Best print quality printer

[ColorCrest]

Right now we're reading this thread with great curiosity and hoping it helps us make a well informed decision on what printer to buy.

As P Wagner pointed out earlier in the thread, the extended colors are special and not just to Epson. It behooves one to know how and when to use any production tool or materials.

The vast majority of graphics from any extended ink set printer happen to be displayed indoors and often under more scrutiny than required by typical outdoor signage. Being indoor, brand colors and other color matches especially are believed to require more attention for color and resolution than outdoor graphics. The special inks help achieve more brand colors (read Pantone) out of the gate.

I've always regarded this class of machine to used for premium graphics charged at a premium price and certainly not for use as vehicle wraps. Although I understand how a shop may have only one printer and would expect a machine such as the SC 80600 to accommodate all they expect to need. However, the business still requires knowledge of how to make the best uses of resources.

The OP knows he is in a challenging environment and is researching here to learn more. Signed Out knows he needs to test his product himself to see what happens. All in a day's work.

 

[Boyanski]

Seriously? A couple of weeks with laminated prints on decent media?

We're in a 300+ annual sun day, high UV region and now have over 5 years of examples to gauge fading from and we're not seeing anything remotely similar off a 10 year old Roland VP-540 that we're about to replace. We have a ton of work out there that even with western and southern exposure isn't showing anywhere near as much fading as some of the examples I've seen in this thread.

Right now we're reading this thread with great curiosity and hoping it helps us make a well informed decision on what printer to buy.

I live in Spain at the seaside. The longest i have seen a laminated vinyl stay is 1 year. After 1 year looks like crap and is ready to fall down with lifted edges. When all day at sunshine. Temperature measured at sign in summer is 85-95 Celsius. PVC signs break from heat, I do only Dibond and aluminum, all else is asking for trouble. So yes, seriously.

 

[netsol]

I live in Spain at the seaside. The longest i have seen a laminated vinyl stay is 1 year. After 1 year looks like crap and is ready to fall down with lifted edges. When all day at sunshine. Temperature measured at sign in summer is 85-95 Celsius. PVC signs break from heat, I do only Dibond and aluminum, all else is asking for trouble. So yes, seriously.

you are talking surface temp on the sign itself? highest temp ever recorded bu WMO is 56.7 celsius. that's some sun load. we have a friend who always tells his daughter that growing up in saudi arabia, he played soccer at 135f. 95c = 203f. i know you are near the equator, but really?

 

[greysquirrel]

There's no way you can base a decision about quality fro, a trade show...entirely too many variables...ink, media, resolution printed, rip...blah
you need to go to a local reseller that carries a few manufactures and has them in their facility. I have spent my last 12 years demoing, servicing and installing HP Epson Roland Seiko, Oce, Agfa and Dilli. The Roland has been updated...but its first version was so bad.
You are not buying a latex for fine art reproductions...the smell from seiko inks is enough to pass...the epson s80 is the best IQ in this class hands down. Just so you don't think Im a fanboy...I only run HP latex.

 

[greysquirrel]

sorry hit enter by mistake.You need to run them all on the same media and same resolution...the epson will get you to 1440dpi...unless ricoh reinvented their heads for this product they max under 900dpi(that was from Roland)

going to a trade show is kinda like going to best buy for a tv without doing any research....everyone is a goldfish and gravitate to the oversaturated colors... just keep in mind if your customers are artists or photographers they want accurate color....if you own a business you want linearized color so you are not dumping more ink than necessary on a print...that will lead to other issues that I am sure we will address for you in future posts

 

[Boyanski]

I bought at the end an used SJ XC-540 from a business next town. He has his service company, they will bring it and install lit here tomorrow, included in price of 3k euro. He bought new 160cm Mimaki from them. so probably made some deal , which is good for me. I decided its best, to learn the business starting with an old tank , and once there is enough demand , then upgrade.
I agree, the Epsons probably will be best, but as i said, not ready for a new one, second hand ones could find only 3, 5 and 7 series, not 4, 6, 8. so i decided against it, as i read here some printers were eating through heads like crazy.
Plus when i went to see the printer, the guy was printing on 720 or worse and looked me like a crazy when i asked him about best resolution. He said he never used it, who would care as anyway you would look it from far away. Had to argue with him 15 min to show me the printer working on 1440

Now as i said latex did not impress me. The overall look was wrong, i don't know colors or what. That was all latex printers i have seen. I was at the point of buying one 260 but they announced they retire that model/ after less than 10 years???? So i decided to stay away from HP.
What bugs me is that guy in town, same business like me, bigger as he is more years on market. He continues to install printed vinyls on cars without lamination and he prints on Oracal 631 and similar. He insists its alright, i guess i have to see what happens next summer. He has the printer from a couple of months and how he decided he dont need a laminator or lamination is out of my mind.

 

[Jun Lanon]

Check out Stratojet

 

[greysquirrel]

I bought at the end an used SJ XC-540 from a business next town. He has his service company, they will bring it and install lit here tomorrow, included in price of 3k euro. He bought new 160cm Mimaki from them. so probably made some deal , which is good for me. I decided its best, to learn the business starting with an old tank , and once there is enough demand , then upgrade.
I agree, the Epsons probably will be best, but as i said, not ready for a new one, second hand ones could find only 3, 5 and 7 series, not 4, 6, 8. so i decided against it, as i read here some printers were eating through heads like crazy.
Plus when i went to see the printer, the guy was printing on 720 or worse and looked me like a crazy when i asked him about best resolution. He said he never used it, who would care as anyway you would look it from far away. Had to argue with him 15 min to show me the printer working on 1440

Now as i said latex did not impress me. The overall look was wrong, i don't know colors or what. That was all latex printers i have seen. I was at the point of buying one 260 but they announced they retire that model/ after less than 10 years???? So i decided to stay away from HP.
What bugs me is that guy in town, same business like me, bigger as he is more years on market. He continues to install printed vinyls on cars without lamination and he prints on Oracal 631 and similar. He insists its alright, i guess i have to see what happens next summer. He has the printer from a couple of months and how he decided he dont need a laminator or lamination is out of my mind.

a new s40 is only 9k? did you check the total square ft printed from that xc-540? its an old printer? were they using third party inks? no printer in this price range is built to last longer than 5-6 years...they can and do...just not designed for the long haul...

 

[greysquirrel]

Im a little lost here too...this thread started with "best print quality printer" and you ended up buying a relic that in its prime was not looked upon for its quality. You ultimately bought on price and took us all along for the ride. I feel used, betrayed, misled. What started as a promising thread has turned into a waste of time. Next time lead with "what can I afford for 3000 euros and will the quality be ok" [HASHTAG]#nowIneedtherapy[/HASHTAG]

 

[StratoJet]

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