By Melissa Donovan
Part 2 of 2
Print service providers (PSPs) considering expanding product offerings turn to entry-level wide format printers, as these devices help offer new services and applications that complement existing work.
In part one of this two part series on wide format printers, the key features a PSP should consider when researching and ultimately buying a wide format printer are discussed. Current and future applications, whether staff and budget is prepared, and most importantly specifics like different ink types, whether a printer is a roll versus a hybrid, ink configurations, and maximum print width are all considerations.
Here, we share some of the newest and most popular wide format printers in the entry-level space. For this article, we consider entry level as printers with an MSRP of $20K or less.
Under $20K
Canon Solutions America introduced the new Océ PlotWave 450 in May 2016. It is a configurable two- or four-roll printer and copier with optional integrated 600 dpi color/monochrome scanner. Available in a space-saving single-footprint design, the top delivery tray incorporates air separation technology and collates and stacks up to 100 E-size plots. Security options include disk encryption, access management, and a removable hard drive.
Canon U.S.A., Inc.’s imagePROGRAF PRO-2000 and imagePROGRAF PRO-4000 pigment printers are available with Lucia Pro ink plus the Chroma Optimizer, which is used when printing on glossy and semi-glossy paper, and acts as a clear coat, improving color performance and gloss characteristics enriching the dark areas of a print. The 24- and 44-inch printers, respectively, are equipped with a 1.28-inch printhead featuring anti-clogging technology. Ink ejection conditions are checked by 27 sensors, and if a clog is detected, another nozzle automatically provides back up. An optional multifunction roll system is available and enables either a second roll of media to be loaded on the printer, or the unit can be configured as a bi-directional media take-up unit. List price for the imagePROGRAF PRO-2000 and imagePROGRAF PRO-4000 are $2,995 and $5,995, respectively.
HP Inc. offers a range of printers in its latex lineup ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 MSRP, 64 inches in width and roll to roll. Using original HP Latex ink, the HP Latex 110, 315, 335, and 365 are available in a six-color configuration of CMYK, light cyan, and light magenta. The printers offer the ability to print on uncoated paper, double-sided banner printing, a latex optimizer for high quality at high speeds, an ink collector for porous textile printing, and an on-board spectrophotometer for color consistency.
Mimaki USA, Inc. promotes its JV150-130 and JV150-160 roll printers, 54 and 63 inches in width, respectively. Using SS21 eco-solvent ink the printers are equipped with light black and orange, in addition to CMYK, light cyan, and light magenta. Light black and orange make the printer popular in traditional signage and graphics, as well as photography and art reproduction. Price point for the printers ranges from $16,495 to $17,995.
Mutoh America, Inc. offers the ValueJet 1624X with Mutoh Eco-Ultra eco-solvent ink. The roll printer is available at a width of 63.6 inches and in a CMYK ink configuration. It prints at up to 600 square feet per hour and is equipped with Mutoh’s Smart Printing Technologies, optional one liter ink bags with an adapter for high-production printing, and a limited on-site two year warranty. It is available for $17,995.
OKI Data Americas recently introduced the ColorPainter E-64s wide-format printer, the latest addition to OKI’s wide format product line. The E-64s is designed for low- to mid-volume sign and graphics print shops seeking premium graphic output from a reliable wide-format printer at an affordable price. It boasts the most advanced ColorPainter print technologies, delivering the color density and glossiness expected from ColorPainter brand devices and generating vivid output for banners, backlit signage, fleet and vehicle graphics, wall and floor graphics, point of purchase displays, and exhibit graphics. The E-64s includes industrial piezoelectric printheads engineered for longer wear time, plus OKI Data’s low-odor, eco-solvent SX inks.
Ricoh’s newest wide format printer is the Ricoh MP CW2201SP. It utilizes a pigment-based ink in four colors and as a roll printer features a maximum print width of 36 inches. A 10.1-inch Smart Operation Panel makes sharing wide format technical drawings, schematics, presentations, and signage easy with an interface resembling a smartphone. The printer offers a small footprint, 54.5×26.6×48 inches, making it ideal for those shops not dedicated to wide format. It is available at a price point of $14,500.
Roland DGA Corporation launched in September 2016 the TrueVIS SG series of printer/cutters. At 29 and 53 inches, respectively, the TrueVIS SG-300 and SG-540 are eco-solvent printers equipped with CMYK TrueVIS INK, which is Greenguard Gold certified. Two new FlexFire printheads fire precision droplets in three sizes and feature a wide print swath. The printers are equipped with Roland’s newest cutting technology, which increases downforce, improves accuracy, and save time, according to the company. The TrueVIS SG-300 and SG-540 are available at an MSRP of $11,995 and $14,995, respectively.
Sept2016, DPS Magazine
