Any comments or advice on my equipment thoughts... thanks.

[kevdsn]

Having spent an age reading stuff all over the internet, getting confused, then even more confused, I think I have finally come up with the press and printer setup that would suit my needs. Before I start buying I thought I would just see if anyone had any input about my selections and thought process behind it and if perhaps I have missed anything, or perhaps should have considered anything else.

My work will mainly be high quality photographic images printed onto placemats, coasters and aluminium sheets etc, quality is the most important aspect in all this at every stage of the way, the final products must be top notch for the market I am appealing to.

PRINTER: has to be A3, considered the Ricoh but in the end, although I understand the problems with Epson nozzles clogging (have a Epson 2100 with a blocked head which I can't clear) I think the Epson 1500W with a CIS using sawgrass inks is probably the way to go. This is purely because of the 6 ink system as opposed to the 4 inks of the Ricoh, as print output quality is key, the 6 ink system has to be better at subtle hues and tones, and ultimately this overides the ease of use of the Ricoh.

PRESS: Very confused here... I know that cheap and China is an early recipe for disaster and I really want to get this right from the start.... Lots of recommendations for good makes on the forum, and I have stumbled upon a STAHL Hotronix Sprint Clam Auto Open 40x50cmLike this one

It is used, about 12 months old with very light use, about half the price of the new one.

Would I be better buying a new swing away, or do you think this second hand one is a reasonable buy? My budget here is really £800 max.


Any input would be greatly received, I really don't have the time or money to be making costly startup errors buying the wrong or inappropriate kit.

Thanks in advance..

Kev

[RogerC]

Can't comment on the Epson and you're obviously aware of the need to use it regularly or risk head problems....Ricoh A3 user myself. I have a Stahls Maxx and can honestly say it is brilliant. With the lifetime warranty they have to be the press to go for.

[FutureProject]

I understand your 6 ink theory, but when you're getting your inks don't most places just do cymk for sublimation??

[Justin]

I've always preferred the 6 colour output and have a 1500W myself. That said, I also own an A3 Ricoh and I think if you're not careful you can get too hung up on the 4 vs 6 colour debate....I know I have :-) After many many years in sublimation I've come to the decision that 4 colour is more than adequate for sublimation and I should spend my time worrying about other things! The only real difference I found was in skin colours and vector gradients but it really is minimal.

Regarding your press. Speak to both Listawood and Xpres. Xpres for example stock the excellent Adkins range. Comparatively expensive but worth every penny. If you join the forum as a Premium Member (£10 per year) you'll get 10% off equipment with them which could save you a fair bit. If you're looking to do things right from the offset, go for a swing away press :-)

[kevdsn]

I understand your 6 ink theory, but when you're getting your inks don't most places just do cymk for sublimation??

The Epson 1500W is basically cymk however it uses 2 extra colours of light cyan and light magenta to expand the gamut range as I understand it. The "ArTainium UV+" inks that I want to use are supplied with all 6 colours.

[Justin]

1500W is a cracking printer but Ricoh just makes life soooo much easier :-)

[kevdsn]

lol... this is the dilema, I hate things that don't just "work" when I need them to, I have lots of experience with Epson and most of it bad! but have to say the quality is fab when it works right, sort of hoping the newer Epsons are not quite as bad as the older ones and with a little more care I could keep it running properly... I fear if buying the Ricoh that I would always be wondering how much nicer the Epson output would be, but on the other hand it isn't a lot of good if it doesn't work when I need it to. The ease and hassle free use of the Ricoh is certainly appearing attractive in a lot of respects.

Also A3+ would be a big help, I could just about get 2 of my templates on A3+ but not A3, I know the Ricoh can do A3+ with the added unit, but again this also adds to the initial costs.

Out of interest Justin, how would you compare the ink costs between the two printers, I know Epson has the tendency to waste lots during cleaning and charging cycles, is the Ricoh noticeably more cost effective?

[Justin]

You've hit the nail on the head, if you want an easy life.....

I've not bought the A3+ unit yet, I was planning on this but moved away from a couple of blanks that were just that bit too large for A3 :-)

Inks, funny you should ask. I made a big mistake getting a spare set of Ricoh inks to keep in stock with my last order. The dates are never more than 12 months before use by and often only 7/8 months. I've been amazed how long they've lasted. I've had quite a busy year and it was amazing how long a single set lasted. Once they're on Low Ink warning they still seem to last for ages as well!

I had a really good CIS with my 1500W and on the whole it was pretty painless but I still had to use it regularly with the occasional nozzle clean etc. I find the Ricoh a much cleaner solution. The paper is kept out the way and therefore avoids dust issues and doesn't bend when left in the machine ;-)

[kevdsn]

Sorry to keep firing questions at you Justin.... You also seem very keen on a swing away press, The Stahl offers me auto release and the pressure readout display, both features I could see as useful, for the same money looking at xpres's Adkins presses I would get swing away but not auto release or the pressure indicator; what do you see as the main advantage of the swing away over the clam... other than not burning my knuckles, I do have some space limitations also which is one reason I was looking at the clam.

[Justin]

Swing away gives a good overall pressure but more importantly as it swings out of the way you get much better access to the platen for laying out designs, looking directly over the top of the platen etc. I've never needed a pressure indicator, you soon get the hang of what's light, medium and heavy pressure :-) The Adkins are a deep impact press which means they can press very heavily which can be useful for certain materials. One thing to bear in mind, the Adkins aren;'t very good for thicker items, 20mm acrylics for example as they don't open very wide. I use a £100 press for such items alongside by Adkins :-)

Auto release...I had this on a Chinese machine I imported. Probably more of a gadget than a useful function. If you're in the habit of walking away whilst pressing it might be useful but again, it's something you can live without.