I am looking to buy an Alps 1000 printer in the next day or two and I have a couple questions. I have used the search function here and found some very helpful info, but I just have a couple specific questions.

-Do I need a speacial printer cable? I am running Windows XP. I was reading that the original cables dont work with usb ports???

-I am pretty sure I can download the drivers for XP online somewhere?? Anyone know where?

-I spoke with one guy and he told me the printer uses color ribbons? I know they use cartridges, but do they also use ribbons? I just want to know if I can just stock up on cartridges, or do I also need ribbons in the same colors?

-Also, What program would you all recomend for making waterslides. I am not very savvy with any type of design programs. I have a design now, but may need to fiddle with the colors, wording placement and size to make it show up on the blank or decide if i need a background color ect.....

Thanks for your help,

-Mike

If you want to shoot me an email, I have nearly all of these questions answered and more in a brief tutorial on this printer.

The Windows XP printer cord isn't covered on it, though. I have used mine on both of my XPs, but now use it on an older Windows 98 due to an "easier" font program I have that I can't get loaded on XP. If your XP's tower has the old style printer hook up on the back of it (mine both do), then the cord with your printer will work.

They use the cartridges, not any ribbons, although what's in the cartridges looks like ribbon.

I'm kind of old school on the font/sizing deal and just print my decals through my photography program using some Avery label forms for the sizing. If the sizing of a one-color (non-overlay) decal isn't perfect, it can be re-sized inside the Avery box before printing.

Putter
Williston, ND



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2007 09:31PM by Randy Parpart (Putter).

Hi Michael
The Alps MD-1000 will only work properly with a parallel cable (Parallel Port) and will NOT work with a parallel to USB adapter. The ribbon the guy you spoke to told you about are inside the cartridges. Do NOT throw out the empty cartridges as they are no longer made and may have to be remanufacured (a new piece of ribbon put inside the old cartridge). Yes you can down load the driver for Windows XP from a couple of places off the web if you do a search you should find them if not let me know I also know you can run XP in 98 mode . Good luck regards
Simon

Mike you might try either the alps users group or decal groups on Yahoo to find the driver needed, I believe Alps has removed all the drivers from their web site for the MD series of printer you could search via Google for the drivers sites such as driverguide.com sometimes have a version of the driver worse case send me your snail mail address and I can burn you a copy of the driver, I also have a copy of the 1300 manual which is similar to the 1000 better then nothing as a pdf file
John

Mike,

Just remember you can not use the FOIL cartridges on the MD1000. The Yahoo Alps Group site has all the drivers you'll need or tells you where to get them. It also shows you ways to FOOL the printer into using supposedly non-compatible cartriges. But, I have tried to use the foil cartridges, but the print head is not hot enough to transfer the foil.

Hope this helps.

Bill in WV

I shouldn't have used the word "tutorial" in my post above. It's more a compilation of information about the Alps printers, where to find them and their cartridges, and where to get information about these things including downloading drivers.

Putter
Williston, ND

So I guess I would have to go up to at least a 1300 to print metallics? Will the Alps md-4000 print decals? Looks like it is different (white) than the other models and has a built in scanner?

I want My logos to be metallic so I guess the 1000 really would,nt do me any good.

Thanks for all the help.

-Mike

No, Mike. That's not right. The 1000 prints in metallic silver, gold, magenta, and cyan.

It won't print the 5000's FOIL cartridges (according to Bill) with the 1000's little sticker on it (fooling the 1000 into believing it's a metallic cartridge). The 5000's foil cartridges are a bit brighter, especially the silver, than the 1000's metallic silver cartridge is.

It's been widely reported that this trick works, but I haven't tried it on my 1000. I'd always planned on it, but just hadn't gotten around to it yet. Maybe Bill will send me his "fooled" cartridge to try on my printer (just in case?) and then I'll send it back to him after the test...

Putter
Williston, ND

Michael,

I was referring to the FOIL cartridges meant for the 5000.

Putter,

I tried it and nothing printed. I went back to the Yahoo Alps Group page and reread. They said that the printhead is not hot enough on the 1000 to effect the transfer. I'm guessing that's why it came off blank. I'm wondering if you couldn't install a 5000 printhead on a 1000, providing one is available. I may go back and post that question.

Bill in WV

Ok, thanks for the info guy's.

Will the 4000 print decals. Also will the dye-sublimination capable printers print logo's? I think that is a feature you can turn on and off when the printer has the capability?

Thanks,

-Mike

The questions on the 4000 I couldn't answer. The user's group in my file that was sent to you would likely have people more skilled in use on other than the 1000. It's all I've ever used and I just don't know all of the ins and outs with the other models (I just know the others are generally priced above the 1000).

With any Alps printer, though, when printing a logo with standard colors (not metallic or white), you'll want to apply the decal over a white (or very light) background on the rod. Either that, or make a second file of exact proportions as your logo and fill it in as a black background, print it in white after checking the "overlay" feature in the Alps printer properties, and then print the logo over that. It'll show up on a black background, then.

If a logo mixes metallics and standard colors, it's lots more work (one file for each metallic color, one for the white underlay, and one file for all the standard colors combined). Just the areas of the metallic colors will need separate black-colored files to be underprinted with white. On your Alps printing options, the "spot color" choice is for printing white or any of the metallic colors.

It's complicated, but once figured out, it works well. A logo of your own, once worked out into these printing files, can be used over and over again. The files MUST completely match each other in size to use this overlay mode. Printing these files inside the Avery labels allows me to "size" the finished decal without having to do the files all over again.

Putter
Williston, ND