Mimaki CJV150-107
Print & Cut systems offer big footprint savings as well as workflow benefits – and Mimaki’s CJV150-107 is no exception. “Users create the job in their preferred design software taking advantage of the plugin that’s bundled with the printer/cutter, press ‘go’ and the rest happens automatically,” says John de la Roche, national sales manager for Mimaki’s UK and Irish distributor, Hybrid Services. “The CJV150 comes in four sizes and the 107 is the second smallest, offering a 1,090mm print/cut width that’s ideal for producing large posters, self-adhesive signage, banners and decals.”
“Once the print part of the job is finished, the system automatically sets itself up to cut – and thanks to Mimaki’s unique die-cut technology, that can even include the backing sheet, enabling high-value shaped stickers to be produced.”
With a top speed of over 56m²/hr, the CJV150 is no slouch either and with a 1,440dpi print quality and choice of vibrant, Greenguard Gold certified inks, it’s a highly creative tool as well.
Price £7,995 including warranty, ink, RIP and cutting software
Contact Hybrid Services 01270 501900 www.hybridservices.co.uk
Mutoh ValueJet 1324X
Design Supply is currently offering this 54in (1.4m) four-colour, high-speed, sign and display printer for £8,715, down from its normal price of £12,371, so if you’re tempted you should probably move quickly.
The supplier describes the printer as a cost-effective solution for businesses with medium and higher print volumes, adding that it is flexible, reliable and able to deliver excellent print quality for short print runs as well as volume production runs. It runs at a top speed of 27.9m²/hr and a maximum resolution of 720x1,440dpi thanks to “advanced” piezo inkjet single-head technology and is well suited for the production of long-term outdoor and indoor prints on a wide range of uncoated and coated substrates using either Mutoh’s Universal Mild Solvent (UMS) or Eco Ultra inks. The supplier says that the inks’ fast drying times mean the printer can take advantage of lower priced media with standard backing. Applications include posters, backlit signage, wall coverings, point-of-sale displays, fine art reproduction, vehicle graphics and stickers.
Price £8,715 for a limited period
Contact Design Supply 0800 0182323 www.designsupply.co.uk
Star Jet X1
The X1 is a 1.6m-wide entry-level, 2,880dpi resolution, high-spec roll to roll inkjet that comes with features you’d expect on more expensive machines.
It’s made by Chinese manufacturer Yilijet and can use eco-solvent, water-based or dye-sublimation inks, which are selected at printer setup.
Supplier Mayday Graphic Products stresses that the printer has a number of features as standard that are not usually found on the sub-£10k machines, including an integrated ‘Tri-heater’ and extended cooling system for faster drying times, a media auto feed and take-up system, fibre optic data transfer system, plus USB 3.0 high-speed interface for faster data feeds and variable dot printing technology with drop sizes from 2.5pl to 27pl. It prints using a single customisable piezo head and has a production print speed of 18m²/hr.
Price £8,995
Contact Mayday Graphic Products 01284 701571 www.maydaygraphics.co.uk
HP Latex 315
“We’ve found the HP Latex 315 to be the perfect entry-level printer for the sign and display market,” says Jon Telling, sales director at supplier
Perfect Colours. “It’s fast, easy to use and can print on a wide choice of substrates.”
Telling says the 315 delivers the perfect combination of excellent image quality and high productivity, while maintaining a sustainable approach to the environment and a safer workspace for your operatives. HP Latex technology allows for printing on a wide range of materials including self-adhesive vinyl, backlits, wallpaper and more, while the water-based inks make it safer and therefore more versatile than solvent printers. The Latex 315 also comes with strong environmental credentials, producing sharp, consistent and repeatable image quality with high-efficiency curing, six colours and 1,200dpi. It’s a compact printer that will get your workflow moving, with no drying time and an automatic X-axis cutter.
Price £9,900
Contact Perfect Colours 0845 680 9000 www.perfectcolours.com
Mimaki TS30-1300
Mimaki’s TS30-1300 dye-sublimation printer offers an ideal route into production dye sub printing at a very attractive price point, according to UK and Ireland supplier Hybrid Services.
Printing designs to transfer paper prior to pressing onto any polyester substrate, the Mimaki has found homes with fashion designers, education establishments, promotional wear printers and signmakers, offering an affordable way to add valuable new revenue streams.
“With its robust build quality and low running costs, the TS30 is ready to fit into any production house and although it sports a substantial 1.3m print width, retains a compact footprint,” says the supplier.
“The TS30 is a great route into production dye-sub printing,” adds Hybrid’s textile product manager, Brett Platt. “It’s simple to use, offers a range of ink colours including fluorescent shades and produces a high-quality result”. Output speeds of up to 19.6m²/hr, a 1,080dpi max resolution and powerful RIP software come as standard.
Price £7,495 including warranty, ink and RIP
Contact Hybrid Services 01270 501900 www.hybridservices.co.uk
Epson SureColor SC-P10000
The SC-P10000, also available from Perfect Colours, is “precise and accurate... the perfect wide-format printer for photo labs, copy shops and companies that want an in-house solution,” according to Telling. “By utilising the Epson UltraChrome 10-colour ink-set, the P10000 produces spectacular prints that make a real splash.”
The SureColour SC-P10000’s key features include PrecisionCore Micro TFP printheads that deliver high productivity and excellent print quality. Production speeds are kept up thanks to the high-precision media feed technology that features a newly developed camera-based paper feed stabiliser. Blacks are deep and rich, and thanks to K4 and Multi Size Droplet Technology, graininess in gradation is reduced and colour reproduction is accurate. This is an excellent printer for producing top quality photographic work, POS and signage.
Price £7,194
Contact Perfect Colours 0845 680 9000 www.perfectcolours.com
Roland VersaExpress RF-640
According to supplier Signmaster Systems, the RF-640 is one of Roland’s most popular machines. Easy to use and delivering pretty impressive quality and speed, this printer just sneaks in under the £10,000 mark, priced at £9,999.
As the name suggests, the RF-640 is a 64in-wide (1.6m) printer with a maximum resolution of 1,440dpi and a top speed of 48.5m²/hr. It prints in six colours and is well suited to the production of posters, POS collateral, canvas prints, vehicle wraps, banners, floor graphics and billboards. It features Roland’s innovative ink switching system, which enables users to replace empty cartridges on-the-fly, without having to stop and restart the printer, boosting productivity.
It comes with Roland’s user-friendly VersaWorks RIP software, which includes media profiles, nesting, cropping, predictive ink and media usage, and other production tools. VersaWorks also features built-in Roland Color System and Pantone libraries for accurate spot colour matching.
Price £9,999
Contact Signmaster Systems 01948 662669 www.signmaster.co.uk
Canon imagePrograf Pro-6000
Canon describes the imagePrograf Pro-6000 as the “ultimate large format printer for photographic and fine art printing” but has also found favour for proofing and high-end display graphics. At 60in wide (1.6m) it is the largest of Canon’s iPf machines to use the 12-colour ink system and Canon says it can print at 2,440x1,200dpi.
The printer uses Canon’s Lucia Pro pigment inks, which were developed specifically for the iPf Pro series to help deliver a wide colour gamut and high-end results.
It handles glossy, matt and fine art paper in widths of 200mm to 1.5m and thicknesses of 0.1mm and 0.8mm. Paper is fed from Canon’s Multifunctional Roll System (MRS), which enables users to load glossy media in one roll and matt media in the other, without the requirement to manually switch the media. The ink system consists of CMY plus grey, red, blue, matt black, photo black, photo cyan, photo magenta, photo grey and a Chroma Optimizer ink, intended to improve the depth of black ink while reducing gloss differential.
Price £7,795.00
Contact DPS Business 020 8466 7230 www.dpsb.co.uk
Roland TrueVis SG-540
Roland’s TrueVis range of printer-cutters offers some pretty strong contenders and the eco-solvent SG range tops out at £9,999 SG with the SG-540.
Roland says the SGs give printers “a massive range of production capabilities at an incredibly attractive price”. Applications include die-cut labels and stickers, banners, personalised t-shirts and other items of clothing, signs, vehicle wraps, posters, backlit displays, wall graphics and fine art and photography. The manufacturer says they are quick and easy to set up and stresses the fast ROI opportunity of running one of these machines.
In high-quality mode the SG-540 can print at 900x600dpi at 5.5m²/hr (14 passes), while high-speed mode for vinyl takes it up to 9.3m²/hr at 600x600dpi. The SG series saw the introduction of the FlexFire printheads, which Roland says ensure high efficiency and quality. It also features Roland’s latest cutting technology for increased accuracy and downforce, a Bluetooth-enabled mobile control panel, and four-colour TrueVis inks.
Price from £9,999
Contact Signmaster Systems 01948 662669 www.signmaster.co.uk
Ricoh Ri 100
The Ri 100 is not what you’d call a ‘wide’ wide-format machine, but aimed as it is at the direct-to-textile market it falls within that category. It’s intended as a low-cost gateway into the textiles printing market and is said to be suitable for anyone wanting to add a new, potentially profitable product line to their existing offering.
The Ri 100 enables users to print on demand promotional and personalised items including t-shirts, cloth bags, cushion covers and sweatshirts. It can print on a wide range of materials from 100% cotton to blends with a minimum of 50% cotton.
The device incorporates Ricoh’s piezo-electric inkjet technology intended to deliver crisp, high-quality prints. The integrated variable drop size technology enables the printing of detailed designs and photographs with smooth gradations at 1,200dpi resolution.
Ricoh says the Ri can be used across a wide range of industries and for many activities, including fashion, universities, colleges and schools, corporate brands, SMEs, home decoration shops, tourism, youth groups, sports clubs and charity events.
Price £2,999
Contact The Magic Touch 01582 671444 www.themagictouch.co.uk
