Newbie needs a little bet help to find the right printer

[davedavedave]

hi,
i just signed up in here because this seems to be the best place online after googling for over a half a year this will be a long post and im from germany so im sorry for my bad english.

Im making decals and stickers since about 2 yrs, i always order them from a shop online.
Sometimes i also order shirt transfer iron on stuff and banners...
but 98% im just doing stickers and decals on chrome and on clear
i order about 5 square meters every month... im very used to illustrator and create all my stuff with illustrator. also my whole archieve is in ai files....

the shop im ordering my stuff always uses a digital eco printer, they have nice results but
5 square meter (transparent vinyl+ white + cmyk and laminate) cost me about 400euro shippd!
im satisfied with the results but i would love to have my own controll so i can print when ever i want even if its just 30 cm... i was curious to find a cheaper way and googled a little bit to get some information....

i found a few printers used wich would fit my needs!
im now thinking of getting me one of them here in my area, but before i got there and check them out i really could need a little help from some pros!

i made a small list and wrote down the pros (+) and contras (-)
and also asked some questions for each printer.....



1. mimaki cjv 30 -60
--- for 2000 euro used ( still connected , cartridges half full , printhead dont show noozles on testprint)

• + still looks like new from the outside
  
• + can print photos
  
• + can print banners
• + can print decals and stickers
  
• + can do cutting without a extra maschine
• - need extra laminator
• - the mashine needs to run every day, it cant stand around unused or the printhead will dry

• what kind of softwares can i use for this printer??
• what should i look out for? are there any hidden flaws the seller could hide?
• what more should i ask the seller?
• what are the cartridges cost and vinyl costs compared to the other pritners??
• what are the mainentence cost compared to the other printers?
• how easey is this printer to mainentace compared to the other printers?
• whats up with white and silver? is it like on the roland bn20 once u used silver u cant use any
• white anymore and have to stick with the color u first used?

2. roland bn-20
--- for 3000 euro used (fresh mainentence still conected and used every day)

• + same like the mimaki
  
• - same like the mimaki
  
• - slower then the mimaki
• what kind of softwares can i use for this printer??
• what should i look out for? are there any hidden flaws the seller could hide?
• what more should i ask the seller?
• what are the cartridges cost and vinyl costs compared to the other pritners??
• what are the mainentence cost compared to the other printers?
• how easey is this printer to mainentace compared to the other printers?
• is there a way to change a printer with white to silver or viceversa?

3. gerber edge 2 + gs cutter + sign lab dongle + about 70 color packs for 1000euro used (seller says everything works , but the fuse is blown out in the cutter)

• + stickers and decals are on point with this method and better then on the others as long they are simple graphics
  
• + alot of colors and special effects possible
• + dont need to run every day
• + hardly no mainentance
  
• -no photos or banner or shirts possible...
• -need new cutter (or need to repair the fuse if this really is the problem)
  
• -need extra laminaot
• -extra money for the signlab upgrade
  
• i read online u dont need to laminate the gerber prints but then i also read some are doing it? can somebody explain?
  
• i need to make all my files new? can i use my ai files somehow?
• how many softwares i can use with a gerber? signlab? omega? and flexisign?
• they all look very old and not very handy... can anybody give me some feedback on converting files
• from illustrator to one of these softwares???
  
• i read alot about halftones, why is this so important for the gerber?

conclusion:
to be honest im really tinkging about getting the gerber since its cheap and its perfect for my decals also i really like i dotn have to use it everyday if i dont have too! but on the other side i dont like i have to buy each color on its own....

i can use illustrator very good , but im a little bit scared i cant handle the gerber softwares LOL
its alot new stuff to learn because of all these colors and file conversations
so on the other hand i tend to go to the mimaki because i know a little bit more aobut getting the print file ready for this printer

or should i get both, the gerber and the mimaki ?
sorry for the long text, i still hope to get some help tough

have good gay
thx

 

[ddarlak]

What was your profit on the 400 euros? Buying a roached solvent printer will be headaches. You don't print enough for a solvent machine. Honestly, the Gerber is the fit for what you are doing.

Tschüss

 

[davedavedave]

im getting around 1000-1200 out of it....
so thats 6-800 profit...
main reasson i want my own printer is because i dont want to wait for a shop, i could sell alot more if would print in advance or if i dont have to tell ppl they need to wait 2-4 weeks until their order gets printed...

im still confused how my ai files should work with the gerber, i really dont want to create each set from scratch again inside the gerber software..
i have about 1000 sets+ tons of single ai files thats alot of work if i need to convert them LOL... would take me another 3 years....

also i really would like to know more about the halftone effects on the gerber, can u mix colors with the halftone effects or why they so important on the gerber?

i always ordered eco i never really made files for any other print solution...
with eco i always was able to add diffrent designs and diffrent colors...
is it right with the gerber im limited to one design (color palette) ?


the mimaki or the roland are defintly not roached, they look like new, and they both still connected to the power!
they also both never was used much u can tell even from the outisde they look like new....
the roland was just professional mainentenced 2 weeks ago and is only a year old.... its still running everyday...

how much would i need to print every day, to keep a eco mashine running? would it be enought if i just print 30cm x 60 cm of the roll each day????
if i would get a eco machine i definitly would also offer a print servce, like the shop im buying stuff from...
i also would produce a tons of sets and other stuff i have in mind in advance.... so i think printig everday is not even a big problem...

i will definitly take a ride to the gerber and take a look at it. what should i watch out for?
i think he didnt even have it setup anymore... so im not sure if a test print is possible...
and how i can check if it works.. if i would get i also would need to fix the cutter or get a new one....
the two eco printers i could use right away they both ready to print and cut....
if im lucky i can go even more down with the price its 1000 or best offer...
alot of the color foils still wrapped up and never was opened... can they go bad if they laying around in the sun for example?

tschüss

 

[Jburns]

If you look at the gerber- have the owner do a test print- I will let you know setup - it will print 11.8 inch solid block - dark color on light vinyl - make sure no pixels out. No software or computer needed for test print
Foils last a very long time

 

[Jburns]

While Offline
To change the print test pattern, repeatedly press the SETUP key until the LCD reads “TEST
PATTERN” followed by the test pattern number. Press either VINYL SLEW key to step through
the test pattern choices, and then press the RESET key to return to the Offline mode.
Select Pattern 5- SOLID BLOCK.

PT is a hidden key - between Foil Slew and Setup Key.

 

[davedavedave]

thx alot , i will definitly do a test!
also i just found out how to check how many minutes was used..

if the print test is like this for example

is it sill any good?

 

[Jburns]

that one looks ok - but the foil wrinkle (white area at bottom of test print) at the beginning may be a clutch issue- but those usually straighten out in the print.

 

[davedavedave]

thx, what do you mean with the foil wrinkle? u mean it is wrinkeld or the machine wrinkles the foil? i cant see any wrinkles?

also what do you mean with straighten out??
will the white spots go away?

can you give me a site where i can find all color films, and all vinyls? i need clear chrome and white... but i cant find nothing online?

 

[Hielorojo]

thx, what do you mean with the foil wrinkle? u mean it is wrinkeld or the machine wrinkles the foil? i cant see any wrinkles?

also what do you mean with straighten out??
will the white spots go away?

can you give me a site where i can find all color films, and all vinyls? i need clear chrome and white... but i cant find nothing online?

For 1000€ take the Gerber is a very good Price, about the fuse you can repair it in about ........1 minute??,Vinils and Foils…. you can buy it on SPANDEX and you can buy Foils in Print1UK, very good quality and Price.

 

[davedavedave]

yes 1000 is a nice price with all the cartridges and vinyls... i need to see if the pritner works first...
the seller is adding a usb dongle for signlab, but im not sure wich version it is and if it also has the thermal plugin.. i think its a very old veson from signlab..
i would like to got with omega 6 cp but its 3000 usd... also a update for signlabs would be about 1000....

if the printer is working and i can use the software on win 7,8, or 10, i probably will get it.

i really checked out a lot of stuff the last days, setting up the pritnfiles on a mimaki is alot easier then on the edge...
i could use my files right away from illustrator...it would take me ages to convert all my files into printready gerber files...
also i couldnt print shirts and banners on the edge...

the only reasson i would go for a gerber woud be because the gerber really has on point decal colors and the price is just amazing!
but if the software is so expensive its blowing the deal and i think i will go for a mimaki cjv 30-60 (or100)

im hoping i can find a solution for the gerber to use signlab because this would solve all my problems really cheap

 

[Hielorojo]

yes 1000 is a nice price with all the cartridges and vinyls... i need to see if the pritner works first...
the seller is adding a usb dongle for signlab, but im not sure wich version it is and if it also has the thermal plugin.. i think its a very old veson from signlab..
i would like to got with omega 6 cp but its 3000 usd... also a update for signlabs would be about 1000....

if the printer is working and i can use the software on win 7,8, or 10, i probably will get it.

i really checked out a lot of stuff the last days, setting up the pritnfiles on a mimaki is alot easier then on the edge...
i could use my files right away from illustrator...it would take me ages to convert all my files into printready gerber files...
also i couldnt print shirts and banners on the edge...

the only reasson i would go for a gerber woud be because the gerber really has on point decal colors and the price is just amazing!
but if the software is so expensive its blowing the deal and i think i will go for a mimaki cjv 30-60 (or100)

im hoping i can find a solution for the gerber to use signlab because this would solve all my problems really cheap

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