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Double sided printing

Rooster

New Member
I've read that the new latex printers make double sided printing and registration fairly easy but have no experience with these machines.

Could somebody explain the process of doing a double sided print on an HP latex printer for me? I'm interested in these machines, but do a fair amount of double sided work and would like to know more about how HP handles this. Is there a lot of excess material required, is it easy to register the front to the back, etc.
 

signswi

New Member
I've read that the new latex printers make double sided printing and registration fairly easy but have no experience with these machines.

Could somebody explain the process of doing a double sided print on an HP latex printer for me? I'm interested in these machines, but do a fair amount of double sided work and would like to know more about how HP handles this. Is there a lot of excess material required, is it easy to register the front to the back, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E1CfmhM40o

Here's the aforementioned video, skip ahead to the halfway point, the first half is the video mocking how tricky it is on Roland equipment. Basically the L26500 uses it's optical sensor to detect a bar it prints on the first side and automatically align.
 

dypinc

New Member
There is no mechanical reason you can't print two sided with the L25500. I do it all the time.

With the L25500 you have to mark your starting point on the second side and pretty much do one print at a time on the second side. Of course that depends on how much the media being used will stretch or shrink under the heat. I did 20 3' x 6' two sided banners last week and I don't think I was off more than 3/4" of any inch printing 2 at a time on the second side. With a border and a 1 1/2" welded hem the second side I had plenty of wiggle room.

On the L26500 as understand it, you print a make mark/target that can then be read by the advance calibration sensor to set your starting point for the second side.

Why can't HP provide a firmware update to implement that on the L25500?

I would think the media hold down clips would also be an advantage in two sided printing. Anyone know where I can buy those clips?
 

Rooster

New Member
Thanks guys. Doesn't really look any different than how I do it now, except for the auto registration for the start point. If anything that creates more wastage than how I do it now. I've done tons of double sided banners with nothing more than a 4" lead front and back and .25" bleed. It's never been out more than 1/8" on my mimaki. The dry time's a pain, but when you're doing a bunch by the time the last one is finished the first side, the first one is ready to go back on. They sure embellish the difficulty of doing it on the Roland.

If the 26500 a 64" machine? How are the latex inks for causing curling at the edges with heavy coverage? I tend not to hems the edges for these. Usually just a rod pocket top and bottom and let the weight of the bottom rod hold the edges taught.
 
If the 26500 a 64" machine? How are the latex inks for causing curling at the edges with heavy coverage?

L26500 is officially a 61 inch printer. Edge curl on solvent ink printers is typically caused by the solvent ink attacking and 'thinning' the media. Latex ink does not thin the media.
 

Rooster

New Member
How close to 61" will it print? Right to the edge or is there a 1/4" gap on either side? What's the current price on a 26500?

What about weight and installation? I know they take a 220 line, but are they much heavier or bulkier than a JV33? I need to get this past a set of stairs for an install. Is the chassis built solidly enough that it won't flex when carried up or down a set of stairs?
 
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