FrankW
New Member
Textile transfers printed with latex lasts much longer than with eco-solvent (Tests done with "old" Latex 260). I work at a HP-dealer since 2012, have dealed with Roland over 14 years before: I have tried to sell a roland to a customer with priority on textile transfers, but he wasn't satisfied with the eco-solvent-prints after doing tests with transfers in the washing machine. After doing the same tests with latex transfers (on a simple no name solvent flex), he have bought the Latex 260 nearly immediately, because they lasts much longer. Suggestion: print on the transfer media in low temperature mode.
That running latex costs more than a eco solvent is a real myth. When comparing with original eco-solvent ink, the latex ink is cheaper (higher price per Cartridge, but 775ml instead of 440ml), the latex don't pull ink through the nozzles for cleaning and maintenance (only for flushing) and save ink this way, and the maintenance is cheaper: print heads and for example the equivalent of Wiper/Cap Tops/Ink Pump (the printhead maintenance station) are changeable by the user. The latex have a timer who will suggest a service by a HP technician ... after around 10'000 square meters as far as I think.
Power consumption: it is true, a latex 260 consumes up to 4.8 kw, but in average when printing just 2.7kwh. A Roland Soljet Pro III for example consumes at max 0.8kw but if you run the addtional roland dryer, it will increase up to more than 2 kw/h too ... the HP don't need that, the prints are immediately dry. And ... look what a kwh costs at your site ... you will be surprised how less the costs are per square meter.
Media: The "old" Latex 2xx prints nearly every media a solvent printer prints too, with differences: difficulties on a handfull of heat sensitive media, much better results on textiles, canvas and paper. Currently a lot of wallpapers are tested and offered for HP Latex, one application HP promotes with that printers is indoor decoration. With the new Latex 300 the advantages will remain, but with one addition: because of the new latex printers do not put so much heat stress on the media, heat sensitive media is now compatible too.
Other advantages: prints immediately dry and ready for laminate, more scratch resistance (with a 260 too, but with the Latex 300-Series the scratch resistance is outstanding), more brilliant colours and so on.
I have mainly worked with roland printers since 1998 up to 2011, and still service them. But when I still need to earn my money by selling eco-solvent printers, since the new latex 300 arrives, I would run out of arguments against latex, and thats for several more reasons thatn that mentioned above. As a technician, I have really loved roland for their engineering, rolands are really easy to service and repair, and they are rocksolid. But it will be harder and harder so sell roland (or other Eco-Solvents like Valuejets and so on) for just 4-color-rollprinting. Roland does need a bigger innovation urgently.
If someone thinks I need to say all that because I work at a HP-Dealer: my boss can tell me what to say during a product demonstration, or when talking with customers; he can tell me too not to post negative comments to specific products in public forums; but he cannot force me to talk well about something I don't like in a public forum or to criticize something in public what I like.
That running latex costs more than a eco solvent is a real myth. When comparing with original eco-solvent ink, the latex ink is cheaper (higher price per Cartridge, but 775ml instead of 440ml), the latex don't pull ink through the nozzles for cleaning and maintenance (only for flushing) and save ink this way, and the maintenance is cheaper: print heads and for example the equivalent of Wiper/Cap Tops/Ink Pump (the printhead maintenance station) are changeable by the user. The latex have a timer who will suggest a service by a HP technician ... after around 10'000 square meters as far as I think.
Power consumption: it is true, a latex 260 consumes up to 4.8 kw, but in average when printing just 2.7kwh. A Roland Soljet Pro III for example consumes at max 0.8kw but if you run the addtional roland dryer, it will increase up to more than 2 kw/h too ... the HP don't need that, the prints are immediately dry. And ... look what a kwh costs at your site ... you will be surprised how less the costs are per square meter.
Media: The "old" Latex 2xx prints nearly every media a solvent printer prints too, with differences: difficulties on a handfull of heat sensitive media, much better results on textiles, canvas and paper. Currently a lot of wallpapers are tested and offered for HP Latex, one application HP promotes with that printers is indoor decoration. With the new Latex 300 the advantages will remain, but with one addition: because of the new latex printers do not put so much heat stress on the media, heat sensitive media is now compatible too.
Other advantages: prints immediately dry and ready for laminate, more scratch resistance (with a 260 too, but with the Latex 300-Series the scratch resistance is outstanding), more brilliant colours and so on.
I have mainly worked with roland printers since 1998 up to 2011, and still service them. But when I still need to earn my money by selling eco-solvent printers, since the new latex 300 arrives, I would run out of arguments against latex, and thats for several more reasons thatn that mentioned above. As a technician, I have really loved roland for their engineering, rolands are really easy to service and repair, and they are rocksolid. But it will be harder and harder so sell roland (or other Eco-Solvents like Valuejets and so on) for just 4-color-rollprinting. Roland does need a bigger innovation urgently.
If someone thinks I need to say all that because I work at a HP-Dealer: my boss can tell me what to say during a product demonstration, or when talking with customers; he can tell me too not to post negative comments to specific products in public forums; but he cannot force me to talk well about something I don't like in a public forum or to criticize something in public what I like.
