"InkAid" Allows Inkjet Printing on Anything?

[mbauer]

InkAid says if you can feed it through an inkjet printer it will allow on any substrate. "inkAID can be used on papers of all kinds, aluminum, acrylic sheets, and wood, for just a few examples."

Anybody try this stuff?

Sample pack is $33 for the different types: IT Supplies - InkAID Sample Set

Wonder if it works??????

Mylar or even polished aluminum for the Apollo Command Module Ken is designing comes to mind...Mylar glued to cardstock (3m77), coated and then printed would be awesome!

Mike

[airdave]

In the same manner as gessoing a canvas, or applying a primer for paint,
these coatings are nothing more than a suitable base receptive to standard inkjet inks.

I have already experimented with some spray clearcoats and fixatives with good results.
(applying to the paper before printing)
But the biggest problem is what is explained in this quote on the InkAid site:

The coating on commercially prepared inkjet papers, canvases, films, etc. is designed to control the size of the inkjet dot,
to adhere the water-based ink to the substrate, and to speed drying time.
Now artists can use inkAID to prepare the material of their choice for inkjet printing.

I would guess the effort has gone into creating a "primer" that responds well to inkjet
and doesn't cause bleeding or puddling of ink, and offers the same absorption and adhesion
as bare paper would.

Although I am bothered by the recommended requirement of sealer coatings.
Sure, you can help make your inkjet photos and prints last longer with fixatives
and topcoats...make them water resistant and such...
but it seems as though the InkAid process demands a sealer of some sort
depending on the particular coating used. (some waterbased, some solvent based)
And it strikes me as an expensive item.
Even the sample pack...at $33

And it is a brush on/roll on coating...they don't seem too confident about the spray options.
Seems as though it goes on quite heavy...and requires two alternating roller or brush coats.

[Scott K]

I find one possible problem, in their desription of the product;

NOTE: For Printers with Pizza Wheels
Most desktop inkjet printers have wheels, tabs or rollers that come in contact with the image after it is printed. This will not cause a problem with White Matte inkAID. While clear inkAID will work to coat porous materials like paper for use in desktop printers, on nonporous materials, like plastic, the ink briefly wets the inkAID and the rollers can "track" or drag the ink and precoats. Because of this it is not recommended to use clear inkAID products on nonporous media if your printer has these 'pizza' wheels or rollers. While there are websites that describe how to raise or remove 'pizza' wheels, doing so is likely to void your printer warranty. Note that most larger inkjet printers, usually 24” wide and above, do not have any wheel, tab, or roller which contact the image after printing, making precoat usage on non-porous materials trouble free.

Sounds like that may rule out many of us, without large-format printers.

Scott K.

[mbauer]

Hi Dave & Scott,

Yes, to both oberservations.

However, like Dave mentions there are many different types of sealers and some modelers here use them, others question which ones work best-so, there are many who use them anyway.

Those pizza cutter wheels almost destroyed my first wide format printer when I tried printing on 1mm depron. They sliced and diced it into strips that clogged and broke apart inside the printer mechanicals-had to take the printer apart and vacuum the stuff out (4-hours of how did it get in there?).

Have three drifferent printers: a new Epson (Ink Hog), a Hp 13" wide format with pizza wheels and the photo quality HP 120C 24" wide format without pizza wheels to test this stuff on.

Just spent $250 on books plus shipping this past week, probably be a month before I can budget the money, but going to try a sample pack to see what it can do. Mylar "space" or "survival" blankets are cheap. Using Gil's Aluminum Paper thread techniques might be a great option for the Apollo project.

Past week also found a $36 dollar order for different "remanufactured" ink purchases from Amazon that was budgeted for last month's Ink thread-bought three different brands for testing.

All it takes is money....

Mike