Anyone using Instant One Media on a latex printer

[Dennis422]

I have recently purchased used HP L25500 printer and I'm trying to find an every day vinyl to use.
I had a roll of 3M IJ35 C that is left from when I had Mutoh Falcon Outdoor, but it seems that I have issues when print/cut is needed. I have just heard about "Bowing" issues associated with latex printers and a cheap material.
It seems that there are no issues when I print on Avery 1005 EZ RS.

I had a sample of Instant One I tried on my Mutoh and I liked it, but I do not want to spend the money on a full roll or a sample if someone have already used it on Latex printed and know if it will work or not.

Also, what is your go-to low grade (Cheap) vinyl for use on your latex printer?

Thanks in advance

 

[CES020]

What issues are you having with the IJ-35? We print and cut IJ-35, IJ-40, IJ-180 often. Haven't seen any real issues with any of them, but we're using the 792 inks, which I think are different than what you use.

 

[Dennis422]

I have issues when cutting. It seems that heat affects the material and deforms it (Or my Graphtec is way out of whack)
The contour cuts are off, but not uniform, it is weird.

The only contour cut I was able to do right since I started using latex printer was a print on Avery 1005 2 weeks ago (I do not print much)
Last two weeks I have been fighting with IJ35 and cutting and yesterday I have heard about "Bowing" issue and HP L25500 on cheaper materials.

 

[CES020]

What's your workflow? What are you using? Flexi? Onyx? Or just printing the registration marks and using Graphtec's software?

There are fixes on the bowing, it just depends on the workflow you have.

 

[Dennis422]

I have Flexi 11 subscription.
Set it up in Illustrator with Graphtec marks and print from Flexi and then send cut file to cutter from Cutting Master 3 (Graphtec software)

 

[AF]

Some higher end vinyls (Orafol for example) exhibit no bowing at all. This would include cast and polymeric types.

I have noticed that bowing is the worst on paper and varies continually along the length of the print.

It is worth the trouble to do test prints to establish how much straightness optimization is needed for a given material. Sometimes you need substantial leader on the first print as well. I prefer to set this in the rip for a given material rather than in the front panel.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

We use IOM on our L26 along with IJ35c we like both and they both work great with no cutting issues.

 

[gnatt66]

i dont have a latex, so ignore at will but i run lots of 1j35c through my versacamm. IJ35c tunnels quite a bit (stock heat settings) but instant one does not. its gotta be the backer or something.. instant one/their lam contour cuts amazingly. better than 1j35c and 200/210 in my shop atleast. more accurately too.

 

[dale911]

I ran an entire roll of the Instant One Media through my L25500. The problems I had was that once you finish your print, if you aren't printing something else for a while and you cut off the piece you printed, make sure to unload the media. You also have to cut off about a foot of media. If you don't, when you go to load the machine, or if it was still loaded and shut down, it will often curl up too far and jam, resulting in head strikes, time and a general pain to shut down and clear out prior to starting the next job. If you left it loaded with the printed media, the weight of it hanging out the front is good to allow a shut down and restart. I am using their stuff on all my real estate signs and general, low cost flat stuff. I did play with it next to the Sign Warehouse stuff that I was using previously and some other high end vinyls. I noticed that the Instant One doesn't feel as pliable when stretching it. It has a little more brittle feel to it when stretching it. I also tried this next to Orafol's Concept 230 Automark vinyl just to see what I was playing with along the calendared products. I just don't feel that this would be a good curve material but it's great for cheap stuff.

Also, I created a new profile for Instant One for the times when I'm using really rich colors. I was running some dark navy last week and the left half of the print was coming out wet....really wet where all of it would come off if you touch it. I raised the cure temp to 240 and that solved the problem after running 32 feet of the stuff to solve it. If you want to spend a little more, Sign Warehouse has a great air release media that I have used and really liked but it comes in at $250 a roll. I also used their window perf and love it on flat windows. Super inexpensive for window perf.

I have to say that I love my 25500. I have only found one media that it really hated and that was the non curl banner from Sign Warehouse. If you need non-curl, go with the Bantex material made to go through this machine. anything else seems to curl so much from the heat that it's unusable or it's not dry if you back the heat off. Feel free to PM me if you run into any other issues.

 

[Dennis422]

I ran an entire roll of the Instant One Media through my L25500. The problems I had was that once you finish your print, if you aren't printing something else for a while and you cut off the piece you printed, make sure to unload the media. You also have to cut off about a foot of media. If you don't, when you go to load the machine, or if it was still loaded and shut down, it will often curl up too far and jam, resulting in head strikes, time and a general pain to shut down and clear out prior to starting the next job. If you left it loaded with the printed media, the weight of it hanging out the front is good to allow a shut down and restart. I am using their stuff on all my real estate signs and general, low cost flat stuff. I did play with it next to the Sign Warehouse stuff that I was using previously and some other high end vinyls. I noticed that the Instant One doesn't feel as pliable when stretching it. It has a little more brittle feel to it when stretching it. I also tried this next to Orafol's Concept 230 Automark vinyl just to see what I was playing with along the calendared products. I just don't feel that this would be a good curve material but it's great for cheap stuff.

Also, I created a new profile for Instant One for the times when I'm using really rich colors. I was running some dark navy last week and the left half of the print was coming out wet....really wet where all of it would come off if you touch it. I raised the cure temp to 240 and that solved the problem after running 32 feet of the stuff to solve it. If you want to spend a little more, Sign Warehouse has a great air release media that I have used and really liked but it comes in at $250 a roll. I also used their window perf and love it on flat windows. Super inexpensive for window perf.

I have to say that I love my 25500. I have only found one media that it really hated and that was the non curl banner from Sign Warehouse. If you need non-curl, go with the Bantex material made to go through this machine. anything else seems to curl so much from the heat that it's unusable or it's not dry if you back the heat off. Feel free to PM me if you run into any other issues.

Thanks!!!
Which RIP are you using? And which profile did you start from?

Also, I was told that every time the printer cuts the material, that you should advance the roll 5-6" to prevent a head strike. I believe that is an instruction from HP too. Just enough to get the front edge to the edge of the platen.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

we just advance the material to the cut track and we don't get any headstrikes

 

[P Wagner]

Thanks!!!
Which RIP are you using? And which profile did you start from?

Also, I was told that every time the printer cuts the material, that you should advance the roll 5-6' to prevent a head strike. I believe that is an instruction from HP too. Just enough to get the front edge to the edge of the platen.

I think you meant advance the media 5 or 6 inches, and not feet (anyone else having a Spinal Tap flashback?).

 

[Dennis422]

I think you meant advance the media 5 or 6 inches, and not feet (anyone else having a Spinal Tap flashback?).

Yup, fixed

 

[InstantOneMedia]

We have 1 customer who uses our material on a Latex printer and have asked a couple of others who have both solvent and latex to test on their latex, but haven't heard back from them. The curling of the material is caused by the backing paper. I just visited the factory last week and they are going to see if they can switch to a backing that has an extra layer of silicone, that will fix the issue. In the mean time, not leaving it on the printer when it's not in use, or feeding 5-6" works for us.

When we have a print that really saturates the material with ink, we run the heaters a little higher as well. DK, if you want a couple extra feet to test out on the latex, let me know. I'll be more than happy to send it to you. I'd like more confirmation that it prints well with Latex printers.

 

[Dennis422]

Yes, if you could send me a small roll that would be good.
I will get back to you with what I find out about shrinking.

Thanks

 

[Dennis422]

Just a quick feedback on this. I got a sample roll from Instant One and did a test print.
If came out great and cut a bit better than an IJ35. Not perfect, but it was "closer".
I purchased the roll and decided to use it anyhow.

Few months later, I worked on a wall material purchased from Big Fish. Printed it out, but I did not have time to cut it right away. Pretty big design (44"x 52") with a pretty detailed cut path. The print sat overnight and after I cut it tomorrow, the cut was dead on. Not that I had issue with it before, but I connected a talk about vinyl relaxing when installed and issues with adhesive after vinyl shrinks due to the "memory".
I decided to leave every print to sit overnight and cut them all the next day.

No issues with contour cuts since. They are all dead on.

I know that huge latex advantage is that you can print-laminate-cut right away. But it seems that it helps to leave the material to even out the temperatures after it was just printed on a latex printer. I believe few hours will be enough, but with me doing this part time from home, overnight is OK because sometimes I print late in the evening.
There is no need to outgas as on the Solvent printers, but there might be a need to "out-temperature" the material.

Hope this helps someone down the road.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

We have been using this material for signage and cut graphics at a rate of about 2-3 rolls a month since June, it has been a tremendous savings but more importantly has completely replaced IJ35c in both performance and so far durability.

I'm looking forward to whatever they bring out next!

 

[bigsign]

Instant one Media Hp 310 latex printer

Has any one use this material with HP 310 printer. What temperature should be used? Does any one have ICC profile for it?