printing on A4 foam sheets

Discussion in 'Small Format Inkjet Printers' started by joseph smith, Mar 17, 2016.

  1. joseph smith

    joseph smith New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2016
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    Location:
    Edinburgh UK
    I am new to this so please bear with me.
    I am looking to start a small business making customised printed koozies. This involves printing on A4 sheets of white foam 2mm thick, then stamping out the shape.
    short runs of a 100 at a time, then change the image, as the detail will have a one day shelf life.
    Has anyone experience or advice on the type of printer I should be seeking which gives good bold logo images and can print onto closed cell foam ( similar to neoprene ) ?
     
  2. Redd1

    Redd1 New Member

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    Feb 2020
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    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Sorry I don't have a proper answer for this, but curious to know how you got on with this? Also what sort of closed cell foam were you using was it something like Plastazote?
     
  3. exploradorgt

    exploradorgt New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 2020
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    Location:
    Guatemala
    +
    You can do this via screen printing, and apply the type of ink that fits your needs, probably plastisol. Perhaps not exactly what you had in mind but I understand the logo will be repetitive, the same, thus you can do this in the blink of an eye, there are some nice tutorials on YT to start screen printing, OR you can hire someone to do the initial work so you end up with your frame and apply the ink at home yourself, that sounds easier.

    Other than that... a flatbed printer. I have one and I've done what you describe. DYE ink (water based) will work but will need lots of time to dry (24 hours min) and will not be as sharp as required given the material (foam). Pigment inks work better but depends on the kind of ink, same for ecosolvent inks. Flatbed printers are not that cheap but there are options. Flatbed printers are those mostly used for DTG printing (direct to garment) and some require UV to dry right away, those are great tools. If you are wondering where do I got my flatbed printing, well I built mine, takes a lot of work but it's worth the effort, there are some interesting tutorials on the web to build the flatbed printer.

    In my case even if I would like to enjoy the benefits of pigment inks, I'm staying away from that, it requires constant prints and flushing the printhead, it's a lot of ink waste and the costs go up easily. Water based ink DYE is better and will rarely, if ever... damage your print head.
     
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