Need a high end printer that can print metallic ink

September 14, 2004 5:18 AM

A friend of mine is looking to start a small business. She needs a high end printer for it (I have no idea what she's planning) - one that can print metallic ink. Anyone know of a reliable brand producing such things?
posted by armoured-ant to Technology (6 answers total)

It would be helpful to know what she is planning - 1 and 2 off projects or hundreds or more? Multiple metallics or just one color? Depending on what she plans on doing, she might be able to get away with using a good black and white laser and laser foil.

Really, though, there are a lot of variables and having a better idea about what she wants to do would help us narrow down our suggestions...
posted by bucko at 7:04 AM on September 14, 2004

I'll second and third that. For foil or otherwise metallic ink, there's about thirty different ways to put it down, some better than others.
posted by SpecialK at 8:06 AM on September 14, 2004

I assume by metallic she wants MICR toner for cheque scanning machines.

If she wants to go cheap, purchasing an old LaserJet II or III (preferrably III if she's in a hurry) and replacing the toner with "cheque toner" or MICR toner would do it. That printer shouldn't cost much more than $20 used. If she wants something more "high end", most any office HP Laserjet ever made has MICR toner available.

For the cheap bastard in you, check here to fill your own MICR cart. (Just a happy customer, that's all). It's a bit messy, though.
posted by shepd at 9:45 AM on September 14, 2004

Possibly a stupid question, but do you mean a computer printer? Or some kind of press?
posted by scarabic at 11:57 AM on September 14, 2004

You can get heat/wax transfer printers pretty cheaply, and you can get metallic cartridges for these. My father uses these printers to print direct onto acetate for printing circuit boards as they're the only thing which can give an opaque enough print.
posted by wackybrit at 1:24 PM on September 14, 2004

Response by poster: Uh, I think she wants metallic-appearing prints. Like silver and gold, etc.

And yes, a computer printer.
posted by armoured-ant at 4:46 PM on September 14, 2004