Eco-solv vs Latex

[southernink]

I have a Roland Sp-540V, which I have found out, that is now pretty much a discontinued machine with Roland. Now I want to look at upgrading but don't know the pros and cons of a latex printer. I am in need of direction as to comparing the 2 different machines and where to possibly go to purchase them. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[iPrintStuff]

There’s about a billion posts regarding this issue. To sum up the main points;

Simply put, it’s down to preference. Both have their pros and cons and it’s down to your individual needs. (Such as latex not needing to degas before laminating, depends how patient you are). Though eco solvent has its merits, such as colour and length consistency!

Secondly, and I can’t stress this one enough. It shouldn’t all be about price, sure saving money is great but you want the dealer that’s closest with the best tech support. No point saving $500 initially if you’ll have to spend $700 extra on your first service call. Then if there’s no techs nearby you may be better with latex (a lot more user replaceable parts than on a solvent with no training)

Thirdly, budget is always ideal. You said “comparing the two machines” but there are a LOT of different HP and ES machines, all of which have their very own cons and weaknesses. Knowing what you’re willing to spend would help a lot in deciding what to recommend.

 

[rjssigns]

No big deal if Roland no longer supports the machine. Once my rig was out of warranty I became the tech. Solvent printers are a mature technology and there are enough aftermarket parts out there to replace whatever needs replacing.

Last year I sold my SP540V to a guy that was stoked to get it. He knew it's a slow rig but prints great and is built like an anvil.

To be quite honest if you don't have the print volume to justify a faster rig rebuild what ya got. Slam dunk since you know the printer and VersaWorks.

If you do go latex remember that you will no longer be able to print on small pieces. That was the deal breaker for me. I use drop from bigger jobs to wring out every last bit of useful material on a roll.

 

[Jim Hancock]

The SP-540V is a slow, but steady and reliable workhorse and very easy and inexpensive to repair and maintain. You will find plenty of tech support on this forum, as well. As was stated, it's about your volume of work. New and shiny isn't always as good as old and reliable...

 

[BigfishDM]

Call me, 714-878-7989 I would love to go over the pros and cons.

 

[premiercolour]

No big deal if Roland no longer supports the machine. Once my rig was out of warranty I became the tech. Solvent printers are a mature technology and there are enough aftermarket parts out there to replace whatever needs replacing.

Last year I sold my SP540V to a guy that was stoked to get it. He knew it's a slow rig but prints great and is built like an anvil.

To be quite honest if you don't have the print volume to justify a faster rig rebuild what ya got. Slam dunk since you know the printer and VersaWorks.

If you do go latex remember that you will no longer be able to print on small pieces. That was the deal breaker for me. I use drop from bigger jobs to wring out every last bit of useful material on a roll.

Well said. We were selling ink supplies, when customers needed repair; we got into repair and we are offering repair services within S. California.