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HP just introduced a water-based latex ink to offer lower VOCs and less odor than carcinogenic
solvent inks.
Eco-solvent and mild-solvent inks do require coated materials in many cases, and these inks are neither economical nor ecological (and have a terrible odor). FLAAR has received three days of training in the new latex ink at HP Scitex in Israel last week and will receive additional training at other locations elsewhere in the world in April. Our interest in innovative inks that don't have nasty solvents is because we are interested in testing signage printers in our facilities but don't want the wretched odor (and illness) related to solvent ink. We are especially interested in Staedtler Lumocolor ink and are curious about Magic Ink from Eastech (but have not issued any certification or recommendation until we can test it in person). So if you are a franchise sign shop, a photo lab, a digital printshop, a screen printer, you will notice that FLAAR web sites are the place to come during 2008 to learn all the new inks, the new technologies. We cover UV-cured flatbed printers on a separate associated site, www.large-format-printers.org.
Professor Hellmuth is available on a professional consulting basis either at a FLAAR facility or he can come to your print shop anywhere in the world. We are tri-lingual: Deutsch, español, and naturally English. If you wish to hire Dr Hellmuth as a consultant, indicate your needs, your budget for consulting, whether you wish to visit the FLAAR facility in Ohio or in Latin America; or whether you wish Nicholas Hellmuth to come to your facility. We have consulted in Mumbai, Mexico City, Osaka, and across the USA. We consult on UV-curable ink flatbed printers, solvent and eco-solvent ink printers, giclee, inks, media and materials, color management, scanning, and digital photography. Dr Hellmuth is also available as a consultant to printer manufacturers, ink and media providers. FLAAR already works with leading international corporations in several countries. We can analyze inks, media, printers under NDA contract. FLAAR also offers a variety of professional services as you would expect of a major university institute. If you would like to meet Professor Hellmuth, you can attend his lectures, such as at The Tiara Group conference in Savannah (March 2006) or his discussion of innovative inkjet printing at FESPA (Amsterdam, May 2006). Or, you can bring him to your own company or your own hometown for him to give a lecture. |
FLAAR is the de-facto prime source for reliable product comparisons and evaluations of wide format color inkjet printers, plotters, reviews, tips, and recommendations for wide format inkjet printers from Canon imagePROGRAF iPF9000 that replaces the Canon W6400 and W8400, Epson 9800, 2200, 4000, and the newest, the Epson 3800, even the older 5500, 7000, 7500, 7600, 9000, 9500, 9600 and the Epson Stylus Pro 10000arc CF, Hewlett-Packard DesignJet Z2100 / Z3100, HP Designjet Z6100, HP 130nr, 500ps, 800ps, 5000ps, 5500ps, 4500ps, and others.
Comparisons of large format printers, plotters, lamination equipment provides analysis of cost-effectiveness of different brands of wide format color inkjet printers. Discussion of pigmented UV inks, solvent-based inks, archival ink longevity, everything you need to learn before you make your decision of what printer, Postscript RIP software, inkjet media, vinyl, canvas, or inks to buy. We have two penetrating reports on the Encad NovaJet 1000i (now labeled the Kodak 1200i and also sold by Xerox… but it is the identical printer). It is not advised to buy obsolete printers because they are usually gummed up by dried ink from not being used.
So much new information has been gathered by FLAAR's crew of 17 editors and staff that we are updating all the FLAAR Reports in Adobe Acrobat PDF format for download via e-mail to you. This is information which is not on our web site. Includes buyer advisories (like a weather advisory, namely, warning, watch out...). FLAAR is renowned for providing the specific pros and cons of each printer. These facts are in the FLAAR reports: introductory reports are available via this Inquiry-Dialog Form. Premium reports with more detail are available from our www.wide-format-printers.NET website.
If you are considering a used printer, better first get our buyer advisories for used printers (in our “Survival Series. ”)
Prints already introduced in 2007-2008 replace printers introduced already last year. For example, Canon has introduced many new printers since summer 2005: Canon imagePROGRAF W8400 and Canon imagePROGRAF W6400. These are already “old” and are long ago replaced by newer Canon iPF printers.
On the Canon imagePROGRAF iPF5000, iPF6000, iPF8000, and iPF9000, since we don’t have the latter three printers we can’t say whether all the comments on the Internet about excessive dot pattern in light tones is true. We prefer to do our own tests in our own labs (but kind of hard without the printers). So we will look at the HP Z2100 and Z3100 instead, and we are still working on the Epson 4800, 7800, and 9800. For 2008 we are switching to evaluating the Epson 4880, 7880, 9880, and new 11880. If access is provided to the Canon iPF9100, Canon iPF8100, Canon iPF6100, Canon iPF5100, as well as iPF9000S and iPF8000s, we will include these in our reviews. But the first reports for 2008 are on the HP Z2100 and HP Z3100 (available since the first week in February).
If you wish to meet Nicholas Hellmuth in person
If you wish to meet the FLAAR staff, Dr Hellmuth has lectured in Amsterdam, Athens, Dubai, Istanbul, Lisbon, and in St Louis, and two universities in North Carolina. You can invite Nicholas to lecture in your home town or at your college or university, or hire him as a consultant for your company anywhere in the world. For 2008 Professor Hellmuth will be lecturing in Russia, Slovenia, Croatia and is available elsewhere in Eastern Europe as well. In 2007 he offered lectures in Korea, Istanbul, and elsewhere around the world.
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UV-Curable Ink Flatbed printers in 2008
More and more print shops switch from water ink to solvent and UV especially, since ColorSpan now has a new low-price entry-level UV flatbed. The ColorSpan 5440uv series is targeted by MacDermid specifically to owners of the HP 5000, HP 5500, and all eco-solvent printers (meaning Roland, Mutoh, and Mimaki).
Over the last three years FLAAR has become the de-facto resource for factual information on the pros and cons of UV-curable flatbed printers.
FLAAR will be at Graphics of the Americas '08, at the last days of ArtExpo in New York, and at Photokina 2008. Naturally you can also meet Dr Hellmuth at FESPA Digital in Geneva, DRUPA 2008 in Duesseldorf, ISA and SGIA.
We cover UV-cured flatbed printers primarily on our sister site, www.large-format-printers.org. We gathered information at DRUPA, Photokina, SGIA, ISA, FESPA, and GraphExpo trade shows over a seven-year period. Since HP has purchased both ColorSpan and NUR, there are new product names: ColorSpan 5440uv is now HP Designjet H35100, ColorSpan 5460uv is now HP Designjet H35500, ColorSpan 5445uv is now HP Designjet H45100, ColorSpan 5465uv is now HP Designjet H45500.
The ColorSpan 9840uv is now the HP Scitex FB910.
FLAAR now has over 83 publications to help you learn to understand the differences between ColorSpan and Raster Printers, between Gandinnovations and VUTEk, the pros and cons of the DuPont Cromaprint 22UV and Inca Spyder 320. It is all there; also check out www.wide-format-printers.net; go to the link on UV.
Eco-Solvent Printers, Mild-Solvent Printers
We cover these printers primarily on our sister site, www.large-format-printers.org. We bring information on eco-solvent printers from ISA and other signage trade shows. We have three new titles on the Roland SolJet, based on three different site-visit case studies. We also cover Mutoh, HP 9000s, HP 8000s, and all the mild-solvent printers too (pros and cons with warnings about misleading advertising claims). We are updating our coverage of the Mutoh Toucan LT and its hybrid flatbed also.
You can select lots of free publications by filling out the Survey Form.
Or if you prefer to get reports without having to fill out a form, you can buy all the FLAAR Reports form www.wide-format-printers.NET.
Worldwide sales of eco-solvent-ink printers in the $30K to $40K range are booming. Every day FLAAR receives requests from readers who want us to recommend which mild solvent ink printer they should consider. We cover these printers primarily on our sister site, www.large-format-printers.org. However since we at FLAAR are professional photographers, come from an architectural background, and are dedicated to fine art giclee, we ourselves still have a deep interest in the new generations of water-based printers. Indeed 2008 will surely one more new printer from Epson as they work hard to catch up to the broadside leveled at them by the success of eco-solvent printers from Mimaki, Mutoh, and Roland.
Just beware that some kinds of solvent inks may dissolve the Epson printheads on some retro-fitted Roland printers. So you need to distinguish the after-market SolventJet from the SolJet (made by Roland itself). Also realize that not all “solvent inks” actually function on economy vinyl. Most of the lite solvents require costly coated media, which nullifies the reason for going solvent to begin with. Furthermore, some of the solvent ink printers are not really using true solvent?
Ahhh, all the things that the enticing advertising brochures at the trade shows don't tell you. Now you see why we use end-user reports to reveal what tradeshow booths don't warn you about.
Printers for Giclee and Fine Art Photography
We cover giclee and fine art photography, and printers, on two websites, www.FineArtGicleePrinters.org and www.digital-photography.org. Our new report on the Epson Stylus Pro 9800 is now available, free to everyone who fills out the Survey Form.
This year FLAAR will be issuing evaluations on all the new Epson printers: Epson Stylus Pro 4880, 7880, 9800 and 11880.
Printers for CAD, GIS, 3-D renderings, etc
Even Mutoh is now trying to produce a CAD printer: their Mutoh DrafStation RJ-900 and RJ-901. Canon is trying with their new imagePROGRAF iPF 600. HP had earlier come out with their Designjet 4500 to quickly replace the Designjet 4000. Now, in 2008 and since last year, Canon is after the CAD and GIS market too, with their imagePROGRAF iPF710, iPF700, iPF610, iPF600, and iPF500. Whew, what’s a lot of new printers and fresh competition for HP (Epson has never been successful in the CAD or GIS markets).
We offer tips, help, and information for people of all levels, and all interests
Many people indicate they are new to digital wide format printing and would like assistance in figuring out which are perhaps somewhat exaggerated advertising claims. We offer practical help based on actual inspection of wide format printers in action in graphics studios, design shops, and repro shops. We can help ascertain which printer is optimal for doing signs, posters, banners, courtroom graphics, displays, or, which other printers are for fine art prints, museum exhibits, giclee prints, limited editions etc.
Bring Nicholas Hellmuth to your printshop as a consultant
Professor Hellmuth is available on a professional consulting basis at your print shop anywhere in the world. We are tri-lingual: Deutsch, español, and naturally English.
If you wish to hire Dr Hellmuth as a consultant, indicate your needs by writing to ReaderService@FLAAR.org.
We consult on UV-curable ink flatbed printers, solvent and eco-solvent ink printers, giclee, décor, inks, media and materials, color management, scanning, and digital photography.
Most recently updated February 4, 2008.
Previously updated Sep. 10, 2002; updated May 15, 2003; updated Feb 16, 2003, updated May 21, 2003, updated August 29 2003 , Dec. 17 2003 , January 4, 2004, July 6, 2004, October 26, 2004, January 28, 2005, Feb. 17, 2005, March 3, 2005, September 6, 2005, January 4, 2006, March 17, 2006, April 10, 2006, July 5, 2006. Interior pages updated throughout 2007.
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