Epson SureColor P800 or Canon iPF670?

[audrey]

Hello everyone, this is my first post on this forum so i hope i'm doing it right
I have a cutter at work and i do vehicle decals with it, basic stuff, more like decal repair and replacement for commercial vehicle and RV. So we don't print a lot... But sometimes we need a print decal and we are looking for an affordable printer that can do the job. These are the two I was interested in but except the roll size I was wondering if anybody had experienced one or the other and what do you think of em?
Thank you!

 

[Solventinkjet]

Both of those printers use aqueous inks and will not last outdoors. It sounds like you are on a budget so i would look for a used Roland SP300V printer/cutter or a used Mutoh ValueJet in combination with your cutter to do contour cuts. You can find these printers for a good price usually and they are made specifically for outdoor durability.

 

[audrey]

Thank you for your quick answer! We are actually looking for as affordable as possible. I was thinking about the Canon because of the roll size but didn't find lots of reviews and everyone seems to be happy about Epson quality... Also for the durability, last place i worked we were using a spray to cover decals we had to print on certain kind of vinyl to protect it. But i don't know about the durability of the quality though...
Thanks for your help!

 

[Solventinkjet]

You have to use a special vinyl that is coated to be able to receive aqueous inks. Usually the manufacturer has a vinyl listed on their website that you can use. The clear coat can extend the life of the decal but is not optimal for long term. It sounds like you have more experience with that and probably know better how long they will last. Epson is a good brand and is probably the best bet. If you can choose an ink type, make sure it is pigment ink, AKA archival ink, and not dye based ink. It will help the print last longer.

 

[audrey]

Thank you, that's good to know!

 

[Correct Color]

I'd agree with everything VanderJ said, except to add...

Make sure that you can actually buy an aqueous adhesive vinyl that will do what you want it to do; for instance, there is not an aqueous equivalent to 3M IJ180. And also note that typically, aqueous media are about twice the price of similar materials for solvent.

I'd also add that these days, I'd favor Canon over Epson. Not by a wide margin, but Canon has been making great strides over the past several years, to the point I'd say they've passed Epson to at least some degree.