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Aqueous vs. UV

M

Murmanation

New Member
This forum is fantastic for newbies like myself. I've got a year in the industry and I just feel like I'm at a point where I'm learning something. Thanks in advance for your help.

The printer we have in house uses pigment UV ink, but we're learning that material runs a bit more expensive than the solvent aqueous printers that our competition uses. I'm trying to learn the difference in materials that run through the printers, and if we utilizing the proper technology for our market.

Here in Abilene, TX the majority of work to fight over would be from local artists, sports teams and banner production (churches, businesses, etc.). Are we barking up the wrong tree trying to sell UV ink printing over the other guys? Does the ink last that much longer?

Maybe I'm not asking the proper way, I am just a graphic designer who got asked to help run a large format printing company and I have no background in the industry. I'm still used to referring to printing materials by the pound instead of the ounce haha.

Chris Murman
Abilene Reproduction
 
P Wagner

P Wagner

--
I am guessing that the printer you have is an HP Designjet 5000/ 5500. Those printers supports two different inksets, one called Dye-based ink, and the other is referred to as UV ink, which is pigment-based.

Both of these inksets are Aqueous inksets, and both require specifically coated medias. These medias can cost substantially more than uncoated media commonly used in solvent printers.

HP's naming the pigment ink "UV' is confusing in that the pigment inkset is not a UV Curing inkset.

Bob
 
animenick65

animenick65

New Member
Bob hits the nail on the head with the costs. Aqueous media requires a specific receptive surface to "soak" up the ink droplets. Its not cheap or easy to find good media that will last a decent amount of time outdoors for a 5500. Even WITH the UV inks installed.
 
M

Murmanation

New Member
Thanks for the heads up. I'm trying to get my owners to upgrade printers, so this might help convince them. The HP is supposed to give us high quality output, but if it's costing us a fortune for materials then it may not be worth it.
 
KR3signguy

KR3signguy

New Member
the inks are quite expensive but the image quality is great.
I'd stick with the uv over dye based inks. The dye have a larger gamut but doen't last nearly as long.


Your competitor uses a solvent aqueus printer??????
 
M

Murmanation

New Member
KR3signguy said:
Your competitor uses a solvent aqueus printer??????
Click to expand...
Aww man, did I get that wrong? I guess I showed my inexperience. I just know that I can't trade materials with any of our competitors because they won't print on our machine, and their materials are all much cheaper than ours because they started a price war recently. :)
 
Billct2

Billct2

Active Member
If you are trying compete for banners on price alone...good luck.
You may be best to buy them wholesale from one of the vendors, they'll selling it as cheap as $1 s/f.
 
eforer

eforer

New Member
Murmanation said:
Wow, how are they done that cheaply if you don't mind me asking? Are the vendors listed on the site somewhere?
Click to expand...

With something like a big Vutek, or other high speed volume production printers you can crank out fast with cheap ink on cheap materials bought in bulk.

Even with a smaller solvent or eco-sol machine and a bulk system you can be cranking out banners for next to nothing a square foot. Its a crowded segment though, and you need to have a pretty good/unique angle to compete/differentiate yourself from the established players.
 
M

Murmanation

New Member
eforer said:
With something like a big Vutek, or other high speed volume production printers you can crank out fast with cheap ink on cheap materials bought in bulk.

Even with a smaller solvent or eco-sol machine and a bulk system you can be cranking out banners for next to nothing a square foot. Its a crowded segment though, and you need to have a pretty good/unique angle to compete/differentiate yourself from the established players.
Click to expand...
Yeah that's just the thing: everyone in my current market gets into a price war (including my owners) so it comes down to relationship. But we all know it's hard to market "relationship" over the internet.

My biggest selling point at the moment is that I can output at a much higher resolution than our competitors and I have the only large format scanner and laminator in the area. Which means I lose out on some banner work because most people could care less about the resolution of print quality.
 
eforer

eforer

New Member
The 9000/8000 machines are great, but they aren't the best for the money IMO. Value Jet or JV3/33 are killing machines for the price (I like the Mimaki but both are good).
 
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