Photo Prints on Laser Printer

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prlawiii
Posts: 154
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:42 pm
Location: Prince Rupert, British Columbia

Photo Prints on Laser Printer

Post by prlawiii »

I have a Brother color laser printer. We want to print some photos on it. Our local Staples has photo printing paper, but it all says it is for inkjet printers. The clerk told my wife that if we don't use photo paper made for laser printers, that it could damage the printer. I'm skeptical, but certainly no expert in this area.

Does anyone on this board know if I can print on the photo paper for inkjet printers with this printer and, if so , is there really any risk of damage?

Thanks,

Herman
Just starting an Allen Mogul
renewing a Marie Estelle
hoppercar
Posts: 616
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:09 pm

Re: Photo Prints on Laser Printer

Post by hoppercar »

The inkjet paper has a special coating on it to absorb the right amount of ink
RMinMN
Posts: 102
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 8:50 am

Re: Photo Prints on Laser Printer

Post by RMinMN »

prlawiii wrote: Fri Feb 01, 2019 10:34 pm I have a Brother color laser printer. We want to print some photos on it. Our local Staples has photo printing paper, but it all says it is for inkjet printers. The clerk told my wife that if we don't use photo paper made for laser printers, that it could damage the printer. I'm skeptical, but certainly no expert in this area.

Does anyone on this board know if I can print on the photo paper for inkjet printers with this printer and, if so , is there really any risk of damage?

Thanks,

Herman
Inkjet printer spray ink onto the paper in tiny amounts. The paper tends to wick some of the ink away from where it is sprayed which destroys some of the resolution. That's fine for text but not for pictures so coated paper is used for those.

Laser printers use dry particles which is attracted to the print drum where it gets transferred to the paper, then heat fused to make it permanent. That heat fusion is where the problem occurs with coated paper as the coating may be a plastic that can stick to that heated roller which would then ruin it. It doesn't ruin the entire printer, just the fuser roller but that may be an expensive part to replace.
mihit
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2018 1:04 pm
Location: Tai Tokerau, NZ

Re: Photo Prints on Laser Printer

Post by mihit »

RMin is right.
However, there MAY be an option in print settings to "Reduce paper curl" which MAY leave your fuser cool enough to not wreck the paper. But you will be better served just getting laser-rated paper.

Also, many lasers will not reproduce a true 2400dpi image, they're better for text, schematics and dagrams etc.

Ink is definitely the way to go for photo prints.
jcfx
Posts: 713
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 1:24 pm
Location: NY

Re: Photo Prints on Laser Printer

Post by jcfx »

Herman,

Inkjet papers have a clay coating that helps absorb the ink droplets, like RMinMN said use a powdered "ink" so I'd think it'll
be a terrible mess if you try injet papers in a laser printer.
Look for laser brochure paper, I use a 40lb wt glossy HP brochure
paper with my HP color laser printer and the results are pretty good, I'd compare it to a magazine printing.

Jim
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