heard of sumthing similar using the old forms printers i think ther mite be one in dads loft ill post pics if i find it and it works
that wuld save ages on large designs

 

[mon-tattoo]

Thermal machines

Hey guys I'm new here, (it's Yvonne) but I'm jumpin right in deep end, leather couches etc etc ouch......
Have any of you just simply tried a old dot matrix printer, you know the ones nobody wants any more.....simply take out the yellow sheet of paper from your transfer paper load your printer, etc and presto crystal clear stencil. :clap:
Shoot me if it don't work.

 

[akka]

great minds think alike yvonne thats what i was trying to say but couldnt think of the right name thanks for that

 

[toetoe62]

dot matrix

I used a dot matrix printer for about 3 months and had great results, you can hook it up to your pc unlike these thermal printers, they also print a full A4 sheet unlike the others, when I went to Sheffield for a one-day course at AJÃÂ*¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢*‚¬Å¡Ã‚*¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢*‚¬Å¾Ã‚*¢s he recommended not to use one at first because when you do a stencil by hand you trace the design two times before you do the tattoo and so you get to know the design and make less mistakes, I have done them by hand since, I donÃÂ*¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢*‚¬Å¡Ã‚*¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢*‚¬Å¾Ã‚*¢t think most of us on this forum are that busy that we donÃÂ*¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢*‚¬Å¡Ã‚*¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢*‚¬Å¾Ã‚*¢t have time to hand draw the stencils.

Regards
Tony

 

[skinpix]

Hey guys I'm new here, (it's Yvonne) but I'm jumpin right in deep end, leather couches etc etc ouch......
Have any of you just simply tried a old dot matrix printer, you know the ones nobody wants any more.....simply take out the yellow sheet of paper from your transfer paper load your printer, etc and presto crystal clear stencil. :clap:
Shoot me if it don't work.

I use a dot matrix printer,but its only a 9pin,not bad tho...when i first got it,i didn't realize i should have got a 24 pin,but that's part of the learning process ......

 

[WilD]

some useful info here guys - cheers! I'll have a look for an old dot matrix!

 

[skinpix]

some useful info here guys - cheers! I'll have a look for an old dot matrix!

hey dawn,
make sure its a 24 pin printer.

 

[MrSpoon]

i opted against the dot matrix idea cos there weren't any going cheap on ebay for local pickup

 

[Tattooz]

Dot matrix printers are ugly great big things! Usually BEIGE...
I have got one of them cheap thermal copiers from China, that works great, but i bet i have used it twice. Unless its a massive piece, its far easier to just make a stencil by hand with tracing paper. You get the added bonus of getting a feel for the design, and also which bits could do with a slight "tweek".

 

[skinpix]

Dot matrix printers are ugly great big things! Usually BEIGE...
I have got one of them cheap thermal copiers from China, that works great, but i bet i have used it twice. Unless its a massive piece, its far easier to just make a stencil by hand with tracing paper. You get the added bonus of getting a feel for the design, and also which bits could do with a slight "tweek".

Hi Dave,
how much was the thermal copier you got from china ? did you have to pay customs charges on it ? Am thinking of ordering one,unless you want to sell yours.

 

[Tattooz]

Hi Dave,
how much was the thermal copier you got from china ? did you have to pay customs charges on it ? Am thinking of ordering one,unless you want to sell yours.

Cant remember how much off hand, but Dont buy from VIRTUAL VILLAGE! They actually forward your details to customs via DHL, then DHL send you a letter to pay THEM the import tax on behalf of the Tax man, instead of just writing GIFT, on the package like usual (normal) Chinese sellers.

Just ignore the letter! I did, a good few months ago, and not heard a thing.

 

[Georgie]

Re: Thermal machines

Hey guys I'm new here, (it's Yvonne) but I'm jumpin right in deep end, leather couches etc etc ouch......
Have any of you just simply tried a old dot matrix printer, you know the ones nobody wants any more.....simply take out the yellow sheet of paper from your transfer paper load your printer, etc and presto crystal clear stencil. :clap:
Shoot me if it don't work.

Hiya is it as easy as that as I'm thinking of buying one from eBay so do I take out yellow nd the other paper which u normally remove ?