need help finding the perfect wide format printer for our needs

[ZeeBees]

I've been looking into purchasing a wide format printer for a couple of years, but i am no where nearer to figuring out what i need.
Please help.
our needs are posters, retail bands, labels.
our wants are white ink, UV ink or non latex, direct printing to different types of material (rolls are usually 60" wide), cutting shapes for labels and thicker whiteboard and cardboard, heat transfers, vinyl, retail displays, banners. flags, silicon ink for DTG printing. automate printing as much as possible to print daily needs.
if we can keep our budget under $30000 for a reliable machine with service, that would be great.

I work for a manufacturer, we make about 17000 SKU's. we have die cutters, heat transfers, embroidery, plotters, cutters, a giant cutting production floor, we buy about 60 kinds of boxes, almost all of which need to be design remodeled. We are in need of updating packaging for retail. I just expanded my office space an extra 30' X 15' to accommodate. I am just an illustrator who has picked up print production, so your knowledge and assistance would be great.

thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 

[Correct Color]

our wants are white ink, UV ink or non latex, direct printing to different types of material (rolls are usually 60" wide), cutting shapes for labels and thicker whiteboard and cardboard, heat transfers, vinyl, retail displays, banners. flags, silicon ink for DTG printing.

Well, if I'm reading this right, your budget is very unrealistically low, and you're not going to find one machine to do everything you need.

First, at 30 grand, you've ruled out every UV machine you might possibly want (and while there are solvent machines out there that print white, if you're serious about printing white you've got to have UV) and second, direct-to-garment requires a specifically adapted printer. You can't then swap it back and forth as a general-purpose machine.

Mike Adams
Correct Color

 

[ZeeBees]

thank you. so, do manufacturer's just not make what we need, or do i need to get a couple of machines, like one for DTG at 60" width with white (no cutting), and one smaller machine for graphic stuff, with integrated cutter?
what do i need to spend to get UV? I think they want UV ink for DTG material printing to be latex-free. Many of the materials I am looking to print on are dark colored.
I am not sure how serious i am about white for graphic production, I know it would be awesome to do single color small white only heat transfers, but wouldn't a roll of white vinyl and a cutter make white? or if i print design to white substrate, color or cut away what i do not need in design, wouldn't white substrate be a substitute for white ink?

 

[Correct Color]

Well...

Since you're so new to this, and since you have so many disparate things you're trying to do, you definitely could use someone to take a good look at what you're hoping to achieve and guide you through the minefield.

The questions you're asking are getting detailed enough that it'd take some research to answer them intelligently, and I'd be more than glad to help. But I'd have to go "on the clock" to do it.

Believe me, it would be money well spent. Buying the wrong equipment can be a disaster from which you never recover.

If you're interested, drop me a line: [email protected]


Good luck.

 

[Bishop]

You should take a look at teh options you have in Roland, I believe they offer some pretty good price points.

 

[ZeeBees]

Thanks, have been looking into the name brands which service near to me. Roland, Mimaki, Oce, ect., service will be the main key. I think we'll end up with three machines that specialize instead of one that can do everything. There are so many variables and conflicting reports on everything i think I like most. The versacamm VS series has the bonus features like Metallic silver/white ink, eco solvent, print/cutt. The roland hybrid UV is probably a best bet with flatbed options. Have seen several in action, and played with softwares at expos, but will have to go see them again, preferrably in action at facilities. probably send final contenders sample rolls of materials just to verify DTG won't work. It's so confusing.

 

[Correct Color]

It may be blatant pitching but it's also the best advice you could possibly get: If I were you... I'd see my post above.

Mike Adams
Correct Color

 

[malross]

I have got rid of my Mimaki and and ALL ECO SOLVENT INKS They have ruined my lungs even though I had a carbon filter system.
Only use HP latex and a Gerber Edge for white inks.