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New printer recommendations?

D

dw76

New Member
Hello all,

We currently have a Seiko Colorpainter 64s and it is about to the end of it's life. Looking for user feedback on replacing this old gem. We don't need the 64 inch size, can get by with 54 and we're open to the print/cut models. Primary use is vinyl graphics (automotive) reflective and non-reflective, 6 colors. Who is using what and are you happy with it? Thank you!
 
Biker Scout

Biker Scout

New Member
I'm not drinking the HP Kool-Aid

Sheep-KoolAid.gif
 
MikePro

MikePro

New Member
Just spent the last two days here at the sign show, and the new HP looks AMAZING! Honestly, if I wAsnt already invested in my new hp26500 (which is also 95% as amazing) then I'd be alllll about buying it right here on the spot!
On that note, I just had a few drinks with the president of Grimco and they're sitting on a cache of new 26500's they're looking to unload for next to nothing, as a result of HP's recent release.
 
P Wagner

P Wagner

--
MikePro said:
Just spent the last two days here at the sign show, and the new HP looks AMAZING! Honestly, if I wAsnt already invested in my new hp26500 (which is also 95% as amazing) then I'd be alllll about buying it right here on the spot.
Click to expand...


We placed the first beta Latex 360 in North America last December into a business that had been running light/ mild solvent ink for many years. To say that the owner and employees are thrilled with the Latex 360 would be an understatement.

See for yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGm2sbysUSg


.
 
D

dw76

New Member
Jane Diaz said:
We love our Roland SP 300-i. It's a real workhorse for us!
:thumb:
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I've looked at a few of the Roland models--we have a cutter from them that just won't die...

Any idea what the differences in series have been? I see that they have the SP series, the VS, the VP and then of course now the -i models. I'm not the guy using this device, but have been asked to do the legwork for shopping. Any input you can give is appreciated....
 
Biker Scout

Biker Scout

New Member
dw76 said:
May I ask what you are currently using?
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I've had Mutoh, Roland and Mimaki over the years. (All of them piezo electric printheads made by Epson) Thermal or Bubble Jet printheads have never had good life expectancy. Which is why HP has them as a throw away item that just goes into the landfill.

I'm currently building my own UV cure printer using the latest Epson DX7 print head. No VOC, no fumes, true instant dry without the need for turbo jet heaters. In fact my printer doesn't heat up at all. Much less electricity usage than the typical printer. LED UV cure is the best Eco option on the market right now, despite what HP's huge marketing budget tries to sell on it's users.
 
danno

danno

New Member
If you liked your Colorpainter, look at the new M series. Just ran a quick print on one at a local distributor. Really liked it. Will be setting some stuff up to demo the unit at a later date.
 
S

Snydo

New Member
+1 for Epson SureColor 670 series, fast clean prints, cleanest running printer I have ever seen, very low maintenance. Prints like a gem on Oracal 5500(or better) Reflective. Get a seperate plotter, even a used one over an all-in-one machine. Unless you are running like one job a day then it doesn't really matter. Good Luck.
I would also say if your planning on printing on reflective I would stay far away from Latex, others will disagree with me, but plotting anything less than quality cast vinyl is risky at best off a latex machine.
 
ProColorGraphics

ProColorGraphics

New Member
Snydo said:
+1 for Epson SureColor 670 series, fast clean prints, cleanest running printer I have ever seen, very low maintenance. Prints like a gem on Oracal 5500(or better) Reflective. Get a seperate plotter, even a used one over an all-in-one machine. Unless you are running like one job a day then it doesn't really matter. Good Luck.
I would also say if your planning on printing on reflective I would stay far away from Latex, others will disagree with me, but plotting anything less than quality cast vinyl is risky at best off a latex machine.
Click to expand...

I have ran several brands of reflective through my L26500 without any issues. Arlon, Oracal, KAPCO, they have all worked fine.
 
Christian @ 2CT Media

Christian @ 2CT Media

Active Member
I just did 85' of 3M IJ35c laminated with ARLON 3420 and contour cut from my l26500 with no issues... Most of the problem is operator error as opposed to printer issues.
 
W

WinGraphics

Premium Subscriber
Love My Seiko M-64

I bought the new Seiko M-64 about 3 months ago. Holy cow. It's a fast production machine. We are in the middle of printing 600 double sided banners and prints them near perfectly without a fuss. The take up system rolls them perfectly both on the front side and the back side. We are printing the banners 3 up on 54" materiel and printing over 1,200 feet - times 2 - for double sided.

Here are the good things about the printer.

Fast! at standard speed

No banding on both vinyl and banner. It will print either product at standard speed quickly. We just printed a 4x20 vinyl print in 24 minutes with no issues. In fact it will print an entire roll of vinyl 54"x150' in about 2.5 hours. Perfectly.

No matter how fast you set the machine to print it still prints great! No ink starvation at higher speeds. None

Perfect, heavy duty feed and take up system

The yellow is supposed to last as long as the other colors. Hopefully no reds fading to pink. Time will tell though on this one


The bad! It uses a ton of waste ink. I am talking with my salesman to see what we can do with this issue.

It is a Mild Solvent machine. Not eco solvent. It smells and it needs to be cleaned daily.


Overall... i love the machine. I no longer have to work overtime in the shop. When ever we get that quick turn job (everyday) this printer just cranks it out.

I dont know about your shop but it seems that every customer thinks that signs are made in minutes. When i started in this industry customers thought that one week wast fast! Times have changed.
 
Fastsigns2041

Fastsigns2041

Fastsigns Palm Harbor
Snydo said:
You may have, but they are no longer reflective.
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What does this mean? Are you implying the machine ate the reflective bits embedded in the vinyl? Latex ink is translucent. Reflective prints are absolutely perfect from this machine.
 
MikePro

MikePro

New Member
+1
don't know what you've been printing, but with proper ink limits set/profiling, reflective prints are still reflective....
 
MikePro

MikePro

New Member
p.s. Any interest in a used 54" Mimaki Jv3? Got one here at my shop that needs a new-home, and I'm a 30min. drive away from you :)
needs a little love, but a great printer to pickup for under $4k.
 
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