A4 Printer to print onto vinyl with solvent based inks?

[Geoff]

I am looking for a relatively inexpensive A4 printer that is able to usesolvent ink for printing on vinyl. There seems to be a wide choice of larger‘roll’ printers that use solvent based inks but no small A4 printers?

I use the printer for doming and waterbased inks can produce tiny micro bubblesin the resin dome during the curing process – this does not happen withcommercial solvent based inks.

[smo]

I'm not aware of any solvent based desktop printers although i'm sure some could be modified if you wanted to risk it! The closest is the Roland BN-20 but that is "roll" based and costs 4-5K from memory.

[tlworkwear]

Haven't heard of an A4 printer with this capability but would be interesting for sure..

[smo]

I might try and convert one just for fun!

[AdamB]

I might try and convert one just for fun!

Could you do it? It would be great to see :)
I've often found myself viewing hours of videos of D.I.Y DTG machines for A3+ printers. Not got the time myself but I do find it fascinating.

[smo]

I've got a few ideas on how to, its really not that hard i dont think??? (famous last words!)

[RogerC]

Unless you can properly 'cap' the print heads to ensure the inks don't dry I think you'll be onto a looser. The very fact that the inks are 'solvent' based tells you that unless they are properly capped the solvent will evaporate and leave you with ruined print heads.

Just my 2d worth.

[Ask_Alan]

Solvent printers have different plastics for the heads, pipes etc. compared to water based ones. It is likely putting solvent inks into a waterbased printer will result in some of the plastic parts deforming / melting. Just a thought.
alan

[Jeff]

I would also highly advise not to use any solvent inks in a printer. I am pretty sure it will cause irreparable damage due to parts melting. This can happen very quickly and is definitely not worth the risk...

[Johnny]

Yeah I wouldn't touch it either. When it comes to solvent inks you need reliability otherwise you end up wasting a massive amount of ink and material and over deadline.
Like smo said, BN-20 is your best bet, we started with one (and still have it), within a year we went up to a Mimaki CJV 1370mm.
J.

[Justin]

Johnny, we have a thread running about the BN-20, maybe you'd be kind enough to post your opinions and experience there for me please?

http://www.dyesubforum.co.uk/vbforum/showthread.php?7109-Roland-VP300-Versacamm-and-Roland-BN-desktop&highlight=bn20