Colin Crabb
Forum Replies Created
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We had similar, and ‘removeable’ vinyl didn’t adhere to the painted wall very well (painted wall, wasn’t a glossy finish, just emulsion, harder to stick too) when we did a test.
So we played safe an inform client that we cannot guarantee the vinyl print would be removable without damaging paint and went for normal MD5, client took it off month later and did very small touch ups.
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We’ve always used Penloc 1:1R acrylic adhesive, for mounting snapfix to back of ACM letters.
http://www.eurobond-adhesives.co.uk -
Can’t help to much, but word of warning, Scitex system is now discontinued and parts becoming harder to get as approaching 10 years since launch, with R series taking there place.
The bare printheads will set you back between £1000 for a reconditioned unit, to £2000+ for a new unit if available.
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🤣 Okay, I know costs have increased, and that’s one way to save a £1.00 on sign rail but WOW.
At least they used ‘some’ sign rail, haven’t got a picture sadly but we spotted one last week that was held on the post with metal cable ties…..
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Cheers both, we was about right with our pricing, is defo one of those we don’t want to go in to lean.
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And pricing was correct, we’ve had ‘adventures’ on 3 ships so far, with another next week booked in.
Not a job for the faint hearted, you need carry everything aboard in one go (no returning to vehicle), fun security checks, time limits, going into these jobs semi-blind (no site surveys, just a designers mock up, that, lets say isn’t always correct sizes..) and omg.. is it hot on those boats when you gotta work at speed!
But it’s definitely a fun job.
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Never used them, so have no idea, but saw these today at Signgeer
www. signgeer.com
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If the screw head will be seen, I prefer self-drilling with a coloured head version, instead of a Tek Screw with a coloured cap.
Self Drilling Colour Headed Screws – 25mm
signgeer.com
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We have a few roll of Ferrous sticky tape in the fitting boxes
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We upsale ‘fitting kits’ aka cable ties or bungee cords for banners (and correx signs etc etc)
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yup, important emails separate eg: proof copies / production times.
Helps with customer service, and just looks good imo.
ISO’s – we could get them, but haven’t ‘got round to it’ as we deal with multinationals already, and they like our personal customer service & quality above anything else, and tbh never been asked apart from IPO data certificate that we hold.
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I thought you Scot’s didn’t wear any underwear beneath your (sign fitting) kilts??!!!
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(1) #ProjectPrimrose | Adobe MAX Sneaks 2023 – YouTube
And tech is now applied to clothing!
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Offically banner media (all media really..) has to have exited the dryer unit before printing. Heavier grades should be connected to take up reel. (700/800 series will show a warning on screen).
In the real world, get some heavy duty ‘bulldog’ clips and add a weight to these clips – move banner media a couple of inches’ past the dryer unit – clip on weight (1 each side) – POW! your good to go. Problem solved.
We never run any media, without moving it pass the dyer unit, and adding weights, just saves time & stress.
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crap Rob, why didn’t you post this a month ago… I had a disk, think it got ‘tidied’, will have a look around again!
And yes, Onyx seemed to have removed a ton of legacy downloads from there website sadly, like everyone else, they push the latest product – which is how they make there money.
Just don’t start me about Onyx Align price……
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3.5 or 4mm is fine.
When talking with client, we try to make sure flutes run the correct way to prevent ‘folding’.
Unlaminated, as ‘cheap’ short term.
If volume run, we gang up direct to 8x4ft sheets, and then trim down to save production time.
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Adobe – Onyx – cutting from onyx to Summa.
Printheads & maintenance cartridge is user serviceable parts with the machine informing you to perform tasks, oil track rods, clean platen etc.
L700 / 800 series has a few more items that are user serviceable (if under service agreement, you’ll get a authorization code when time) like the fan units.
Inks great, 300 series will pause for changing, 700/800 series has internal tank allowing change of ink while printing, with safeguard of not being able to print if supplies are to low when you send a job (pause mode).
White ink is very, very good, best I’ve seen, AND you take out and store the printheads when not being use, with the ink being pumped between to cartridges, therefore not wasting ink unlike the solvents machines.
Only word of warning, if you machines out of service contact or you purchase a second user 3 series – trailing cables!!!! they will require replacing at some point.
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For stickers, we have two ‘stocked’ medias, anything else is bought into order.
Mono’ 100micron standard tack – £80 per 1370 x 50m
Mono’ 100micron High Tack – £130 per 1370 x 50m
Both good quality / good quality backings, as a false economy to go ‘cheap’ had had print and/or cutting issues.
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Well.. they are using a fiberglass step ladder to prevent conductive electrocution ….
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its a similier process if you use white ink – needs to be a spot colour and set as overprint, but this is getting off topic!
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Can use any colour (we use blue, white & magenta! depending the type of cut, or colour of artwork) its all down as people have said, creating it as a spot colour with a name that can be identified by the RIP or cutting software.
For Adobe users, create a spot colour with set name (eg: ContourCut <– case sensitive) and add this to your 'Library' feature.
RIP / Cutting software, use the created name to indicate its a cutting guide and not a print guide – POW your all set. See Contour Cutting (onyxgfx.com) if your a Onyx user for examples.
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Have a go with the free trial from Affinity, if you like it, the purchase price is very low.
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X5 is now 13years old.
Your RAM will be fine, and I don’t think X5 made use of hardware graphics.
X5 was optimised for Win7 – your using Win10 so it will not run smooth.
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Ohhhh we had a good one this week.
SO, this very good and long standing client asked for a fast price for stickers, 500 run, 6 types over the phone.
The price was given and we were told to go ahead ASAP, short deadline will send an email shortly to 100% confirm.
I skipped our normal processes, manually wrote out a worksheet and sent it to production.
On delivery. ‘Why have you run 500 of each, I emailed to say 250 of each’.
Guess who didn’t read the email?FFS…
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We place high value on designwork, and this wins us new clients. So, Okay we do deal with large clients and multinationals, so they will pay more than a ‘small logo on my van mate’ client, but at the same time except more, and you will have to work within there Branding Guidelines, use there official resources and approved images etc.
So each attracts a different price, but we always try to help our smaller clients.
As for our experience, we only use our in-house team, myself I’m degree level and Adobe certified, along with waaaay to many years experience (yet still learning).
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The best adhesive remover we have used is Metamark Adhesive Remover.
https://www.metamark.co.ukApplication fluid, we very very rarely use, so can’t help there.
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Finally they have released the brand guidelines & logos: About Twitter | Our logo, brand guidelines, and Tweet tools
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Not seen that before – you can go into the system via web browsers and check in more details, making sure the install date & serial numbers match.
Interesting you say Cyan / Black head, we’ve had one fail at 50ml, one dead-on-install last week, cyan channel just ‘stopped’.
Oh and my record on the 360 was 9980ml used before it required changing!
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100% Rob, it is not like they can’t afford the fines! As you say very good promotion for X.
It looks like it was designed to fold up and move around for promotion elsewhere?!
X sign removed at Twitter HQ after neighbours complain – BBC News -
Commercial law with regards to the machine is a little different to domestic, but you can 100% insist on a replacement, and it will happen if the cannot fix the issue (and this is the part to quote) ‘In a reasonable time period’.
I had this issue in the past, and machine was replaced after engineers failed to fix, so manufacture had to agree on a replacement.
I’d also insist on some ‘free’ ink, to offset wasted media and wasted ink from testing.
One point, not that it effects you, is if on lease / payments, don’t stop the payments. yes it hurts, but if you do stop, you in breach of contract and therefore liable to T&C’s, and manufacture can use this to there advantage to do zero.
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We discussed renaming ourselves to XXXPrint…
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Backing 100% – and it doesn’t look like the normal backing (no grid and ‘Metamark’)
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We’ve laminated within an hour using Latex inks, no issues.
But prefer 24.
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Just shown staff and told them we will be using this technique instead of hiring a cherry picker next time 🤣
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PaperGraphics: Tru300
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https://stock.adobe.com as part of CC.
we also use https://www.shutterstock.com
Also, see https://unsplash.com for ‘free’ images.
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InDesign would be your friend here.
Create an artboard size required > place file > position > Save & export.
https://www.adobe.com -
Not seen any for awhile, but looks like Oralite (sorry cant find swatch to check)
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PaperGraphics – Tru300
We use 100+ meters a month and love it
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Run a plot test and check optimiser head
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We have a very good relationship with suppliers, so get sent a lot of ‘stuff’, this very cool box of board media samples turned up from Antalis last month free of charge.
Must do a ‘unboxing’ video!
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Never paid for charts, books or folders and if supplier wanted me to use products, I’d never pay for them!
We also get sample rolls of media (5m rolls) before ordering to make sure I’m happy with product
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Interesting conversation yesterday with a director at one of the major suppliers in UK – Shipping costs are falling and nearly back to PreCovid levels.
So, when will this filter through to consumers?
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I do think some profiteering is going on by suppliers, eg: blanket price increase, and see who complains.
As..
I complained and straight away get a £30 per 50m roll reduction.
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Never going to be road legal 🤣
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Yeah, we’ve tickled prices up. Had one customer only complain… so carefully pointed out they are in same position.. as the menu board we printed was price increases! lol
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We’ve had these situations and inform customer, that due to weather conditions (temperature) fitting isnt recommended currently, if you wish us to continue against our advice, we cannot offer any guarantees (this is normal enough 99.9% of the time to have customer delay the work).
FYI Application temperature > +15°C for 3695RA
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Get a tech to check, (there has been 3 x windows updates in last 7days) hopefully its just bricked, and with a startup USB boot you’ll be able to get into the system – all is not lost yet!
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Only used Metamark, and have no issues – will check my setting on the 315 or 360 and post here.
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Overboard it with new ACM panels and save yourself mess & headaches, removing inks (if possible) and/or recovering in vinyl (grey backed could help) is time consuming, messy and will take longer, therefore cost client more ££££.
Its not only image showing through you have to consider, but also dents, scrapes etc.
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Kalavan from CYMUK Kavalan Materials (cmyuk.com)
Very nice media, we’ve used in with our HP Latex for a while.
Grey backed, non-gloss, good rigitity.
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I’ve never seen any reels of tissue paper available for wide format solvent or latex machines, thinnest media I’m aware of is 95gsm ‘wrapping Paper’.
The heat and tension used in wide format would cause issues I believe printing this very thin type of media, and tissue paper itself is very absorbent, so adjustments to ink drops would be required.
I’m not even sure a desktop printer would work, as wheels/ rollers tension is required to pull media through the machine, you’d need to look at spec’s but most machines will specify a minimum of 60gsm you’d have to check spec’s to be sure. Inkjets wouldn’t work as not waterproof.
Years back, we used letterpress litho machines to print personalized tissue paper and napkins, due to being ‘cold presses’, avoiding the heat effects on such thin media, old school but worked soooo well.
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Metamark MD-CRV
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I’m still dealing with this machines issues, currently I would advise people to hold of purchase, which is a shame, as its a stunning piece of kit…. when it works.
To much downtime for us currently.
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Just use the official ones – no need to look around the net:
Road traffic sign images for reproduction – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
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I had one of the best 360’s out there (well in my mind) thing was bullet proof, just kept working away happy all day long – We even had a black head that hit 12litre of ink usage once!
We have 315 & 365, along side our L700w, all good machines… but yeah, its a little rogue, just frustrating more than anything.
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Rob, machines great, but its not a ‘bullet proof’ as the 300 series, needs more TLC – eg profiles for light ink loads and heavy ink loads for the same media.
Print quality is very very good, white is the best I’ve ever seen.
Our only worry is quality of build currently, we might be unlucky, hence the post but have had lot of minor breakdowns.
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If you laminate with standard (non-optical clear) it will work, but will add a ‘haze’ to the fitted job – will not be completely see through due to the adhesive
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I quite enjoy my chats with Harry!
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99% of vans are any driver – I ask my client if I’m ensured to drive it under there policy 🤣
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This will be at the manufacturing stage, as the chemicals become restricted, joining other current licensed substances. End users will see some additional COSHH requirements.
It will basically push the price of all eco / solvent inks upwards.
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HP 360 is an amazing machine, as Robert said, get one from a reputable source with some form of warranty, you’ll be very happy!.
HP365 has no real world differences, it was all internal modifications – uprated PSU, adjustment to carriage, modification to take up where a few of the items that come to mind.
I highly rate our 360’s, and at times there more reliable than the new L700w we have!
Just one point, you will need 2 x 16amp sockets.
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Flexible tape measure! not string wire etc! 20m for less than £10.00, we keep on in van all the time for this type of reason.
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Vector file links for:
* Gulf Logo
https://www.brandsoftheworld.com/logo/gulf-0* Ford Motorcraft Logo
https://www.brandsoftheworld.com/logo/ford-motorcraft-4.
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You cannot place anything on Highways without permission.
If its on private land, then subject to planning if above 0.3m2
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New machines with 3years (minimum) warranty = peace of mind, no sudden repair bills.
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Onyx 21 – expands on previous features such as auto grommets for banners, improved Adobe RIP engine for extra Speeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed.
Plus we needed it to run HP L700w series kit 😂🤣
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HP are rolling something like this out in PrintOS along with some more stuff in the pipeline, only one I can talk about is: Introducing HP PrintOS Design & eCommerce Web to Print Software | HP (youtube.com)
I know more is coming.
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snap – we do same as Rob
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What is the vacuum set at for this media?
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Official, Yes printheads have a shelf life for Warranty. No idea in real world, but have got 8litres through a black 381 printhead before!
Have just replaced a few 832 (latex 700) printheads that where 12-14months old, still going strong, we just had spares on the shelf with warrantys running down.
There’s a new HP latex coming out very soon, it should be the L600, a entry level machine in the new L700 + L800 format, but without the moving heat unit for loading, so watch out for deals!
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Make sure profile(s) are good & calibration is upto date. Good practice is to use a colour space in your design software (eg Fogra39), exporting/saving to this ICC profile and target your RIP software to match.
True black for CYMK: C75/M68/Y67/K90
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🤣 defo’ not ‘sale’ price!
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Sent you a PM Jamie
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If I had to it would be 5mm, it definitely would not be 3mm.
Wise words, I’ve seen horrid 3mm (cuz’ it’s cheaper…)
It warps like crazy inside builds with very little sun on them.
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HP Latex system is spot on, we moved from solvents when the 360 was first launched and have been very happy.
L700 series has matured now into a great machine thanks to the work HP do behind the scenes with firmware updates and talking to end users like myself, have been really impressed how they work on these improvements.
Sure all machines & systems have quirks, but for us, we’d not change ink types now. Don’t forget you can now ‘upsale’ the Greenguard certified inks alongside PVC free media.
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lol don’t worry I tried to put a 700series printhead in the 315 last week……
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831: 310 330 & 360 Printer Family
CZ677A HP 831 Cyan/Black Latex Printhead
CZ678A HP 831 Yellow/Magenta Latex Printhead
CZ679A HP 831 Light Magenta/Light Cyan Latex Printhead
CZ680A HP 831 Latex Optimizer Printhead
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Neighbours not liking the strobe effects
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‘City officials say erecting a sign on top of a building requires a permit for design and safety reasons. Planning a review and approval are also necessary for the installation.’
Twitter didn’t have one
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Same here, and some of those backing seem ‘different’, not normal high quality.
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Akk darn!
Okay, they will not deal with you direct, but this is the Manufacture of the product(s):
They hopefully can point you to a local supplier
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So, must manufactures, make the vinyl products, but not the backing papers, they buy this in, and there is a supply issue at the moment, so as David said, there’s a number of unprinted backing being used instead of the normal custom print.
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18V XR Brushless 8mm (1/4″) Router – Bare Unit | DEWALT
Light weight, battery powered.
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With Rob on this, this type of bladed guillotine produces the cleanest, burr free (to face) cut possible due to the shearing action.
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Oh I don’t disagree this will happen one day – but not until Police Forces make changes – if a vehicle is reported as ‘a red car speeding away from crime scene’, that can then turn blue with black stripes, its never going to become available for all to use, the misuse opportunities is just to great.
I can see said Police Forces investing into this tech themselves! That black unmarked car behind you suddenly transforms into a marked vehicle, or simple being able to display messages would be of use to them.
As a tech demonstrator this is amazing, and I’m sure they will continue (I can see track & F1 cars using this to display more adverts!).
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Its great showcase & demonstrator for tech.
But in reality, a completely colour changing car will never be road legal, it will be limited as a marketing tool in showrooms.
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Good man – not overkill, minimum standard!
If your a Adobe user, you can also use Adobe bridge to file search btw – yup, you can see the file as pictures to local those images, you just don’t the the name of!
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Should, never, never, never keep artwork files (and clients details / financials) on local machine, always on 2 x remote systems.
Thats a NAS file system (aka file server) for everyday use, which has drive redundancy fail safes (mirrored and striped drives) AND this is then backed up to a cloud system (Blazeback is very good, low cost).
Btw, A NAS file server can be made yourself, using an old PC and a bunch of drives, using FREENAS (now known as Truenas) open software as the controller, running off a USB stick to free disc space up – saves ££££ compared to buying a Microsoft server.
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Coala Printbond 128 – cheap under £30 a sheet
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Never use water with air release! this will cause early fails.
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+1 to Latex 360 and above!
We no longer run solvent based machines, and just installed L700w to join its older brothers, top machines and less problems than solvents.
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We solely use HP latex now, great machines.
We buy new and change them every 3 or 4 years – 3year warranty from HP, and if required and extra year cover for piece of mind.
Paid between £14k and £22k for HP315’s to HP L700w. (white ink machine is amazing, best white i’ve send on a roll 2 roll machine – few teething issues, but all sorted now under warranty).
Ink is good, £80 per cartridge – new L700w uses 1litre cartridges
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This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by Colin Crabb.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by
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Same as David, we got burnt by using 3rd party inks, with supplier wriggling out of the ‘warranty offered’ to the tune of £2000+
Would never use 3rd party ink to save a few ££ again, just cost jobs correctly and promote yourself on quality.
I always talk to my ink supplier(s) and get the price low as possible, even if this means ordering a few cartridges or sets at a time to sweeten the deal.
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Its a nice piece of kit – white ink is some of the best we’ve seen. Few teething issues at start, but HP have been brilliant and fixed it.
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@rob We always print the posters with 300micron roller banner media for these jobs, as theY self support themselves and don’t ‘wrinkle / collapse’ due to the elements.
Signwaves / Innotech / Plex Display / eurostand display are all trade supplies for these snap frames
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This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by Colin Crabb.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by
