Roland SP300 Versacamm

[Charlie J]

I'm looking at buying a 30" Versacamm new and I'm wondering what some oppinions of it are....if you don't like it please recommend a better printer/cutter.

 

[2NinerNiner2]

...the 54" one!

Wish now that I would have waited and purchased the SP-540 instead of the SP-300. The plus side is that mine is not the "V" so I have ColoRIP instead of VersaWORKS.

 

[mark in tx]

If you can, get the bigger machine. Other than that, I've had few maintenance problems, and the machine has been a trooper.
The only gripe I have is that the Versacamm is a little bit slow, but it comes down to the right tool for the right job.
Short run of contour cut stickers? Fantastic. 100 bumper stickers? Fantastic. 10 real estate signs? Fantastic. 4'x8' banner? Fantastic.
Custom wallpaper for an 8' x 50' wall? Wrap for a Semi-trailer? You'll be printing for 6-8 hours, thinking about that Mimaki that prints 500 sq ft an hour, or that VuTek that prints 1000 sq ft per hour.
Or never taking on a really large project again. Which you will progress into doing naturally over time.
Good luck!

 

[Gino]

54" and don't look back.

If you get the smaller machine, the first 4' x 8' panel you do, you'll be kicking yourself up and down for not going the extra yard... well 24" really LOL

 

[Kenny]

I purchased my SP300V to learn digital printing, and it has been a great investment. It is a rock solid, entry-level print/cut solution, and the Versaworks RIP (current version) is good enough to get you printing and cutting. The only negatives are print speed and width...it does print rather slow and you will get a wider print job as soon as someone finds out you do digital print...I would highly recommend you get at least a 54in machine.

 

[maddmd]

I have a SP-300 and love it, the 54" was not made yet when a got mine.
I would get the 54" if money and room is OK.

 

[lpc]

It's a great money making machine! I have the SP300V and don't regret it. 98% of my work fits the 30" width limit. Only gripe is that it is a little on the slow side, especially at normal and high print quality. If I did this full time and 'had' to make a living on it, then I would definitely move up to the 540.
VersaWorks? Great and easy to work with!

 

[Charlie J]

...the 54" one!

Wish now that I would have waited and purchased the SP-540 instead of the SP-300. The plus side is that mine is not the "V" so I have ColoRIP instead of VersaWORKS.

So ColoRIP is the better program of the two? I use Flexi with my pc600. I could just stay with flexi right?

 

[Gino]

They all work. We just recently started using 'Flexi' for more printing and actually it's pretty good. You get used to whatever rip program you're using. You get to know how certain profiles work on different substrates. There is a small transitional period, but they're all good.

Some people like Paasche… some like Binks. Some like 1-Shot, while others like Ronan. Some like OralCal… some like 3M. Whatever floats your boat is what matters. They all get the job done.

 

[2NinerNiner2]

Yes Gino, you are correct I was basing my comment soley upon what I have read both here and printingdigital.net, as I have had no hands-on experience with VersaWORKS; the consensus seems to favour ColoRIP.

 

[ChiknNutz]

I have the 540V, but bought Wasatch SoftRip at the recommendation of many (it is essentially the same as ColorRip AFAIK). I don't regret being able to print full-bleed 4x8 sheets I personally could not get by with a 30" machine. I currently have some issues with a few dropped nozzles, which has forced me to print at 1/2 of what I'm used to. I was getting 64 SFPH, but now I'm about 32 SFPH or so due to going from fewer head passes to more in order to compensate for the plugged nozzles. Other than that, I can't complain as it has worked well. I've had mine for just over a year now. I also run a 3rd party bulk ink system which is about 60% cheaper than OEM.

 

[skguff]

We purchased a SP-300V the first of June and have already paid for it and will be purchasing a 54" next month. A little slow, but well worth the $12,995 price.

 

[Mike Paul]

The Roland SP300V and the 540V are great entry level printers.
I haven't seen a negative thread started about either model on any of the sign forums. Choosing the size of the printer is something only you can decide.

 

[player]

Are the Mimaki machines more industrial? If someone did not need to cut, would the Mimaki be a better choice? I hear they have better pumps, hoses, even white wipers so you can tell if they are clean or not...They seem to have thought it out a little better perhaps-but they don't have a built in cutter.

They use the same print heads I understand.

I have a vesacam 540 and it is a pretty good unit. But I don't think it is as reliable as I would like. It still may be as good as it gets though.

P

 

[BaxSign]

My VersaCamm 300V is only 5 weeks in the shop here & am very happy with it now that I am getting used to it. I still LOVE my 4B, 750 plus for vinyl.
But this machine is a GREAT!!! addition to my sign business as I can now offer some real sweet car tags n partial wraps as I am way out in the sticks
nobody in this town has ever seen a wrap n would never pay the $$$ to have it done, We're 10 - 15 years behind the rest of the world! You'll probably like the machine if you dont do a lotta 40 footers. Im new to the printing, but have been layin vinyl since it was invented. Am glad to be getting into it! Great Day!!!

 

[Barry]

Are the Mimaki machines more industrial? If someone did not need to cut, would the Mimaki be a better choice? I hear they have better pumps, hoses, even white wipers so you can tell if they are clean or not...They seem to have thought it out a little better perhaps-but they don't have a built in cutter.

They use the same print heads I understand.

I have a vesacam 540 and it is a pretty good unit. But I don't think it is as reliable as I would like. It still may be as good as it gets though.

P

Speaking as someone who has owned both I would say the Mimaki is more of an industrial machine. Part of this is the way it is built and the other part is that it does not cut. Roland made some compromises to build a print/cut machine, these work great if you do small print/cut runs, but do not work well if you are doing long prints or banners.

Dont get me wrong here, the Roland is a great machine, the Mimaki however is hands down better for long runs and banners. The Mimaki even comes with a really good take up system as well.

 

[Chuck Olson]

If you have the space and the money, go with the bigger machine. I have an SP-300V, BUT I also have a 60" HP5500. Larger machines not only allow you to print larger panels, but they also allow you to print smaller jobs multiple times up. I print 24x36 posters 2-up all the time on my HP. So why did I get the SP-300V. It was just a matter of available space and low entry price.

 

[AllSquare Jason]

I have a used 540V (54" VersaCamm) that will be for sale this week. Asking $14,000 shipped. Customer opted to purchase the new XC540.

 

[UKstu99]

Hi all, Im trying to get my company to buy me the 300V, but am looking for more info. We are printing our screen positives on a nasty film warping xante laser right now. Does anyone know if this 300V with the right RIP would produce good dense artwork with very good registration? and if so, what RIP would I need?

 

[Gino]

:Oops: The rip won't help there. The inks are transparent. I don't even think if you do a three-pass mode it will become heavy enough.

I would suggest having somone on this site that has that machine run a file for you as you requested and see if the results will work for your shop.

Dealerships will sell you anything without regards for what happens after the money crosses their palms.