What do you need? There are two basic requirements for printing on balsa. You first need a printer that has a straight through paper path. We are currently using an Epson SureColor P400. It also helps if the printer will support banner printing. The second thing you need is some graphics software to develop your artwork. Just about any program that will let you draw will work fine. We prefer software that uses vector graphics so they can be scaled without any loss of resolution. Programs that draw using bit maps can also be used very effectively.


The process. The photos that follow will take you through the steps. Basically, the process is  create your artwork and then print the balsa sheets. Here are the more detailed steps. Click on each photo to see a larger version and the full photo description.


Please note: Some printers have toothed wheels in the paper path that help control the paper as it is printed. These wheels can sometimes interfere with the balsa and actually cut it into strips. If your printer is set up like this, it may be necessary to see if the toothed wheels can be removed. Doing so may cause later problems when printing on paper, so be sure you can live with any undesirable results from modifications you make to your printer before implementing.