Question What Printer would you stake your business on?

[supersignmart]

I would stake my business on the Swiss Q machines.

I have and wish I would’ve sooner. I’m in the process of going from all HP to SwissQPrint. In July we replaced a HP R2000 with a SwissQPrint Impala and next week we will have the first SwissQPrint Karibu installed in the US.

 

[BigfishDM]

I have and wish I would’ve sooner. I’m in the process of going from all HP to SwissQPrint. In July we replaced a HP R2000 with a SwissQPrint Impala and next week we will have the first SwissQPrint Karibu installed in the US.

Yes, they are truly amazing machines! Excited to see your output!

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Their site makes no mention of flexible Inks for wraps so hopefully they can get back to me.

 

[jasonx]

You can't wrap with a Swiss Q. I used to run a Nyala 2. They have a more flexible ink for the Karibu but it's like the FLT inks in the Dursts.

 

[jasonx]

What was wrong with the R2000? Thats a quick change over.

 

[supersignmart]

What was wrong with the R2000? Thats a quick change over.

Way to much to say, we bought 2 last September and HP wasn't able to get 1 running, so we were down to just 1. For 10 months the most we were able to run without being down was a single 2 week stretch. We literally would have 1 tech leaving while putting in another service call. In the beginning we had techs here for the first 9 weeks. Not sure where they are now but this printer wasn't ready for release. Check around my story isn't the only one like this.

 

[thomlov]

Yea, i wouldn't wrap with UV inks, even if they are stretchable. I believe SwissQ have one that even can stretch up to 500%, but its not made for wraps really.
For the karibu it's good for textiles etc.

But touch in with swissQ and they will answer, they are really serious and will provide samples if you want.

But I have yet to see a UV ink that is good for wrapping compared to ecosolvent and latex

 

[thomlov]

Way to much to say, we bought 2 last September and HP wasn't able to get 1 running, so we were down to just 1. For 10 months the most we were able to run without being down was a single 2 week stretch. We literally would have 1 tech leaving while putting in another service call. In the beginning we had techs here for the first 9 weeks. Not sure where they are now but this printer wasn't ready for release. Check around my story isn't the only one like this.

Ohh... now the dots are connecting .. now we know why the tech's doesnt have the time to fix 2ct's HP problems

 

[greysquirrel]

stay away from Oki...service is terrible...and the Ricoh latex is not ready for prime time yet...

 

[greysquirrel]

Way to much to say, we bought 2 last September and HP wasn't able to get 1 running, so we were down to just 1. For 10 months the most we were able to run without being down was a single 2 week stretch. We literally would have 1 tech leaving while putting in another service call. In the beginning we had techs here for the first 9 weeks. Not sure where they are now but this printer wasn't ready for release. Check around my story isn't the only one like this.

If you bought early 2018 then yes...you may have had issues...there have been 4-5 firmware releases since then....no different then when the latex 360 could not print red....fixed within a few days with a firmware update.

I put the R in this July...could not be happier....I have had 1 major update to software, another one end of this month scheduled and at the end of first quarter 2020...onboard color profiling.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

So we are testing the epson and the colorado 1650 these next 2 days. Both of these machines seem to allow double the throughput of our 570s with similar or better color fidelity.

Looking at the Oki although it is a strong machine, it will add quite a bit of maintenance and its output speed is only a small boost to productivity but negated by outgas wait time. This is still on our list for our work zone safety lines though

 

[TomK]

So we are testing the epson and the colorado 1650 these next 2 days. Both of these machines seem to allow double the throughput of our 570s with similar or better color fidelity.

Looking at the Oki although it is a strong machine, it will add quite a bit of maintenance and its output speed is only a small boost to productivity but negated by outgas wait time. This is still on our list for our work zone safety lines though

What model Epson are you testing? Keep us updated!

 

[supersignmart]

So we are testing the epson and the colorado 1650 these next 2 days. Both of these machines seem to allow double the throughput of our 570s with similar or better color fidelity.

Looking at the Oki although it is a strong machine, it will add quite a bit of maintenance and its output speed is only a small boost to productivity but negated by outgas wait time. This is still on our list for our work zone safety lines though

We just purchased a S80600 and have been pleased. Our plan is to add several of the new 60600L with bulk ink soon.

 

[MachServTech]

As a company we have decided if we stick with latex they are 1 year machines and we will have to replace them every year. We have been averaging 30,000+ sqft of vinyl a month on each machine and we are growing rapidly..

Based on this throughput you were wasting money and should have been using an HP Latex 1500 (126 in) or larger. This does 3 things. It reduces ink cost quite dramatically. It provides more throughput. It increases reliability. This does not -replace- the 60" printers in your workflow. Those are just used for short/hot runs or specialty.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

What model Epson are you testing? Keep us updated!

An S40 but we will be ordering S60s if it works out for us due to speed concerns.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Based on this throughput you were wasting money and should have been using an HP Latex 1500 (126 in) or larger. This does 3 things. It reduces ink cost quite dramatically. It provides more throughput. It increases reliability. This does not -replace- the 60" printers in your workflow. Those are just used for short/hot runs or specialty.

The 1500 would not work for us... there would be a significant amount fo waste due to their crappy loading requirements. For our environment and needs we have proven that 2-3 570s outpaced the 1500 at a lower cost.

 

[MachServTech]

Based on my experience the most successful companies choose the right tool for the job and understand when to scale up. Here is an example: If I need an ink that is extremely scratch-resistant and instant dry on output for a popup banner application then I would choose latex. If I am producing tens of thousands of Sqft. per month of this product then I would scale up to a 126' or larger latex machine.
The answer for this company could be all HP Latex.
If I am printing high-resolution color-critical custom vehicle wraps then the Epson SC would be an excellent choice. The color and dot on the Epson printhead are unmatched.

Every manufacturer has strengths and weaknesses. As does every ink technology. Finding the right one takes some time and consideration of what best meets your customer's needs.

Please PM or feel free to ask me here if you have any specific questions about which technologies work best by application.

 

[MachServTech]

The 1500 would not work for us... there would be a significant amount fo waste due to their crappy loading requirements. For our environment and needs we have proven that 2-3 570s outpaced the 1500 at a lower cost.

Sure, not right for everyone. Definitely needs more front end job planning so runs can be much longer. Short-run jobs still make more sense on multiple 570's I use leaders extensively and have good results with that. The waste factor is definitely way less important when running 8 hours straight.

 

[TomK]

Please re-read the original message from 2CT Media. Sounds like he lost faith and is frustrated with HP for service and support. Not sure telling him to buy another generation HP solves his confidence issues with HP.

Then again, maybe if you buy a "bigger" machine from HP you get better support?

 

[parrott]

I have the same issues with HP. We have had our 360 for 4 or so years and have been plagued with problems. The worst part of the experience has been the way HP has handled it. They have literally cost us tens of thousands of dollars in wasted material, ink and labor. The service level from their scitex division and latex division is night and day. Easily some of the most frustrating moments in my life.

Came from a GS6000 and will be going back to Epson soon. The only upside Latex has on Epson is the ink durability and immediate lamination.