best printer for white and metallic printing

[buzzgraphics]

hey guys, i'm looking for recommendations on the best printer that has BOTH on board white and metallic ink. We've been using mutoh vj1624s for the last ten years and have been very happy with them, but have a new project that will require the specialty inks. The printers I'm currently looking are the Roland XR, the Mimaki jv300 and the Mutoh 1638x. Anybody have any real world experience with these setups? How's the white and metallic ink density on clear vinyl substrate? Dry times? Cost per sq. ft? I'm currently using flexi cloud as a rip if that makes any difference.

thanks!

 

[ProColorGraphics]

Not sure on those, but I have the Epson's and I think they work great. I have the S70 and an S80. The S70 has both white and silver at the same time. With any solvent ink, the white is not going to be super dense. If super dense is what you need, look at a UV. I just got a Fuji Acuity LED1600, that white is night/day different from the solvent. Back to the Epson's, I have had good luck and would recommend looking into them too. I am looking at selling my S70 if you are interested. I just don't need both solvent printers.

 

[Signs 'n' Stuff]

Hi Buzz
We have a Roland VS640, we set it up as 6 colour double white. worked like a dream until Roland superceded the eco sol max white ink to eco sol max2 due to some change in allowable ingredients in EU. The new ink had larger particle sizes, the print heads blocked completely in a matter of days, we now have a 6 colour printer only as the problem was only going to recur if we replaced the head. So my recommendation for white is not Roland.

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

Is size an issue? I know Gerber Edges are limited to 11.8" high print area, but I've not seen a printer that has better white or metallics. And for longevity, I would rate Edge prints over inkjet any day. I have a few that are pushing 8-10 years with a UV skin and they look as good as the day they left the shop.

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

Summa DC5 perhaps?

 

[Graphic Extremes]

I have the Roland XR-640 with white and metallic. I haven't had any problems using the white or metallic. I do daily cleaning every morning before I use the printer though. Machine circulate the ink automatically though the day also. I also only use Roland ink in the machine also. Hope this helps.

 

[buzzgraphics]

Thanks for the replies! I completely forgot about epson. I'll check them out. The edge is great idea as well, it's been a while since I looked at them. I've heard rumbling about Roland's white and silver inks having longevity issues in vehicle wraps. Anyone have an early failure yet?

 

[boxerbay]

unless you have a boatload of daily white and metallic work you should avoid the headaches. opaque white you need to go UV flatbed or hybrid. metallic? epson S series with silver ink OR an AQ Canon IPF9400 and use metallic photo paper. There are also printable metallic vinyl from RTAPE that produce some nice metallic prints on SUV printers. metallic ink is quite the novelty and I dont think popular enough to support a printer... at least for us.

 

[AKwrapguy]

I think Fenris has the right idea, we use the Gerber Edge all the time and it can do metallic, white, translousants, etc... just limited by size.

 

[PHILJOHNSON]

Hi Buzzgraphics,

The Summa DC5 printer cutter we offer could potentially be a great fit for your white and metallic printing needs. The DC5 can print with both mirror and matte metallic colors and there is a white ribbon as well. Please let me know if you might be interested in having a conversation about the DC5 or if you would like to see some print samples and I would be happy to help.

Best regards,

Phil Johnson
Airmark Corporation
(800)527-7778, ext 112
philj@airmark.com

 

[HPS_Drew]

I have the VS640 now without white and and metallic. Good call not getting the metallic on a Roland, way to slow to print, no demand for it really unless you spend ages talking it up to designers and the cost for those 220ml cartridges are crazy. And as for the new EcoSol 2 ink it killed my white business dried up virtually over a few days.