Advice on desktop uv flatbed printers

[artofacks1]

Hello, anyone have any good experience with desktop uv printers?

I need to be able to print on acrylic mainly or should I just print and sublimate on acrylic?

 

[Technician]

Hello, anyone have any good experience with desktop uv printers?

I need to be able to print on acrylic mainly or should I just print and sublimate on acrylic?

Have many customers that is happy with Roland LEF2 printers.
It’s a machine made for use,if you let it sit it will become a problem. It’s how it is with all ink printer, specially with white.

 

[Superior_Adam]

I would highly suggest the Mimaki 3042/6042. The 3042 is the smaller version. We have been running them for 10 years now. We just replaced our original 6042 with a new one. On the original one that was 10 years old we never had to replace a print head. These machines are great. They need to be used and can have problems if it sets too long but that is any UV printer using white and clear inks. There are times ours will sit for a few days but not any longer.

 

[Langelot]

We sell both Rolands and Mimakis: I would say Mimaki has the upper hand with these, but Roland has recently come out with a new model (MO-240) and seems to be trying to displace Mimaki in this particular niche... If you will be exclusively printing on acrylic, make sure to get an ionizer bar (an additional accessory with Mimakis) to control static as that can be an issue with acrylics...

Mimaki UJF-3042 MKII e
Mimaki UJF-6042 MKII e
Mimaki UJF-7151 Plus II

Roland LEF2-200
Roland LEF2-300
Roland MO-240 (new machine)

Mutoh also makes small flatbeds, but they are the poor man's version and definitely do not have a good reputation...

 

[artofacks1]

I would highly suggest the Mimaki 3042/6042. The 3042 is the smaller version. We have been running them for 10 years now. We just replaced our original 6042 with a new one. On the original one that was 10 years old we never had to replace a print head. These machines are great. They need to be used and can have problems if it sets too long but that is any UV printer using white and clear inks. There are times ours will sit for a few days but not any longer.

What would you say , sits to long? A day or two in between prints to long ?

 

[Langelot]

What would you say , sits to long? A day or two in between prints to long ?

With white ink in particular, yes, I would say two days would be the limit - but even then, what I would personally do is to always have a small test job and print that out every day no matter what (when not having real jobs to print) - yes, you would be wasting a minimal amount of ink, but it will be ink/money would be well spent for keeping the "juices flowing" so to speak. Rule of thumb: the more these machines run, the better - that actually applies with all inks (not just UV), but in particular with any white ink...