Sample files/advice for equip purchase?

[ForgeInc]

So in about 5 days I fly to our local resellers' demo center to view the 3 machines we are planning to purchase for our new business - HP LX800, HP FB700, and a Gerber M3000 cutter. They have offered to run some different materials and sample files while we view the machines in action prior to purchase.

Our production manager/press operator cannot make the trip, nor can my partner who has much more experience on the print/production side, so I am wondering if you guys with more experience than I could advise on some different types of files and setup/printing scenarios to throw at these machines that will really show off their plusses and potential minuses.

I know I'd like to see the FB700 print white on some different substrates, I wanna see it change from 4c+ white to 6 color, would like to see the latex machine print in different speeds, try to print double sided etc.

Also would like to throw some print to cut scenarios at the gerber.

Any suggestions? Any advice on what to look out for? It's a HUGE commitment and I wanna make sure I know as much as possible and make the trip worthwhile before we pull the trigger. Thanks!

 

[iSign]

on printers, I find the usual settings that work for many medium to large sized signs, vehicle doors, and banners, will produce less than desirable results on a small product label with fine copy, and switching from bi-directional to unidirectional will cut the speed in half but increase the clarity of fine print, like the ingredients on a label, so I would have a small copy file like that to run..

also on the print to cut topic, if i have a large image with a bleed, I might give myself a 1/4 or 3/8' bleed just to play it safe & never have much trouble.. but on the same small label I just mentioned, if I have a bleed I don't want to waste a lot of space between rows & rows of dozens and dozens of small prints... I will give myself less margin of error.. and a good cutter will hit those edges pretty accurate..

...but in my limited experience, I might cut 8 or 10 feet when I have to... I won't cut more then 3 or 4 feet of small decals because Ive seen the cutter drift from good registration, to poor, to unacceptable, even though it started good, and already checked (and presumably calibrated itself to) the reg marks way at the other end...

so maybe you want to ask them to run a tight print:cut registration test over 8 feet... (bring your own 15" media if you think they will cheap out on using the media)

are these the kind of scenarios you want suggested?

 

[ForgeInc]

Yup, thanks Isign!

I have done quite a bit of research so know a few things to look out for, like how fast does the latex warm up, how easy is it to change rolls, etc.

But I am sure research only goes so far!

Thats a great tip on the cut scenario, will do that for sure.

 

[rfulford]

A good test for print and cut capabilities on a router would be to print some vector paths with a stroke the same size as the router bit. I would try a mix of objects like stars, hearts and clouds. Have them set up the router to follow the cut line exactly without an offset (Engrave). If the cut is good, there should be very little color left. A bad result may indicate that the router is not set up properly or has poor tolerances. Usually, it will be the former and not the latter.

Flatbeds are also tricky to evaluate. Bring your own test images for sure. Use a mix of day to day work but try to include the following in your assortment:

Skin tones

Neutrals/grayscale ( pick an image with lots of highlight detail and another with lots of shadow detail.)

Artwork with rich blacks and dark colors (test bi di banding and bi chromatic banding. Also good for testing for flaking when routing)

Hard to hit PMS colors. (hot reds, deep reds, reflex blue, 021 orange etc)

Be sure to focus on the care and maintenance of the print heads as well as the replacement cost for print heads. Heads are usually not covered under warranty and are the most expensive replacement part. It is important to know how the heads are protected from head strikes. You will also want to know how clogged or deviated nozzles are masked or recovered.

Ask a lot of questions about the service contracts on these machines as well. The first year is all inclusive usually but after that, you have to pick a service level. There are usually various levels offered like "Gold", "Silver" or "Bronze". Find out what contracts people are buying. If people are buying a lot of premium service contracts, it MAY indicate a troublesome on immature product.

Attached is a list of questions I used when evaluated our flatbed back in 2009. A lot of the questions were taken from posts here on this forum.

 

[ForgeInc]

GREAT info, thx rfulford.

 

[RobbyMac]

Agreed on much of the above.
Don't underestimate printing sample swatches of solid color...
Sample prints look really great when they choose vibrant photos full of color...
But most issues we run into on a daily basis involve large swatches of flat color, or 2 color gradients. That's where we notice banding issues most.