Photocopy or laserprinter "ink" is not really ink at all but tiny
bits of plastic that are literally melted onto the paper. That would
explain the hot iron transfer. I wonder what Kinkos is using now.

Inkjet printers really are ink and quite different.

Scarab of the Doubtful Guests

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Dog Scouts Troop"
wrote:
> When I first started carving last year, I found that the easiest
method was
> to make a copy at Kinko's, place the image face down on the rubber
and heat
> it for a few seconds with an iron. It created a beautifully detailed
> transfer that could be handled without smears.
>
> However, lately that method has resulted in nothing being
transfered to the
> rubber. I tried the Acetone method with the same results. I even
tried a
> T-shirt transfer, but couldn't get it hot enough without melting
the rubber.
> At my wits end and with some very intricate stamp images just
begging to be
> carved, I talk to the people at Kinkos.
>
> Apparently, they have changed their ink. It's now oil based and
sealed to
> the paper. This prevents the ink from sticking to other sheets of
paper or
> plastic covers (like it used to when put in a binder). "Archive
safe" I
> think they call it now.
>
> Solution: I went to the library and used their ancient copier and
VOILA! A
> perfect image transfer, just like I used to get. So, if you have
tried the
> 'heat transfer' method and it didn't work, you may need to use an
older
> copier. By the way, I'm using PZ Cut and I'm still using the
original batch,
> so I knew that wasn't what had changed :-) New and more intricate
stamps are
> on the way to boxes in Cincinnati!
>
> Scoutdogs