Introduction

There are many different brands and type of printers and copiers out there. Not all are suited for printing on transfer paper, and some are perfect for transfer paper. Most of the devices are good enough to work with as long as you know what to do. We can give you the right support to get the best set-up for you.

First, we can help you determine if your printer is compatible for printing with TheMagicTouch transfer paper.

Is my printer compatible for transfer paper

Below we are going to give you all the information about printers you need to print on TheMagicTouch transfer paper with your printer. If you do not yet have a suitable printer, this information will help you to decide which one is best for you to purchase.

A4 or A3

There are two different size printers and copiers on the market, A4 (Letter size) and A3. A4 paper size is 210 by 297mm (8.27×11.69 inch) and A3 is double the size of A4. Do you really need a bigger printer? On average, more than 80 % of what you print is smaller than A4. Only on larger garments or products you need to be able to print larger than A4. So, depending on what you are going to print, you can select the printer size you want. The price difference between A4 and A3 printers or copiers can be quite significant.

LED/Laser

They are both printers or copier with dry toner. It is just a different way on how the device is making the image. For the drum units in the printer to create the image, you need a light source on the drums that determines where toner has to go and where not. This light source can be LED or a Laser.

Copiers/Printers

There are many different manufactures making a color laser/LED printer or copier. The manufactures also make different types all the different types are made for specially purposes.
The most expensive is not always the best one for transfer printing needer is the cheapest one.
For transfer paper there are a few things important type of toner, Paper path and fuser unit.

Toner types

The toner is very important as this is the part that you actually transfer on to your end-product. You want to have a perfect image. There are different types of toner with their own properties and some are more suitable for transferring than others. It will depend on your printer- or copier manufacturer which type is used and therefore whether that is suitable for transferring or less so. Toner is polyester or plastic powder with color pigments and some wax implanted. The powder works like a thin layer of hot melt glue and is melted on the paper. To make printers and copiers faster the melting point will be different with the different type of printers and copiers. This can have it’s influence on the transferring process.

Paper path

This is the way the paper runs through your printer or copier. For the transfer paper to run smoothly, you want to have a straight way through the printer as possible.The more turns the paper must make inside the printer, the bigger the risk of scratches or paper jams. Its starts with feeding your transfer paper from the tray or cassette. Pick the one that can handle your media settings set in your driver. Use the quickest exit after the fuser unit. Transfer paper is very fragile after the fuser unit because the heat that makes the Transfer layer soft. If it touches something sharp, you will see a scratch or a mark. Depending on which transfer paper you use, pressure marks from rollers will not be visible in the end result.

Environment

Moisture and extreme low or high temperature can cause problems with the printing process. Make sure the printing environment is within the specifications of the manufacturer of your printer. Generally this is a relative humidity between 30 and 50% and the temperature between 18 and 25°C. Off course it is also important to keep the transfer papers under the same conditions when they are not used.

Feeding direction

Make sure to always check the feeding direction of the transfer paper. When needed, this is indicated on the back-print by arrows. If there are no arrows on the back of your transfer paper, there is no need to pay attention to the feeding direction.

For the transfer papers that do have arrows, it is important that they are always fed in the direction of these arrows. Not doing so will increase the risk of a paper jam in the printer. The reason why some TheMagicTouch transfer papers have the arrows and some not, has to do with the grain direction of the paper. For the transfer papers that do have these arrows, we have two kinds of A4 available. So which one do you need?

If you have an A4 printer choose the A4R version. If you have an A3 printer and you want to use A4 paper, order A4. (Without the R) This way you’ll receive the version with the arrows in the correct direction for your printer

Fuser unit

The fuser unit melts (fuses) the toner onto the paper. This part of the printing process provides the highest risk of a paper jam. Specially if you don’t use the correct media settings in the driver. If a jam occurs, open the printer and gentle remove the paper. Always pull the paper towards the feeding direction. The fuser is hot so be careful. If possible take the fuser out before removing the paper jam. Don’t use any sharp tools or utensils as there is a risk of damaging the fuser.

Manufactures

• OKI
• Ricoh
• Xerox
• Canon
• Konica Minolta
• Brother
• HP
• Panasonic
• Toshiba
• Sharp
• And many more

Drivers

Your computer has to communicate to the printer to be able to send your image to the printer in the right way. The required communication channel is a bit off software that is called the printer driver. It is like the translator between your design software and the printer.

Without the driver your computer will not know if there is a printer attached, or which one is which when there are more printers attached. If you are not using the SpaceControl transfer RIP software you need the driver to give your print job the correct specifications. In your driver you set-up your print job meaning you enter the correct media settings. For example the setting “Heavy paper”. This will give the fuser different parameters compared to “Plain paper” setting. Do you want to know the correct settings for your printer or copier and TheMagicTouch transfer papers CLICK here and fill out the form.

TheMagicTouch Software

We specially designed a RIP software to make printing on transfer paper as easy as possible.
Our SpaceControl-Basic software give you a trouble-free transfer experience. It’s easy to set up and will print your transfer paper automatically with all the correct paper settings and color profiles.
It’s dedicated to the best transfer printers in the market; The OKI Pro8432WT, OKI Pro7411WT and older OKI WT series. And also for these great CYMK printers: The OKI C650 and Ricoh P C301W and some older OKI models.

Media selection

Choosing the correct Media setting in the driver or on the copier is important for a trouble-free production process. However, all manufactures have different names for different settings. There can be a difference between the models of the same manufacturer so it is important to make sure you use the correct setting. Because of the special extra layers composition of TheMagicTouch transfer papers we need a different setting than with plain paper printing. Do you want to know the correct settings for your printer or copier and TheMagicTouch transfer papers CLICK here and fill out the form so we can help you with that.

Consumables

A color laser/LED printer or copier have more consumables than an inkjet printer.
A color laser/LED printer or copier has more consumables than an inkjet printer. A “consumeable” means the end-user of the printer can order the part from her printer-supplier and replace the part by him-/herself.
The most common consumables in a color laser/led printer or copier are:

• Toner cartridge
• Drum unit
• Transfer belt
• Fuser unit

It will depend on the manufacturer and type of printer or copier what is a consumable part and what not. Make sure you use the original toners as third-party toners can cause problems with both printing and with the transferring process.

Maintenance

All Laser/LED devices are low maintenance. You can switch them off and leave them off for weeks without having to do cleaning cycles and loosing valuable consumables.

Also, the current LED or laser printers are very compact and portable, so easy to transport them to other locations. You want to keep your printer clean, if you printer is dirty you will get dirty transfers. It is good common practise to keep the printer as dust free as possible as an accumulation of dust in the printer might lead to imaging problems. So clean the printer every now and then (not with water). Also clean the LED’s and sensors insight the printer. Refer to the printer manual on how to do that.

Summary of tips & tricks

1. Always use the correct paper setting.

This is easy when you use the SpaceControl-Basic software. If you don’t know the settings for your printer, click here to fill out the form and we help you with that.

2. Create an easy paper path.

Make the paper path as easy and straight as possible by choosing the best feeding option and exit option of your printer. Refer to the manual of your printer. Or, again use SpaceControl-Basic software as it indicates the best feeding option for the chosen transfer paper.

3. Check the feeding direction.

If there are arrows on the back of the transfer paper of your choice, feed the paper in the direction of the arrows. When ordering transfer paper, and you have an A4 printer, choose the A4R version if available. If you have an A3 printer and you want to use A4 paper, order A4. (Without the R) This way you’ll receive the version with the arrows in the correct direction for your printer.

4. Keep your printer clean. Regularly clean the printer and take extra care of the paper path to ensure there is no accumulation of dust or other contamination in the printing process inside your printer.

5. Use original toner

Make sure you use the original consumables as third-party toners can cause problems with both printing and with the transferring process.

6. Keep an eye on the environmental conditions

Make sure they are within these boundaries:

The humidity in the workspace between 30 and 50% relative humidity and the temperature between 18 and 25°C.

With these tips & Tricks you are good to make beautiful, professional printed products with your color laser/LED printer and TheMagicTouch transfer papers.