[Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: Desktop thermal printers?

[Callomon,Paul]

My understanding of how laser ink works is that the ink becomes fluid when heated and flows into and around the fibers of the paper. It then hardens into what is effectively a thermoset plastic as it cools. Its adhesion is thus at least partially mechanical through penetration in three dimensions, like the roots of a tree. I don’t know if any bonding might also occur at molecular level, but it was explained to me that larger laser printers intended for heavy office use fuse the ink at hotter temperatures and thus achieve deeper penetration of the paper. We use an older HP 3015 and print on rag (laundry tag) paper, and those labels seem unchanged in alcohol so far (the oldest that was made on the same paper with a comparable printer is about 25 years now).

Many modern laser printers emphasize sheets-per-minute speed over durability, however, and I can see how that might reduce the heat accordingly.

Paul Callomon
Collection Manager, Malacology and General Invertebrates
________________________________
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia
callomon at ansp.org<mailto:callomon at ansp.org> Tel 215-405-5096 - Fax 215-299-1170


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