HP Latex Supply Issues

[Joe@Morton]

Hello all,
I am new to the forum, thank you for having me. I am not a full-time sign maker, I am a full-time exhibits technician who happens to do printing and some sign making in-house with a HP latex 260. I am having an issue because HP has discontinued supporting their own printer. I cannot order from HP so I end up purchasing through third parties which has caused some problems here and there in the past. One issue is that the printer reads the print cartridges and parts. For example, I installed a new maintenance kit and the printer is saying it is almost full and it is brand new. Now, it appears as if it is telling me that it is going to automatically stop working if it becomes too full. The biggest issue I have had as well is finding a reliable company to get ink cartridges. The last ones I bought... the printer read as expired. Does anyone have any suggestions for purchasing ink cartridges from a company that has always been good for you? I wish we never had purchased this HP printer but I am stuck with it. Also having a hard time finding anyone who services these things so I have had to try to learn and fix everything myself because HP has no product support for this printer. I appreciate any input.

 

[greysquirrel]

Your product has reached its end of life. Third party inks is about all you will find as for parts, unless smaller repair shops took inventory of parts from HP they will be scarce as well. Time to move into something ls. imo

 

[george paris]

I had pretty good luck with STS Inks when I was still running my 260. It is the printheads and printhead cleaning kit that are hard to come up with. I agree with the comment from 'G' above, time to move on. A new 335 is only around 12K. If you don't do enough work to support the idea of having a printer, maybe you could look into subbing the work out and act as a broker? If I get re-incarnated and assigned to the printing biz again; I'm going to be a print broker!!

 

[Solventinkjet]

If I get re-incarnated and assigned to the printing biz again; I'm going to be a print broker!!

Every print broker I've ever known either eventually bought a printer and opened a shop or quit and got a day job. The margins are hard to make money on unless you're pumping out volume. It looks so good on paper but it almost always turns into a grind that gets old fast.

 

[george paris]

I have worked with them and my experience has been that, while their niche is sales and the good have sucess; their investment is much smaller than a print provider. That really was my point. I am keeping my nose clean going forward so I don't come back as anything in the biz!!! lol