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Print car/bike decals on vinyl w/ Epson UltraChrome K3 ink?
Hi guys, I currently use a PC600 for making small car and motorcycle decals but I want to get something that can print in 6 colors for more colorful decals and also something that has a lower cost per sq foot for smaller jobs than the colorcamm.
I just got a new catalog from a vinyl sign company that I order supplies from and they now list all the Epson Pro printers that use the UltraChrome K3 pigment inks.
I am hoping this smaller desktop style printer they offer in 17" wide will work for me. Does anyone know if this type of printer can print onto vinyl that can be used outdoors like the colorcamm can for car and bike decals? I know I need a special type vinyl for these, so can I use a pigment style vinyl and just put a layer of clear on it using frog juice, etc? How long will this hold up outdoors.
I am not sure if I am going in the wrong direction here, but I am not happy with the colors of some of my smaller prints using the pc600 compare to what a 6 to 8 color printer can do. Please advise if anyone is familiar with these newer Epson pigment printers. Thanks!!
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9 Replies
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One more thing I forgot.
If the Epson pigment ink printer can do the outdoor decals, will I be able to use my colorcamm as a cutter to contour cut the decals I make? I have never printed anything with the pc600, removed, then reloaded for cutting. How difficult is it to reload a pc600 and actually get it to perform a complicated contour cut exactly where you want it to?
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I would think you could use you PC600 to contour cut if it can use registration marks, or if you do it by eye (very fiddly)
Problem is that the prints with the Epson will not be much good.
You can get vinyl for the Pigmented inks but by it’s very nature it’s absorbant.
I’ve used them with my HP3000 and they are fine when you can seal the edges like with a laminate going over the edge onto the background but they have always failed when the laminate just goes up to the edge.Having said that I’ve not tried Frog juice.
Steve
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Keith, I would see this as a step backwards rather than a step forward. Pigmented inks are really only any good for short term outdoor use even when laminated. I don’t think you will save a lot of money either because the vinyl for pigmented inks is more expensive than a plain vinyl that can be used by the PC600, it is going to take you longer to produce them as you will need extra steps in your manufacturing process and the laminate is not that cheap either.
Add to that the fact that they wont last as long as prints done on the PC600 so you will probably have to sell them cheaper and it seems to me like you are going backwards rather than forwards. -
Stephen,
Is your HP 3000 a pigment ink printer? I have read about the new HP Vivera Pigment inks being able to be used on vinyl for outdoor signage, etc. Would this work for smaller decals for motorcycles, and cars if laminated? I dont mind laminating but I dont want to have to overlaminate over the border like you mentioned. Is there any pigment receptive vinyl out there that wont soak up water around the edges if I only laminate to the edge of the print and not over? Is there anything that I could use to do this other than a thermal printer like the colorcamm? I have tried and tried to get good quality color prints from the pc600 and anything that has greens or browns in the design comes out looking horrible from the colorcamm. Is it possible I am having issues with my color settings on the pc600? The dpi is acceptable on the colorcamm but the color output has me pulling hairs out, I have done test prints from the Epson pigmented ink printers at a local business and they blow away the color output of the pc600. Or is my only solution to go with a solvent printer like Roland sells? The problem is the only 6 color models are over $20,000 US dollars. Should I be able to get good bright colors from the pc600? I have only been using it for a couple months but the print color quality is horrible in my opinion from what I have got out of it so far. -
Yes my HP3000 is pigmented inks, it’s a very old printer and I only use it for posters, canvas prints etc. I have a Uniform Cadet for vinyl printing.
Not heard anything about the new inks so I can’t comment on them but I would have thought the same would be true of any coated media, it’s designed to absorb the water based inks so it’s going to absorb water, this in turn is going to make any laminate come unglued.
I’ve not tried the 3M range of vinyls, they do a coated vinyl and laminate but I don’t know how it performs.
Steve
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Well,
I have a guy from a local Roland distributor sending me samples of versacamm prints using the eco sol inks, these can print to uncoated media so I think the best thing to do is just sell the colorcamm and invest in a Versacamm unit. Are the colors from the 4 color versacamms impressive? I have not seen any prints in person, but he tells me the color gamut is good on the versacamms and they will have no trouble reproducing any images or photo images. -
Yes the VersaCamm has a good gamut for a 4 colour printer, you do have trouble reaching some colours but with the right profile you can manage to get very close.
The Cadet is a converted Versacamm using full solvent inks but I’d recommend the ecosol max inks anyway, from what I hear they are very good and for what your doing you’d need to laminate anyway, even with full solvent inks.
They are much cheaper to run than the colorcam as well.
Steve
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Does the versacamm come with all the color profiles you will need? Or are there specific ones you can download for certain color schemes?
Is the other printer you mentioned available in the US? I dont have my mind set on a Roland, I just want anything that uses solvent inks and will have good color output, I would like a 6 color one if I could find it for under 20 thousand US dollars…
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The local supplier will tell you most if not all you’r asking.
Or do a search on the boards as these subjects have been discussed many time.
Profiles are usually supplied by the media suppliers, check their websites.
Steve
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