BALLOON PRINTING

[Peter363]

Can anyone help with info on a printer etc to print photos on helium foil balloons. The balloons are widely available to buy online from £9.99 upwards( funkypigeon is one example), but I can't find any info on what I would need to provide this service myself. I am not interested in printing on latex balloons, just foil ones, that could be filled with helium. I have found a company, Floato, who do this but only on 11" balloons, which are smaller than the 18" ones I am interested in. Any help much appreciated. I want customers to be able to upload a photo instore, and then for me to print and inflate the balloon within a few minutes.
Peter

 

[Ashley_Price]

You might need to look at this the other way round.

Doing a quick search I came across THIS SITE which sell "inkjet balloons", which are in a frame and can be fed through a normal inkjet printer. The balloons are "made of aluminum foil composite film, the DIY balloons will stay good looking and high quality even after a long period of time."

So, from this, admittedly, 30 second search, it seems you might need to be looking for "printer friendly" balloons, rather than balloon friendly printers.

 

[Peter363]

Hi Ashley

Thanks for your reply, but as I said in the post I'm trying to source 18" balloons that I can fill with helium. The ones in your link are 18 CM, so less than half the size I am after, and are also only for air inflation, and not for helium inflation.
Thanks for your reply anyway.

Peter

 

[Ashley_Price]

I didn't say you should buy those ones, I was simply using that as an example.

Your first line states: "Can anyone help with info on a printer etc to print photos on helium foil balloons" not that you were trying to source the balloons.

 

[Peter363]

Hi Ashley

Sorry, I didn't intend to offend you, I was merely stating that the link you provided was for balloons that were inflated with air, and not with helium as I was after and were smaller than I was enquiring about. I did say in my initial enquiry that I had found a company who did 11" balloons, as your link showed, but that I was after larger ones, 18".
I have searched for the answer in many different ways, including printer friendly balloons etc, but with no luck. What puzzles me is that companies are selling printed foil balloons on line from £9.99, so plainly it can be done, even if the machine costs thousands it can be done. But why can't I find any info about how its done.
Plainly the balloons and the printing are linked, so any supplier selling either would be able to point me in the right direction, but I keep hitting a brick wall.

Peter

 

[Ashley_Price]

Leave it with me. I have suppliers that deal with a wide range of printers and printing techniques, I will see if I can find out anything for you.

 

[Peter363]

Thank you Ashley, I appreciate it.
Peter