Hello all, I have searched all over the forums here and yet to find a list of eco solvent printers. If anyone can give me a hand it would help tremendously. I know many of you if not most are using what seems like the big three(roland,mutoh,mimaki) for your vehicle wraps. I am wanting to get in to this but I can't seem to find a printer that fits my budget. I am not looking for top of the line per se but I want to learn how to do wraps before I offer the service to my customers. What are some good (and I stress the word) printers that can be used for vehicle wraps as well as banners, tshirt vinyl, etc. My budget is 3K but all I am coming across are the older model machines that I am afraid will be hard to find parts for not to mention none of the computers being made now have a serial or parallel connection which is what most of these printers are connected by. Also I have read many posts were some say laminate vehicle wraps and some say there is no need to, I am not sure which is the right way. I would like to have a print that does not need laminating if at all possible seeing as I will be doing this out of my home for now. I just would like a nice printer to learn on before I spend 10-20K on a high end printer. I know people will say spend the money now but that is the biggest part of the problem 3K is my max. thanks for all your help in advance.
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List of eco solvent printers anything other than roland,mimaki,mutoh?
- Thread starter maynemag
- Start date
J Hill Designs
New Member
Laminate
Circleville Signs
New Member
OK....How to break this to you gently, and without the normal "bite" that you would get for asking this question....
Your budget is a joke.
You aren't going to be able to get a printer that's even REMOTELY close to being able to do wraps for that kind of $$. Hell, you can't even get a decent 10 year old Gerber Edge for that kind of money.
If your budget is $3k, you really only have about a $1500 budget, because you are gonna need about $1500 worth of media AT LEAST just to get started.
If you want to get into this business, plan on dropping AT LEAST $40k. Otherwise, leave it to the professionals.
Gary
Your budget is a joke.
You aren't going to be able to get a printer that's even REMOTELY close to being able to do wraps for that kind of $$. Hell, you can't even get a decent 10 year old Gerber Edge for that kind of money.
If your budget is $3k, you really only have about a $1500 budget, because you are gonna need about $1500 worth of media AT LEAST just to get started.
If you want to get into this business, plan on dropping AT LEAST $40k. Otherwise, leave it to the professionals.
Gary
Bigdawg
Just Me
If 3K is your max... you've answered your own question. And shown that you really don't know enough about the business to consider investing in equipment (seriously... I want to be there when you try to install an unlaminated wrap).
So my not-so-expert advice is to outsource your printing until you get a handle on what you are able to do... then buy a printer. Your 3K will barely get you a good cutter... let alone a printer.
So my not-so-expert advice is to outsource your printing until you get a handle on what you are able to do... then buy a printer. Your 3K will barely get you a good cutter... let alone a printer.
houseofgrafix
none
The cheapest printer for your budget would be a Roland Sp300V
But if you are looking to do wraps.. you need a laminator too
Used sp300v 6-8k
Used laminator 1-3k
+ you need software and other stuff 1-5k
you dont need 40k to start with.. but at barebone 15k would work
So at 3k.... Sub it out
But if you are looking to do wraps.. you need a laminator too
Used sp300v 6-8k
Used laminator 1-3k
+ you need software and other stuff 1-5k
you dont need 40k to start with.. but at barebone 15k would work
So at 3k.... Sub it out
Circleville Signs
New Member
Please tell me that you aren't advocating trying to do wraps with a 30" printer.
That is foolhardy at best, and downright stupid at worst.
Gary
houseofgrafix
none
Gary.. look at his budget. No way he is going to afford a 54inch printer.
Can you do wraps with a 30inch printer? Sure you can... Is it 100 times better to have a 54inch? no crap
I'm trying to put real numbers out there to him.. instead of 40k blah blah blah
Circleville Signs
New Member
Fair enough, but his initial post said that he specifically wanted to do vehicle wraps. And he cant' do those properly with a 30" printer.
Sorry if I pointed that out too strongly
Gary
Sorry if I pointed that out too strongly
Gary
houseofgrafix
none
Fair enough, but his initial post said that he specifically wanted to do vehicle wraps. And he cant' do those properly with a 30" printer.
Sorry if I pointed that out too strongly
Gary
impossible?
thanks for all the quick replies, but I guess some are missing my point. I would like to learn before I leap. I would also like to keep my bills to a minimum, I can't understand some of you "professional" sign guys out there saying that it is impossible because I know it isn't. I have come across plenty of printers in that range just didn't have the money at the time to purchase. I would rather learn on a machine first that is paid for rather than getting a business loan(which we all know are quite infrequent these days) for equipment that I can't even offer the service to my customers. So if anyone is using anything other than roland,mimaki, or mutoh that is a bit cheaper for a used model any info would be appreciated and yes I don't know much about the wrap business that is why I am on this forum to learn.
thanks for all the quick replies, but I guess some are missing my point. I would like to learn before I leap. I would also like to keep my bills to a minimum, I can't understand some of you "professional" sign guys out there saying that it is impossible because I know it isn't. I have come across plenty of printers in that range just didn't have the money at the time to purchase. I would rather learn on a machine first that is paid for rather than getting a business loan(which we all know are quite infrequent these days) for equipment that I can't even offer the service to my customers. So if anyone is using anything other than roland,mimaki, or mutoh that is a bit cheaper for a used model any info would be appreciated and yes I don't know much about the wrap business that is why I am on this forum to learn.
houseofgrafix
none
Mosh
New Member
Get a job at a shop that does wraps. Simple enough!
No sure about other cheaper brands, people on here are professionals and use quality equipment, not cheaper crap like you
are looking for.
Where are you going to do the installs at, in your parent's driveway?
Lots more to it than getting a printer!
No sure about other cheaper brands, people on here are professionals and use quality equipment, not cheaper crap like you
are looking for.
Where are you going to do the installs at, in your parent's driveway?
Lots more to it than getting a printer!
B Snyder
New Member
You could wrap motorcycles, ATVs, PWC and I'm sure quite a few other things with a 30" printer.
Circleville Signs
New Member
No one is missing your point.
We are telling you that you have a pipe-dream. Stop telling us what YOU want to do, and start LISTENING to what all of us "professional" sign guys are telling you.
THERE IS NOT A PRINTER ON THE MARKET THAT WILL MEET YOUR NEEDS FOR $3k.
Clear enough?
Gary
We are telling you that you have a pipe-dream. Stop telling us what YOU want to do, and start LISTENING to what all of us "professional" sign guys are telling you.
THERE IS NOT A PRINTER ON THE MARKET THAT WILL MEET YOUR NEEDS FOR $3k.
Clear enough?
Gary
Circleville Signs
New Member
Bigdawg
Just Me
Mayne.. I am trying to understand why you think you need to have a printer when the cost for outsourcing your prints would be much more practical. You admit you don't know squat about the business... and I understand you are here to learn.... but you also have to be realistic. If you ran across "plenty" of printers at the time... then you should know what is out there.
Not trying to be mean, but us "professionals" tend to want to do the job right. Buying an old POS printer that may or may not do what you want is not going to do a whole lot to further you in the business or for you to learn from. You will have grief, headaches and lots of posts asking "why" when you prints don't come out right or a file won't rip. Ultimately you will probably end up outsourcing anyway.
And lamination is NOT AN OPTION for wraps... ever. Of course you can do it... but it won't last... it will look like crap and you will have a helluva time trying to install it. You want real world answers? You're getting them.
So I'll seriously ask you how much you know about:
RIPS in general.. how they interact with your files and what you need to do to make your files print
Color Profiling... do you understand profiling and adjusting profiles?
Layout... what graphic programs are you planning on using... since you don't have that in your budget, what is it that you already have installed that you will be using?
Materials... do you know what material to use for what type of job? Do you know how long you should expect your print to last? Or the material to last?
Again - not trying to be mean. But you are wanting to jump into something that you are very underfinanced to start with.
Not trying to be mean, but us "professionals" tend to want to do the job right. Buying an old POS printer that may or may not do what you want is not going to do a whole lot to further you in the business or for you to learn from. You will have grief, headaches and lots of posts asking "why" when you prints don't come out right or a file won't rip. Ultimately you will probably end up outsourcing anyway.
And lamination is NOT AN OPTION for wraps... ever. Of course you can do it... but it won't last... it will look like crap and you will have a helluva time trying to install it. You want real world answers? You're getting them.
So I'll seriously ask you how much you know about:
RIPS in general.. how they interact with your files and what you need to do to make your files print
Color Profiling... do you understand profiling and adjusting profiles?
Layout... what graphic programs are you planning on using... since you don't have that in your budget, what is it that you already have installed that you will be using?
Materials... do you know what material to use for what type of job? Do you know how long you should expect your print to last? Or the material to last?
Again - not trying to be mean. But you are wanting to jump into something that you are very underfinanced to start with.
Don't need the negative comments just advice. Circleville signs you obviously were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. I have recently come across a Roland soljet sc-500 for $5000 that I personally saw print out a full color banner. So I know there are printers out there for the range I speak of they maybe older but again I am learning. I am not trying to go out and buy a new printer yet. So can anyone tell me if you are going to laminate the wrap anyway why wouldn't a HP 5500 work? Isn't the laminate to help protect the ink from the elements, why wouldn't a normal wide format printer work? Hp's are cheap compared to Roland's.