Roland Metallic? If you have it, do you use it??

[splizaat]

Just curious how many of you guys have Roland printers with metallic ink in the configuration, and if you do, how often do you REALLY use it? We have had only a very very few number of requests on metallic stickers in the past 10 years, but I'm always looking for a way to one-up the other printers in the area by being able to offer things no one else can or will. I can't really say we have ever lost a job because we didn't have metallic though.

Do you use metallic ink very often? if so, what do you usually end up using it on? Have you noticed any problems with it? Is it easy to print, configure, etc?

We're going to be upgrading this week, and now that I've decided on a printer, I've got options for ink configurations (which is about as hard a decision as narrowing down the exact printer). Definitely going with light black, light cyan, light magenta....but I can also add metallic. If I actually hear good things about it and you guys think it's well worth it, I'd love to know. If not, i'll skip the headache.

Tell me!

 

[splizaat]

And do you see ANY reason at all to go with a configuration that includes both metallic AND white? White i've heard bad things about in the past, and I also don't have many requests for things that require white....everyone I've talked to in the past that has a white option has hated it.

 

[2B]

we tried it on one of our original VS models, and hated it!
burned through 2 cartridges, and only did 1 decal order all of the other was wasted during the cleaning cycles.

it take FOREVER to print, and it MUST be laminated

flushed the lines and reconfigured the machine to have Lm and Lc, now this has been an advantage as you can get better colors vs a dual CMYK.

Customers are looking bottom dollar and go from there.

granted this was on older machines and the new ones may be completely different.


IMO I would look more at the white inks if you are wanting something to set you apart.

 

[graphicwarning]

Yeah I have a VS with White & Metallic, and I can't recall selling a print using metallic yet. I have a client that has printed a fair amount of white ink on clear vinyl, but not enough to justify the decrease in speed, and the cost of having it dump ink in the drain bottle.

It's nice... don't get me wrong. But I think it'd be better suited for labeling and such... mores than signs.

As a matter of fact, I am about to have my VS converted to double CMYK and remove the White & Metallic option.

If I had the option again, I may consider just white... but I personally wouldn't go for the metallic again if buying another machine.

 

[crystalcoastgraphics]

We have an XR with the lk and metallic. The metallic silver looks nice when printed just straight metallic. And many of the lighter metallic spot colors look nice as well. In order to really get the metallic to pop more, it's needs to just be used as like accent colors that go next to almost the same color without metallic though. If you just use a large swatch of metallic without a non metallic color, most people would never know its metallic. With the exception of straight metallic and a few lighter metallic colors as mentioned before.

We have used it some for customers, but I think we could use it more if we pushed it to our customers more. There is nothing at our shop that signifies that we can do it, and really only use it when it would really pop and are doing smaller decals or indoor signs, because of the amout of time it takes to print. It would take forever to do a full wrap and use it, unless you did it as like a logo overlay and printed it separately.

As far as getting it again, I'm really not sure. I think we use it more than we would white, but I don't think we use it enough to justify twice the price but half the volume as a regular cart. It's a nice luxury to have....but that's just what it is, a luxury. I don't feel it will get us additional business because of it. It just allows us to make a small up sell when the customer can afford, and when we think it will be beneficial.

Hope this helps

 

[P Wagner]

As far as getting it again, I'm really not sure. I think we use it more than we would white, but I don't think we use it enough to justify twice the price but half the volume as a regular cart.

Does this mean that the cost per cc of the metallic is essentially 4 times that of CMYKcm inks?

 

[CS-SignSupply]

The metallic runs $1.04 per cc.

Max and Max 2 440 CMYKLcLmLk carts run $0.29 per cc

We have a few clients using the metallic and charge premium prices for the Metallic due to cost and slower print speed.

They offer the price with Metallic and another for 'simulated' metallic using CMYKLcLmLk.

Our largest Metallic Ink customer is actually a metal fabrication company that prints their own company logos on their products and are working on a version for a major farming equipment manufacturer.

 

[splizaat]

these are the exact kind of responses I was hoping to hear and that I why I love this forum so much...honest real-life opinions.

If we go with a VS, I've definitely decided to go CMYKlclm (6color)
If we go with a VSi, that's where I'm overwhelmed. I'm thinking CMYKlclm+light black, or CMYKlclm+light black + white at this point.

I will say that I turn more people down for white ink needs (printing clear stickers or static cling) than I do metallic (because currently we have neither). Those of you running white ink, is it worth the hassle?

Those of you with light black, do you love it? I have a feeling that I will hear pretty positive things about the light black on the Eco sol max 2 inks. That's definitely a reason to push for the VSi over the VS if the light black is absolutely beneficial

 

[CS-SignSupply]

The VSi with CMYKLcLm Lk + White is our most popular configuration. Same the XR's.

Just be sure to agitate the white ink cartridge and use the ReCirculate Ink option in the menu system before sending a white ink job.

 

[VL]

You may want to look at the Mimaki CJV300 before making a final decision.

 

[DRamm76]

It all boils down to not whether you like the Metallic and White..but whether you can market it to your customers and they will be willing to pay for the up sell. A few years back, Roland ran a free ink promotion with the VS machines and I literally had a customer tell me I was trying to talk him OUT of the Metallic and White because I didn't want to give away that much money in ink..Which A) It wasn't my promotion it was Roland's so I wasn't giving away anything so that's pretty poor to say and 2) If you don't have a market or a need, it will go to waste. I have guys who have 4-5 machines with White and Metallic and they are using it non stop and rarely have an issue. it's popular in retail and the packaging markets but I don't see anyone wrapping a vehicle with it.

So I would say be smart. Find a market that you can sell the Metallic and White ink to and see if they bite on it. Then make your decision.

 

[deegrafix]

Metallic Inks

Has anyone successfully printed perforated window material with the metallic inks?

 

[kreaction]

Dont get metallic

Barely used it and it all just goes to the drain bottle.