> > So the question I now have is "Does an inkjet printer produce
better
> > masks than does a laserjet printer?".
>
> Only if the inkjet transparency is decent stuff ∗and∗ the ink is
compatible
> with it ∗and∗ it's not a crappy printer.
>
> If the ink is incompatible, you usually get pinholing, slow drying,
and
> sometimes smudging. Crappy printers are slow drying, leave streaks,
and
> smudging anyway. Decent printers can be a cheap base model (like an
epson
> stylus 400 color, long discontinued). I've found epsons better
because they
> use piezo-mechanical ejectors on room-temperature ink, and the ink
is absorbed
> into the gelatine coating of epson transparencies which dries really
fast.
> Other slower-drying printers and non-genuine ink/film combinations
can
> give decent results, but you'll have to experiment to find the right
ones.
>
> Laser printers often give dark edges but not-very-dark interiors
when
> printing larger areas. The heat can deform the printout, depending
on
> what it's made of. Laser printouts are always grainier and can show
more
> pinholes if you change to a new cartridge with different toner.
>
You want a printer that uses pigment black, not dye black, which is
more transparent. The Epson R series and some Canon and HP
Pixma/Photosmart series all use a dye black since pigment ink for
lower end printers tends to make very lousy photos. The Epson C/CX
series use pigment ink for all four colors, and most Canon and HP
Business/Deskjet series have pigment ink. If you do a websearch, or go
to a /good/ ink refilling website and look for the refill kits for
your model/cartridge #, you can find out what kind of black ink it
uses. If the transparency gel coat for ink is 'translucent' and not
fully transparent, you may also want to extend the exposure time a
little.
I have had good results using Xerox /color/ photocopiers in office
supply stores with laser transparencies. Regular black/white copiers
tend to have lousy resolution and areas where the toner doesn't fill
properly. Not too familiar with home lasers. I do suspect a black
pigment inkjet with high resolution would be more opaque.