Labels in alcohol

[Ted Schultz]

>It is my understanding that there are laser printers, and
>Laser Printers... and the methods of fixing blackness on the paper are
>different.  Ours is a 1980's Canon QMS800.  We were told that the ink-jet
>or bubble-jet printers lay the toner ontop of the paper, but the more
>expensive laser printers "burn" the letters into the paper surface.
>

One thing I know is this:

"Ink Jet" or "Bubble Jet" printers squirt a water (and alcohol) soluble ink
onto the paper.

"Laser" printers, xerox machines, and everything that takes a "toner"
cartridge work by melting tiny particles of vinyl onto paper.  A metal
cylinder coated with a very precious substance is exposed to your image.
Wherever there is black in your image, the surface of that cylinder becomes
electrically charged in such a way that those areas pick up the vinyl
particles.  As the cylinder turns around, the charge is removed in an
advancing linear area by a fine wire; where the charge is removed, the
vinyl particles fall off the cylinder onto the paper.  The paper is on top
of a very hot plate, so the vinyl melts and fuses with the paper.

The extent to which the vinyl "ink" remains fused to the paper is a
function of the porosity and "tooth" (roughness) of the paper, the heat of
fusion, the fineness of the vinyl particles, etc.  But it's just not as
good as printer's ink, which is waterproof and which impregnates and dyes
the paper fibers themselves.

Now if they would just come up with an "Ink Jet" type printer that squirts
out an alcohol-proof, permanent ink . . .

___________________________________
Ted Schultz, Research Entomologist
Department of Entomology, MRC 165
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 20560
U.S.A.

schultz at onyx.si.edu
Phone (voice and fax): 202-357-1311