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View Full Version : GOCCOPRO 100 Digital Screen Printer



jennywren
21-02-2014, 04:56 PM
I'm thinking of buying one off these, have seen them in action and I'm quite impressed but it would be nice to know if anyone has one and if they are worth the money, and is it worth it Many thanks to anyone in advance who replies

Andrew
21-02-2014, 05:02 PM
Looked great when I saw them demonstrating. Detail of image for a screen print was superb. If you are looking at doing small runs then I am sure it's a good option. Little space used up and seems a fairly simple process with this bit of kit. Couldn't believe how quick you can get a shirt printed from first bringing it up on your PC.

I believe they are at the P&P show so might have an offer on.

Justin
21-02-2014, 05:04 PM
Looks great, what sort of price is the machine and how much to make the screen do you know yet?

I used to run a screen making dept. in a previous lifetime...you're taking all the fun out of it you know! lol.

I still toy with the idea of getting back into screen print and this looks like a great way to save space and mess.

phoenixalpha
21-02-2014, 05:23 PM
I saw one at the Recent Ralawise demo, and I was very impressed, the quality, speed, lack of traditional screen printing issues (ie making, developing, cleaning screens etc) all done in one wee box about the size of a large laser printer. Alas the cost of the actual item put me off as it was around 6k for the unit itself, but costwise per unit, its pretty much unbeatable if you are a screenprinter at the moment.

John G
21-02-2014, 05:37 PM
xpres used to do a very similar machine years ago, I had one and it wasn't very good - I don't think xpres sell it anymore either.
The problems we had were the screen films, we had to use water based plastisol and the mesh broke down after 10 - 20 prints.
The screen frames were very expensive and registration was almost impossible due to different tensioning of the screens - image distortion.

If the riso films haven't improved I'd be very wary of investing in this kit.

Would it not be cheaper to ask a local printer to coat and expose your screens for you?

jennywren
21-02-2014, 09:48 PM
xpres used to do a very similar machine years ago, I had one and it wasn't very good - I don't think xpres sell it anymore either.
The problems we had were the screen films, we had to use water based plastisol and the mesh broke down after 10 - 20 prints.
The screen frames were very expensive and registration was almost impossible due to different tensioning of the screens - image distortion.

If the riso films haven't improved I'd be very wary of investing in this kit.

Would it not be cheaper to ask a local printer to coat and expose your screens for you?

I don't have any screens, its to be a new venture, I did think about using somebody, but don't know any body that does this near me that I can use.

rossdv8
22-02-2014, 01:19 AM
I used Riso screen systems for many years. Just got rid of a couple of thousand dollars of their stuff a month or two ago that we no longer had a use for.
The biggest problem I had with their stuff was the cost of consumables. The products themselves were innovative, and if this new larger machine (the 100) works well it could be great.
I think I would wait though for the new slightly bigger 200 model for shirt printing though.

John G
24-02-2014, 12:56 PM
Jennywren - not sure about the cost of this machine but I take it for about 3k - 4K
The cost of a standard t shirt screen (not the riso ones) would be approx £50.00 and then you reuse this - a decent printers would coat and expose yours screens for between under £20.00/£40.00 a time.

Another thing to remember is you'll still need a carousel and a dryer regardless of how you make the screens!

BTW - I recently sold the machine I had for £400 - that's the depreciation, nobody in the trade wants them - unless in USA as they seem to be a hit over the pond

socialgiraffe
24-02-2014, 12:59 PM
They are on show at P&P if you are still interested after John G's comments (which I totally agree with BTW).

logobear
03-01-2017, 05:32 PM
any experiences with the goccopro screen machine recently.
Hated by proper screen printers .... and with some limitations,but any good experiences?

mr-gobby
04-01-2017, 12:09 AM
Tried it myself at Printwear and promotion show 2016 stand on a single screen setup, it appeared easy to use, I thought that's clever and was impressed but its not cheap. It doesn't take up too much room though which was what I thought useful and why it caught my eye. That said. I decided screen printing overall needs more room than I can spare currently and for what it returns you need to produce an awful lot of shirts with screen print compared to vinyl so the space overhead, cost and mess of screen print put me off for now.
Mark

logobear
04-01-2017, 02:02 AM
we get a few jobs that are really basic, but must be cheap.
We have a great relationship with a local screen printer, - but it takes some laising, and shipping stuff 2 and fro ... and fitting in with his work schedule. (1 week)
the idea of being able to bang out 50 super cheap single colour in an evening makes some sence in my head.
friend might charge me £60, DIY on the goccpro less than £10 and probably £5, so £50 a job difference, - so need to do 100 jobs to make it pay.
(Yes, 50 T's with large single colour print 1 side for 5p each is possible!)
I suppose it is only 1 a week for 2 years ....and i would be in control.
I know it in not capable of registration, so only really for single colour.
BUT, - on the plus side, the half tones are REALLY good, so the print can look like a good old fashioned newspaper picture.
An arty alternative to proper printing?

JMugs
04-01-2017, 09:51 AM
Logo I can see your line of thinking, an interesting idea given your location.

pw66
04-01-2017, 05:17 PM
Very expensive for what it is. You could buy a good screen printing set-up for the cost of that system, and offer a full multi colour, high volume service.

Decent halftones rely on good screen tension as much as anything. I can't see any of the three screens they offer maintaining tension right through a long job.

Looks very simple in the video, but I want to see what the guy in the video looks like after printing 50 white A3 prints onto black t-shirts.

Justin
04-01-2017, 05:55 PM
Initially I did like the look of the Gocococococothingymajig but the single colour limitation was a key factor. I went down the route of making my own screen the 'traditional' way and bought a vacuum table for exposing. I used to do this for a living many moons back and expected a big learning curve to get back in but so far so good. I enjoy making them this way, yes it takes times to get it right but it's rewarding.

If I was on the mainland I'd offer a screen making service. i do need to learn more about the artwork and separation side though.

I'm still toying whether to keep or lose the screen print side as I don't get a huge amount of work....but I'm hanging in for the time being. it does take up so much room though!

pw66
04-01-2017, 08:06 PM
Takes a while to build up a regular clientele for screen printing. Nature of the printing business, I guess, with print runs getting smaller.
Repeat business is where the best money lies. The screen is ready on the shelf, and off you go.

Can you not produce a few wholesale lines for the tourist trade?

Justin
05-01-2017, 06:13 PM
Can you not produce a few wholesale lines for the tourist trade?

No problem at all....getting the local businesses to buy them is another matter. I'm working on it but nothing moves quickly up here :-)

pw66
06-01-2017, 10:27 AM
Printed cotton shoppers sell well. Lower margin, but usually a high volume product that gets reordered regularly.

I have got a few local tourist attractions on my books, for their souvenir t-shirts. Mostly nice easy one colour designs, screens already made. To get the business, I have had to offer a quick turnaround, and price according to their annual volume, not their weekly total. If they order by mid day on Monday they get the stock by Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning. They are happy because it limits the amount of stock they need to hold. I am happy because it is accounts for one day a weeks output.

logobear
09-01-2017, 11:08 AM
PW66, - do you have a Goccopro?

pw66
09-01-2017, 01:37 PM
God, no.

Seen it at the shows, and couldn't believe the cost, and how limited it is. Most users, if limited by room or facilities, would be better off making the screens at home in the bath tub. It is not a substitute for lack of facilities.

The product itself is no smaller than an exposure unit, so all you are saving is the space of a wash out sink.

If there is genuinely a lack of space, then most simple, low volume designs that you are likely to use it for can be done just as well by making stencil on the vinyl cutter, and applying to the screen. More complex halftone designs need good even screen tension,that would be hard to achieve using that system. You might get away with using it for one colour halftone prints, but multi colour cmyk or simulated process jobs would be a no go, due to differing tension between the various screens.

The concept might be suitable for the Japanese or US markets, where there are different legal requirements, but the product is not really appropriate for the UK market. To use one you are still going to need a hazardous waste contract to (legally) dispose of any of the used mesh, tape, rags, paper towels, ink pots etc that you will produce. None of it can go to landfill. If you wash your squeegees and tools in the sink then you are going to need a 'trade effluent licence' and all that entails.

If you are still going to need the hazardous waste contract, the trade effluent licence ( the fines for not having either are large ), and are only saving half a square metre for a washout booth, then you might as well do the job properly.

sinGN
13-01-2017, 07:59 AM
Hi,
I saw its demo, it looks great.