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Wide format printer... opinions?

niksagkram

niksagkram

New Member
Hi. We are considering getting a wide format printer (100" plus), and I was wondering what people here are using. We will be printing tradeshow displays/POP, banners, and large vinyl graphics. We don't want to have to laminate, so solvent printers are probably the way to go, but of course, there is the ventilation issue. Pros/cons?

Any preferences? Roland, Mutoh, HP? Others?

Thanks for any and all input.

Mark :Canada 2:
 
Circleville Signs

Circleville Signs

New Member
You don't want to have to laminate, yet you are printing large vinyl graphics? Are these graphics going to be installed? If so, you will have to mask them if they are "large". The better route to go is just bite the bullet and get a laminator.
 
niksagkram

niksagkram

New Member
Thanks for the responses. Right now, we have 3 54" Rolands, (ecosolvent)and we laminate pretty much everything. My understanding was that true solvent prints are extremly scratch resistant, so printed banners, and tradeshow graphics/POP's, don't really need to be laminated. Am I mistaken? Of course, if we were to print graphics for a vehicle wrap, we would laminate.

As for budget, we're not locked in, but 60-80K is a good range. (I know one of the Rolands is about 63K)

Mark
 
BigfishDM

BigfishDM

Merchant Member
Go with multiple Latex units you can get their 8' L28500 for under $50k and you can get the 60" L26500's for under $19k

Do you do alot of cutting with your Rolands?
 
niksagkram

niksagkram

New Member
BigfishDM said:
Go with multiple Latex units you can get their 8' L28500 for under $50k and you can get the 60" L26500's for under $19k

Do you do alot of cutting with your Rolands?
Click to expand...

So you prefer Latex over Solvent?

Yes, we do A LOT of cutting with our Rolands. Just finished 1500 labels on one printer, and doing another 2000 on another. We do a lot of vehicle window graphics too, cut to shape.

Why do you ask?:smile:

Mark
 
KevSign

KevSign

New Member
BigFish gave you option that the best. Go with latex printers. If my office can get 3phase power I will get L28500. Don't go with AJ1000s roland for 63k maybe too over price.
 
BigfishDM

BigfishDM

Merchant Member
Thats a downfall to the latex is no onboard cutter so if you went latex you would be picking up a seperate cut system to go with it. I prefer latex over solvent anyday of the week and twice on sunday! New technology great durabilty and DPI and its totally green which opens up application doors for profit.
 
P

parrott

New Member
We use to run to Arizona solvent printers and we never laminated anything before our Epson. Like said above, you would obviously have to laminate wraps. We had prints that were outside 5+ years and never faded, scratched or anything. Wish our Epson was as durable as our solvent printers, but its a tradeoff for maintenance, quality and odor. If you don't want to laminate, solvent is the way to go.
 
10sacer

10sacer

New Member
If you don't want to laminate - why not just get a UV-curable printer.

The bulk of my business is high-end trade show and retail displays. I very rarely use my laminator.

My 6x10 flatbed was in your price range.
 
niksagkram

niksagkram

New Member
10sacer said:
If you don't want to laminate - why not just get a UV-curable printer.

The bulk of my business is high-end trade show and retail displays. I very rarely use my laminator.

My 6x10 flatbed was in your price range.
Click to expand...

We already have a Gerber Ion flatbed, so we really don't have the room for another, and the quality from the Gerber is not great (another story). :smile:
Mark
 
niksagkram

niksagkram

New Member
One more thing..... do any of the wide format printers offer a white ink option? Not something that would be that important to us, just wondering.

Mark
 
niksagkram

niksagkram

New Member
One more thing..... do any of the wide format printers offer a white ink option? Not something that would be that important to us, just wondering.

Mark
 
W

WestcoastSigns

New Member
BigfishDM said:
Thats a downfall to the latex is no onboard cutter so if you went latex you would be picking up a seperate cut system to go with it. I prefer latex over solvent anyday of the week and twice on sunday! New technology great durabilty and DPI and its totally green which opens up application doors for profit.
Click to expand...

How is a latex machine green if you are printing on PVC vinyls?
 
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