4 ms·
Does an inkless laser-driven printer exist?
I'm having difficulty putting together a good search query for this: A printer that doesnt use toner, but instead maybe a laser to 'print' onto normal paper. A laser printer needs toner, and the ones without toner need thermally activated paper. Would a laser cutter work for this somehow if you regulate the power?
- transfire 4y agoIt could but would probably be quite slow in order to burn the paper enough. FYI I work with lasers professionally. A long time ago some one came up with a way to print on thin reusable plastic sheets. I thought it was brilliant, but it never made it big — perhaps it was too slow as well.
- BMc2020 4y agoIt's scary that any teenager with $50 can buy one that can blind him permanently.
- BMc2020 4y agoA laser engraver could print on normal paper, a 1 watt one is more than enough. The downside is the smoke produced and speed. Here are many to choose from: https://www.banggood.com/search/laser-engraver.html https://www.banggood.com/search/laser-engraver.html?
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- aliqot 4y agoAh, thank you for finding that. I did my best but search kept turning up things like thermal printers and laser printers that required toner. May I ask how you found these? I wonder if there is a DIY equivalent of these, similar to a rep-rap. I'd likely be building my own or creating plans for someone in my community to assist me in building. It looks simple enough in hindsight.
- BMc2020 4y agoI was interest for a while I have an $80 Neje 1 watt and a $240 elekslaser 3 watt. You can buy 20 watt lasers for about the same price now. I lost interest and now they are gathering dust. Protect your eyes https://www.survivallaser.com/Safety_Goggles/cat556089_826120.aspx https://www.survivallaser.com/Safety_Goggles/cat556089_82612...
- aliqot 4y agoThank you very much, that's also solid advice. I'm curious if there exists a way to create a shroud that goes over the machine that is composed of a lens that filters the light to tolerable levels.
- GianFabien 4y agoUnix and Linux operating systems have an error message lp0 on fire [1] in anticipation of your paper burning industrial laser driven printer. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lp0_on_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lp0_on_fire * laser printers actually work by zapping the electrostatic charge on a rotating drum which then attracts toner particles which then get ironed onto paper. * widely used thermal printers use tiny heating elements to leave marks on the paper, not laser.
- aliqot 4y agoDespite being on Linux for 25+ years, I'd never heard of that one. Cheers
- LargoLasskhyfv 4y agoHm. Depending on what you'd want to print, maybe a plotter would do?
- b20000 4y agoin PCB manufacturing photoplotters are used to plot onto photosensitive film. i guess this is close to what you want.