Roland UV Printer

[Nio]

Hi everyone!

I've recently purchased a Roland VersaUV LEC-540 Printer and I'm using Roland UV2 ink. I'm starting a signage business and also have an HP Latex 115 printer. Here in Australia, the 220 ml Roland UV2 inks cost around $130-140 AUD, which I find quite expensive.

Many of my friends in the sign industry use third-party inks with their Roland Eco Solvent printers, but I don't know anyone with the same UV printer model as mine. I'm considering buying third-party inks from China, specifically from Ocbestjet Digital Technology Co.

Could anyone share their experiences or advice on the risks (If there is any) of using third-party inks with a Roland UV printer?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Joe House]

Raise the price of your prints a few cents to make up for the difference. If you can't buy it locally or at least in country,I wouldn't risk it. Who are you going to go back to if there's a problem? Who are you found to call when you need a cartridge in a hurry?
Good luck.

 

[signheremd]

I would recommend sticking with the factory brand inks. A lot of times aftermarket inks do not have the same quality, non-clogging flow. They can also mean a change in your color spectrum. We have been running our Roland (ecosolvent) on factory inks for 9 years without issue. We use factory inks on our flatbed FluidColor printer as well (these are formulated with flush in the ink to keep the lines and heads clog free). Aftermarket inks may be reformulated at any time - factory inks are spec so that they will work in your equipment. Ink cost per square foot is not that much, so what are you saving compared to one service call and being down for one or more days?