Sublisplash inks ...

[pisquee]

We're in the same market as UK Printed mugs, supplying our designs on products to around 200 stockists across the UK, as well as direct to customers on our own website and NOTHS - we're using 7 colour wide format printers, and go through a lot of litre bottles of InkTec's Sublinova ink (and 1000s of metres of their sublimation paper a year) and we (and our clients/customers) are happy with the print quality and colours we offer - bringing to market a product in the same price range as Sawgrass in tiny cartridges, and only with 4 ink colours, certainly isn't going to even consider swapping over - even if you brought a product to market in the same price range as InkTec's litres, what incentive is there for me to change over, and recalibrate our printers and redo all our ICC profiling - there would have to be a significant price advantage to the new product compared to what I am already using

[Mario Panter]

So Pisquee,

basically, what you`re saying is that even if Sublisplash would be only 10% of its MSRP you would still not consider because you would expect a significant price advantage to motivate you moving to a new product. Hmm, that`s most likely not going to happen.

But as JMugs commented, there definitely is a market for our product. We went through all the CIS and bulk ink stories and trust me, it`s not all big fun and trouble-free to use over time, otherwise we would still continue to do so.

Once again, let the market and the users decide which product will last and succeed in the long end.

[Mario Panter]

...

One confusion I have is that the SS ink carts are meant to fit old style Ricoh and new style SG printer e.g. 7100 / SG800. I was under the impression the head of the SG800 required finer "ink" hence why there is a separate SG ink just for SG800. You can't use SG800 carts in 7100 and vice versa. Is SS magical or SG printer really just a rebadge? Hmm

Not sure what you`ve been told but the SG800 is a re-branded Ricoh 7100 (this is more than obvious), so there is no reason why the SG800 should not work with Ricoh 7100 carts.
The only difference is that after loading the Sublisplash carts into the SG800, the printer tells you "This is not a Sawgrass ink". And in all fairness, that`s 100% true. Simply answer the question "Do you want to continue?" with "Yes" and you`re set.

Regards,

Mario

[pisquee]

We went through all the CIS and bulk ink stories and trust me, it`s not all big fun and trouble-free to use over time, otherwise we would still continue to do so.

I think this depends on the printer and system in question - we've successfully used bulk feed systems on Epson wide format printers (Stylus Pro 4000, 4400, 7600 and 9600) with InkTec's Sublinova since 2011, buying in litres of their ink for a fraction of the price/ml compared to Sublisplash or Sawgrass.
You can see a history of my dislike of SG on this forum, and I'm definitely up for more ink companies challenging their shady business model and dodgy patent strategies, but coming in at the same price point as them, doesn't really offer an incentive to SG users to switch, except your claim that your ink gives better print quality - which is probably true as I was never convinced that the quality of SG's ink living up to their inflated price.
Are you ignoring the wide format/pro market with your ink, or will you be introducing litres for bigger users at a comparable price to other pro litres of ink on the market?

[DyeSubSupplies]

Hi pisquee, not sure where you are getting your figures from the price of the sublisplash ink carts are 15% cheaper per ml than SG carts.

I think this depends on the printer and system in question - we've successfully used bulk feed systems on Epson wide format printers (Stylus Pro 4000, 4400, 7600 and 9600) with InkTec's Sublinova since 2011, buying in litres of their ink for a fraction of the price/ml compared to Sublisplash or Sawgrass.
You can see a history of my dislike of SG on this forum, and I'm definitely up for more ink companies challenging their shady business model and dodgy patent strategies, but coming in at the same price point as them, doesn't really offer an incentive to SG users to switch, except your claim that your ink gives better print quality - which is probably true as I was never convinced that the quality of SG's ink living up to their inflated price.
Are you ignoring the wide format/pro market with your ink, or will you be introducing litres for bigger users at a comparable price to other pro litres of ink on the market?

[UK Printed Mugs]

Hi DSS. Read a little earlier in this thread then you will see that when you add in a discount premium members get off SG inks (10% for example with Xpres) and free delivery (over £100 with Xpres for example) then their is no economic benefit to existing SG customers changing over to SS sadly.

I guess when the initial talks about SS arose everyone was VERY excited being SG ink is so expensive (in carts).

Sadly is seems that the SS ink is no cheaper and thus we as a company see no reason to jump ship which is a shame.

[DyeSubSupplies]

I talking about SG rrp and SS it's is 15% cheaper like for like not taking into accounts any discounts that certain suppliers offer.

Hi DSS. Read a little earlier in this thread then you will see that when you add in a discount premium members get off SG inks (10% for example with Xpres) and free delivery (over £100 with Xpres for example) then their is no economic benefit to existing SG customers changing over to SS sadly.

I guess when the initial talks about SS arose everyone was VERY excited being SG ink is so expensive (in carts).

Sadly is seems that the SS ink is no cheaper and thus we as a company see no reason to jump ship which is a shame.

[UK Printed Mugs]

RRP is useless to talk about I'm afraid. It is the cost of getting the ink from a suppliers stock room to our studio door that is the important factor and if that means discounts and free delivery then that is what ultimately makes a product cheaper to buy and what gives a total price we pay. In our opinion.

[DyeSubSupplies]

I get get it that you are happy with sg inks and xpress but as a post from earlier on states the sublisplash ink is still cheaper and you also get 8ml of extra ink. As you will probably agree not everyone will buy there inks from xpress or even be members of this forum, however I get it that you are and very loyal towards sg and don't have a problem with that, obviously a lot of other people will be as well but ultimately a lot of people will also see the benefits and switch over nobody is forcing anybody to do anything all it means now is that there is a choice out there.

RRP is useless to talk about I'm afraid. It is the cost of getting the ink from a suppliers stock room to our studio door that is the important factor and if that means discounts and free delivery then that is what ultimately makes a product cheaper to buy and what gives a total price we pay. In our opinion.

[Andrew]

Hard to claim it is cheap when you can get a very good ink in Inktec and pay in the mid 40's per litre. CIS work perfectly and easy to get profiled. This is Epson based and not Ricoh though. Don't know much about Ricoh carts other than it appeared a convenient way for SG to hold their prices up with the downfall of other patents.

It needed to be at least 30% under SG imo. There would still have been a substantial mark up and a decent enough saving.

It comes down to this for me. SS could have broken the mould on what Sawgrass held over the small format users but essentially seems to have chosen not to give a fair market price but a price of what they think they can get away with compared to SG.