Hp Latex compared to Roland versaart re 640

[jasonx]

Why? Is there an issue with the take up reel?

The ink doesn't dry fast enough and it ruins the prints especially with a lot of ink coverage. You have to drop the speed by heaps to get it right.

Lucky I can print them on my latex setup.

 

[PrintItBig]

The ink doesn't dry fast enough and it ruins the prints especially with a lot of ink coverage. You have to drop the speed by heaps to get it right.

Lucky I can print them on my latex setup.

Do you laminate them if printing with latex?

If not, how scratch resistant are they?

Also, what media do you use?

 

[jasonx]

Do you laminate them if printing with latex?

If not, how scratch resistant are they?

Also, what media do you use?

Don't laminate them. Using Sihl 3629. Scratch resistance has never been an issue on any media we use. I can do 3 pull ups in an hour. That's printed and mounted. With my Roland I'd need to leave it over night before handling the print.

I've got three Latex machines and an XC540. Both have their pro's and con's. The latex fit my business model best for now. I've run over 160,000 square feet through my latex machines to give you an idea.

 

[jayhawksigns]

I don't know about issues with banner material. I print ours at 6-pass all day long without any curing or wrinkling issues.

For roll-ups, yeah we used to use a Sihl product, worked great with our JV3, not so much the the L25. We have switched to a silver-back film and it prints great.

 

[PrintItBig]

Scratch resistance has never been an issue on any media we use.

How resistant would you say they were? Better or worse than eco solvent? Could you scratch the ink off with a finger nail without trying too hard?

I'm just trying to establish if the samples I saw (and scratched) are the norm or if there may have been some curing problem or media compatibility issue.

Thanks.

 

[PrintItBig]

I don't know about issues with banner material. I print ours at 6-pass all day long without any curing or wrinkling issues.

That's the thing, I've read such conflicting points of view it makes it hard to establish the facts.

For roll-ups, yeah we used to use a Sihl product, worked great with our JV3, not so much the the L25. We have switched to a silver-back film and it prints great.

Is that a non-curl, block out type film? Do you have the brand name / type at all?

Thanks.

 

[Robert Gruner]

Lazaros,

I live in Nicosia for three years way back when. I would imagine YOU are going to responsible for most of the service on your printer?

If so, buy the HP. It is much easier to service than a mild solvent ink printer.

Good printing

 

[ProColorGraphics]

If you ask me i would say Roland RE because that's what i have. HP is a great printer too, originally i wanted to buy the HP but i changed my mind and got the Roland and i am very happy i did. Very easy to use, in my opinion print quality is better than the hp eventhough it is only a 4 color printer, it comes with 2 year warranty it is a bulletproof printer. You said it in your post that price difference between the two is around $8000-$10000 HP being the more expensive one. Running cost is the same between the two.

I would argue the quality, as far as what I have compared. I think My L25500 prints better that the prints I have compared it too from the VP-540, RE640 and a VS640. The Roland prints were a lot grainier. The Roland prints were at a show, so I would hope that would have had them dialed in there. Just my personal opinion. I had a VP-540i I switched from and NEVER regretted it.

 

[ProColorGraphics]

Don't laminate them. Using Sihl 3629. Scratch resistance has never been an issue on any media we use. I can do 3 pull ups in an hour. That's printed and mounted. With my Roland I'd need to leave it over night before handling the print.

I've got three Latex machines and an XC540. Both have their pro's and con's. The latex fit my business model best for now. I've run over 160,000 square feet through my latex machines to give you an idea.

You use the Sihl 3629 in your latex?

 

[tomence]

You can print retractable banners on your Roland and use your take up reel?

I have an external dryer so i print in standard mode which is more than 120 sqf an hour and use my take up reel with no problem all day long.
I have mentioned before in another thread that if you want to print in high speed and use the take up reel you will need an external dryer.

 

[tomence]

I would argue the quality, as far as what I have compared. I think My L25500 prints better that the prints I have compared it too from the VP-540, RE640 and a VS640. The Roland prints were a lot grainier. The Roland prints were at a show, so I would hope that would have had them dialed in there. Just my personal opinion. I had a VP-540i I switched from and NEVER regretted it.

And you my friend, I will put my RE-640 against your HP toy any time and see who's got better print quality. Also i will put my prints against your prints for scratch resistance test as well.

 

[P Wagner]

And you my friend, I will put my RE-640 against your HP toy any time and see who's got better print quality.

It is entirely understandable that we all want to feel good about our purchase decisions, and attempt to sway others in the same direction. I would agree that both printers are very capable of producing comparable print quality.

In my opinion, the HP approach (using on-board systems like OMAS, and reserve print nozzles) comes closer to guaranteeing print quality without the user having to perform routine calibrations (nozzle check test prints, feed adjustment calibrations etc). The downside of these systems is that they take time to complete (52 seconds for nozzle mapping as an example).

On the other hand, Roland's approach speeds media changes, and requires significantly less warm-up than the HP latex printers.

I think that there is room for both in the marketplace.

 

[tomence]

Without any further arguing lets just say Roland is better and end this discussion.

 

[ProWraps]

Without any further arguing lets just say Roland is better and end this discussion.

um.

 

[HulkSmash]

Without any further arguing lets just say Roland is better and end this discussion.

no

 

[tomence]

no

lol

 

[tomence]

Now i have to trade my Roland for an HP.

 

[Jack Knight1979]

I'm talking with an HP dealer now to add an l26500. With the rebates, it's hard to say no. I'm still in the early stages of the decision and nothing is final, but I cannot trust my older rolands to run unattended all day long on high dollar substrates.

It's fine for banners and posters, but I plan on running a good amount of wrapping vinyls and I do not want to have banding and drop out on a 600 dollar roll of material.

A new roland with modern heads wouldn't have drop out, but I'm NOT paying that much for the new OEM inks and 30k for another Roland. Additionally as nice as the new roland 4 is. The extra gray channel makes it impossible to run aftermarket inks at this time.

The other problem (for my shop) with Roland that they have not addressed. The dual carts per channel. It's a pain when you're doing a high volume print run. One cart always empties before the other cart. The printer stops running and you have to drop in a new cart. Then an hour later the other cart in that channel runs out. Printer stops. This goes on and on.

I run bulk liters on my machines and NEVER have this problem. Top of the tanks print away. Can't do this with the new Roland. Not to mention you don't want to void a warranty on a 30k machine.

I like the HP's ink train because it uses one cart for both heads. HP inks are also MUCH cheaper than Roland inks. Nearly half the cost.

Need I mention that the HP prints on fabric? My fabric prints on the rolands are not great.

I am keeping the rolands here at the shop, and love them still. However, you need to stay current in this business or step aside for the next guy to take your place.

 

[HulkSmash]

what's the point of having double inks if you have to replace 1 that's empty while the other full.. that sounds dumb.

 

[Jack Knight1979]

Dunno but it is dumb for sure. Unless you switch out that empty card like mucho pronto you're gonna have a nice thick banding area where it paused itself.

And like Jack Night said...you can bet that once one cart goes the second one is going shortly after.

I've never understood why they set it up like that...don't they realize how redundant that is? I guess it does allow them to sell twice as much ink at a time...

It's lame. #1 design fail on Roland printers. The pause line in the prints are the worst too. Especially on a high dollar item. LAME.

Personally I feel that they won't switch to latex or change the ink train design because it proves that they have a poor design for these areas. They've built their brand in eco sol. If they switch it ruins their brand.

For machines larger than 30" inches they should run liter carts like they have for the AJ series. On a heavy printing day I could burn through six carts a day. That's me babysitting the machine waiting for the empty cart beep. Granted these carts may not have been new/full carts that day, but with 12 cartridges to watch with different ink levels, it's a guarantee you'll get the beeping cart multiples times in a day.

No Thanks. Another reason roland users go to bulk systems. High ink costs and annoying ink train.

HP Latex solved this problem. Another check for the HP column.

 

[ProWraps]

nice part about latex. inks run out, you realize it a while later, replace it starts printing, no line whatsoever. ecosol, you wait 10000000000th of a second, and you get a line.