Just bought a Designjet 5500UV 60"

[VinylLabs.com]

I've been doing sign work for about 6 years now, always part-time. Never really took off the buisness because I'm mainly a webdesigner, and all my business is through word of mouth. (plotter only, no printer)

I found a HP DEsignjet 5500UV 60" for sale on kijiji and picked it up yesterday (mainly cause I was doing some prints and the cost of the machine was the same I would get for the prints, so essentially the first job would pay off the printer)

The seller was VERY helpful and spent 6 hours with me, moving the unit and installing it at my place and giving me some lessons.

I ended up getting the unit for 2500$ including ink (lc and y are low).

Is there anything I should know about these units? any problems or anything?

I'll update this thread with questions instead of creating a new thread as I learn to use this machine (it's my first printer, I have a plotter (cx-24))

second question:

I need to print out about 10000 small 3/4"x2" stickers. they need to be kisscut with rounded corners. I have a roland CX-24 (no optical eye) can somebody give input on lining up the plotter with the print as accuratly as possible?

 

[J Hill Designs]

good luck - outsource the stickers...thats a large order for learning how to contour cut w/o optical registration capabilities

 

[Bill Modzel]

You've got yourself a nice printer for that price. Just remember that "UV" designation is not UV curable inks but pigmented aqueous inks that are pretty UV stable. There's a recent post on this HP topic that I've shown a job trailer with printed graphics from this printer. The colors are good after 4 years but the laminate is separating from the vinyl in places too.

Having said that, if you get outdoor rated vinyl or banner stock made FOR this type of pirnter, you can probably get a year outdoor durability and more with a laminate. I ran an HP5000 for a long time. They're a real workhorse.

What RIP are you using with it?

 

[Billct2]

What jhill said about the sticker order,
what Bill said about the machine.

 

[BigfishDM]

What Billct2 said x2!!

 

[heyskull]

Oh dear.
It is a water based printer which needs special substrate and if it has to last anytime at all has to be overlaminated.
These are great for printing internal posters but most certainly are not up to the job of printing external stickers.
This machine was not built to make stickers or external signage.

Bill posted something about some prints he had on a vehicle after 4 years but to be truly honest that is very rare.

I would have saved the money and outsourced the job.

SC

 

[Vinylman]

Holy Cow!

You could have out sourced those through several wholesale vendors available to you, doubled retail price they quote and STILL been less than you paid for that "indoor" printer.
But that is a mute point at this time, so find out what the limitations and benefits of owning your printer are, and move forward.

 

[VinylLabs.com]

You've got yourself a nice printer for that price. Just remember that "UV" designation is not UV curable inks but pigmented aqueous inks that are pretty UV stable. There's a recent post on this HP topic that I've shown a job trailer with printed graphics from this printer. The colors are good after 4 years but the laminate is separating from the vinyl in places too.

Having said that, if you get outdoor rated vinyl or banner stock made FOR this type of pirnter, you can probably get a year outdoor durability and more with a laminate. I ran an HP5000 for a long time. They're a real workhorse.

What RIP are you using with it?

Thanks for the input. I'm not 100% sure about doing outdoors prints with it, I know I'm not doing car wraps with it, I would probably use this for smaller sticker orders. Like I said, this machine is paid off with the first job. I had 2 options:

1) buy stickers for 20cents each (10 000 or em) and sell them at 25 each pocketing 500$,
2)buy the machine for 2500 plus free material the guy gave me and essentially get a printer for free, minus learning time/manufacturing.

I read up on RIP after your post, but still not getting it, how is this different then printing from photoshop with the CD I installed it with? if there is that big a difference, can you suggest one to me?

Oh dear.
It is a water based printer which needs special substrate and if it has to last anytime at all has to be overlaminated.
These are great for printing internal posters but most certainly are not up to the job of printing external stickers.
This machine was not built to make stickers or external signage.

Bill posted something about some prints he had on a vehicle after 4 years but to be truly honest that is very rare.

I would have saved the money and outsourced the job.

SC

I will not be giving any warentee for outdoor jobs. 80-90% will be for myself or my father, I am giving some to my friend that owns a garage for stress tests.

Holy Cow!

You could have out sourced those through several wholesale vendors available to you, doubled retail price they quote and STILL been less than you paid for that "indoor" printer.
But that is a mute point at this time, so find out what the limitations and benefits of owning your printer are, and move forward.

yes, I am happy with the purchase, It was a stepping stone to buy somethign better later on, its my first printer.

 

[Visionary Printing]

I just bought one of these used. Basically I was buying a newish laminator and cutting table the guy had and he was also selling the printer. I did not need it but it was almost free after the great deal I got on the laminator and table. He threw in a ton of media and laminate.

I have only run a few small poster jobs on it so far, but the print quality is great even in production mode.

I am however trying to find banner vinyl that can be printed on with this machine as well as adhesive vinyls. Anyone with some direction on this?

The guy I bought it from strictly printed to papers. I have a client that does several banners a week with me but they are for indoor use only and for one time use. So I figuring since this machine does not run much I would like to run these on it.

Sorry if I highjacked your thread. Thought any answer to my questions might benefit you as well.

 

[Visionary Printing]

Also not sure about RIPS but mine runs direct through and IP address to print.

 

[J Hill Designs]

some of those had PS rips built in

 

[VinylLabs.com]

I just bought one of these used. Basically I was buying a newish laminator and cutting table the guy had and he was also selling the printer. I did not need it but it was almost free after the great deal I got on the laminator and table. He threw in a ton of media and laminate.

I have only run a few small poster jobs on it so far, but the print quality is great even in production mode.

I am however trying to find banner vinyl that can be printed on with this machine as well as adhesive vinyls. Anyone with some direction on this?

The guy I bought it from strictly printed to papers. I have a client that does several banners a week with me but they are for indoor use only and for one time use. So I figuring since this machine does not run much I would like to run these on it.

Sorry if I highjacked your thread. Thought any answer to my questions might benefit you as well.

no prob

I dont know about banners, but he gave me vinyl to print on (a 24" roll, needed it for my 24" plotter) it's a matte vinyl and it prints really well on it, i dont know the name but I'll find out when i go pickup some more tonight.

some of those had PS rips built in

theres a 5500 a 5500UV and a 5500PS. mine in (fake?)UV and non-postscript.

 

[Billct2]

Some of these had a built in RIP, it would have the name HP5500PS if it does.
Otherwise you would probably need RIP software.
As for printing large orders of contour cut decals, never tried and never would, it's just not the machine or materials for that type of job.
As for materials/aftermarket inks, I believe Signs101 member merchant Bigfish carries these supplies.

 

[Tim Aucoin]

I also just got one of the HP5500's (42" UV model) used. Got it from one our Franchisee in P.E.I. for a great price ($1000)... and it came with 2 sets of ink. Only problem was the @#$@#$ shipping company let it sit over night here last month and everything was frozen solid!!! No real damage, but I did need to replace 2 of the print heads. Not sure if that was the freezing or just dumb luck, but otherwise it's running like a charm. I'm using the Onyx RIP to run it (same RIP I'm running the HP L25500 Latex with).

I'll make a ton of profit on this before the inks run out, so even if it becomes a "disposable" printer when the ink runs out, I'm ahead of the game! Not that I won't buy more ink... but the Latex & EcoSol printers are much less costly to run!

 

[wildindian]

Fellers carries the banner and vinyl it is Jexar.

 

[Malkin]

The special coated material does tend to be pricey....

 

[Dsmantledyou]

5500's are still being used 'til this day. It's a workhorse indoor machine. You can still make plenty of money doing indoor or short-term outdoor work. Beautiful output and very low maintenence, but can really only print on coated material and paper. We have a 5000 and print alot of posters and indoor signage. We only print outdoor work on our Mutoh

 

[VinylLabs.com]

wow, the media is sure expensive for this printer! almost 6x more than the banners i was using before

is it possible to laminate a banner?

 

[heyskull]

I wouldn't bother trying to laminate a banner.
It is one of the best materials these machines print onto and it lasts fairly well.
Please remember a banner is a temporary sign I will not guarantee a banner for more than 3 months and that is of a solvent machine.

SC

 

[Bly]

What everybody already said.

I still have two of these printers but am using our Soljets more for work we used to do on the HPs.

Ink and media is expensive, especially adhesive vinyls and banner film.

Having said that, just know what the stuff costs and set your pricing accordingly.
We did some outdoor signage and they held up well, several years.
Another option to adhesive film is to use a decent synthetic media and put a good mount film on the back. And of course a quality laminate.