Printing on clear packaging tape

Hi All,

This is just a note for anyone interested in possibly printing on clear packaging tape instead of blue tape.
I don't like how blue tape produces a dull finish on the surface that touches the tape.
I did not find much on the Internet about alternatives to blue tape, so I decided to try printing on clear packaging tape.
The result is very satisfactory.

The tape I used was similar to this: [www.amazon.com].
I have a RepRap Prusa with a hotend from MakerGear.
I printed with Black PLA from Ultimachine, my temperature was set at 190.

The side facing the tape came out very glossy - almost too glossy.
The ridges that are normally created by the printing process had melted together into an almost entirely smooth glossy surface.
The plastic stuck to the packaging tape while printing with no problem yet the finished part was removed from the packaging tape more easily than with blue tape.
When I homed my machine, and the hotend was briefly touched against the tape, a small hole was burnt in the tape at the home position.
However, the tape was not damaged at all during the normal printing process (since the hotend does not actually touch the tape).
Be sure to smooth the tape out completely after putting it down on your print bed or the the small bubbles in the tape will show up in your prints.

I'm giving up blue tape and am going to 'stick' with packaging tape :-).

best regards,
-ted stockwell

You should try printing on glass with PLA, I had spectacular results.

I was thinking that the weight of the glass on the print bed (and subsequent inertia when changing directions) might throw off the printing.
But since I have not been able to get the tape onto my print bed perfectly smooth I'm definitely gonna try it...

If you are printing at high speed, probably.

For normal - low speeds, the weight of the glass has no effect.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2012 07:38PM by aplavins.

Packing tape is either Polypropylene or Polyester, neither of which has been printed on before. I'll have to try this out once I get mine working!

I print on PET tape all the time and that is what is usually meant by polyester.

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