Best UV Printers for Braille Signs

[bkanizar]

Hello All,
We currently have a DCS 7200z and are seriosuly considering upgrading for numerous issues and was wondering if there is even a true competitor out there that can print braille. Like many others have reported, the machine runs great when it is working, but when it goes down it can be a 2 to 3 week wait for a service tech to be dispatched and they don't always fix it on the first trip. So, has anyone bought a NON Direct Color System printer that succesfully prints braille that looks good and is compliant? How has the service been on that machine? Any feedback or advice on a machine that you own and operate would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[MarkSnelling]

The Canon Arizona flatbeds, when utilizing the Touchstone software, does braille very well. Problem is a 4x8 bed is likely larger than most ADA people want

 

[bkanizar]

The Canon Arizona flatbeds, when utilizing the Touchstone software, does braille very well. Problem is a 4x8 bed is likely larger than most ADA people want

Have you had it long? What has the reliability been like? I'm assuming Canon service would be great, but have you had a need for service? Were they fast at getting the machine back up?? My machine has been down 5 weeks this time...and DCS has been here once and now we are trying to get them out here again.

 

[MarkSnelling]

Have you had it long? What has the reliability been like? I'm assuming Canon service would be great, but have you had a need for service? Were they fast at getting the machine back up?? My machine has been down 5 weeks this time...and DCS has been here once and now we are trying to get them out here again.

I sell them, I don't use them. If you are within an hour of a Canon service office, I'd expect service results within a day or two max....sometimes they are there same-day.

 

[StarSign]

We tossed our DCS and spent some time in Vegas last week looking at the Mutoh Xpert Jet 661UF and are looking at adding it to our shop.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

So is it acceptable now to talk about other manufacturers or is DCS still sending Cease and Desist letters out like water

 

[Pauly]

Canon Arizona with touchstone (addidional aoftware) is super impressive.

Ours is a tank. Only replaced minor parts if needed. Canon is a huge company, nothing like these Chinese import brands.

 

[Kimberly Hiles]

Our shop has the Mimaki JFX200-2513EX. We jumped on it pretty early and I'm now way more cautious about any of these printers that claim to print braille signs well. We liked it well enough for "2.5 D" printing but started having failures pretty early on and gave up using it for braille, opting to print the raised text on ada signs and still drill for raster braille beads. But even this strategy has had issues, we've noticed the thicker ink warping and cracking off signs months to years down the line. In case your thinking this is just a mimaki issue we've also been called in to replace whole properties printed by two other companies (one of which I know uses DCS) - both of which are out of state so I don't know if they were ever notified their signs were failing. This isn't something that seems to just happen on exterior signs or signs exposed to sunlight. Heck, we even clear coat our signs after the fact to help extend their lifespan but so far all but two of the jobs we printed when we were actively using this machine have failed.

I went to ISA expo last week and attempted to talk to the big names about the issues we've been seeing (You know what sales reps don't like? When you come up to them in front of other potential customers and say "yeah, yeah I like the machine but what about all of these issues?" and then you shown the pictures. I am an agent of chaos) I wasn't able to get any solid answers. Every other vendor I talked to swore they never had that issue and mimaki insisted it wasn't something they had seen before.

This isn't to say that we don't get any use out of the machine. It's become our go-to for TCO rush needs, if a client comes to us and asks for 300 ada signs by the end of the week we can accommodate that with temporary printed signs. But for the time being we're not using it on any real jobs because the failure rate is so high.

 

[White Haus]

Our shop has the Mimaki JFX200-2513EX. We jumped on it pretty early and I'm now way more cautious about any of these printers that claim to print braille signs well. We liked it well enough for "2.5 D" printing but started having failures pretty early on and gave up using it for braille, opting to print the raised text on ada signs and still drill for raster braille beads. But even this strategy has had issues, we've noticed the thicker ink warping and cracking off signs months to years down the line. In case your thinking this is just a mimaki issue we've also been called in to replace whole properties printed by two other companies (one of which I know uses DCS) - both of which are out of state so I don't know if they were ever notified their signs were failing. This isn't something that seems to just happen on exterior signs or signs exposed to sunlight. Heck, we even clear coat our signs after the fact to help extend their lifespan but so far all but two of the jobs we printed when we were actively using this machine have failed.

I went to ISA expo last week and attempted to talk to the big names about the issues we've been seeing (You know what sales reps don't like? When you come up to them in front of other potential customers and say "yeah, yeah I like the machine but what about all of these issues?" and then you shown the pictures. I am an agent of chaos) I wasn't able to get any solid answers. Every other vendor I talked to swore they never had that issue and mimaki insisted it wasn't something they had seen before.

This isn't to say that we don't get any use out of the machine. It's become our go-to for TCO rush needs, if a client comes to us and asks for 300 ada signs by the end of the week we can accommodate that with temporary printed signs. But for the time being we're not using it on any real jobs because the failure rate is so high.

Wow, that's brutal. I've often wondered how thick built-up UV ink would survive long term.

Of all the companies making claims I would tend to trust Canon the most. I wonder what they have in terms of case studies regarding durability of printed tactile/braille graphics.

 

[PFS_SoCal]

Mimkai UJF series they have three sizes of flatbeds that are able to do ADA compliant Braille. I see some people are recommending the Mimaki JFX200 series with 2.5D, however the JFX200 series does not produce ADA compliant Braille.

 

[CMYKENGINEERING]

Lol at the idea that anyone would trust Canon. They have proven themselves innumerable times to utterly fail to serve their customers, having issues exactly and worse than the OP described with DCS.

Another in-character move for Canon is to sell their Touchstone software as necessary to do raised prints. It is 100% unnecessary--I and others have done raised printing with the default software. Canon preys on suckers with that software.

 

[JBurton]

I hate engraving ADA signs, and I love the idea of a printer that would just spit them out... but for the cost to start up an engraving shop vs a flatbed printer capable of ADA, I don't really understand the desire to go that direction, other than I hate engraving ADA signs.
I guess everyone hates making them and that's why they're so expensive?

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

It allows for far more customization and reduction of labor

 

[JBurton]

It allows for far more customization and reduction of labor

IDK, from the sound of it, the labor to maintain the printer exceeds the 15 minutes it takes to boot my engraver and knock out a panel.
Customization and reduced stock are definitely selling points though!

 

[Pauly]

I hate engraving ADA signs, and I love the idea of a printer that would just spit them out... but for the cost to start up an engraving shop vs a flatbed printer capable of ADA, I don't really understand the desire to go that direction, other than I hate engraving ADA signs.
I guess everyone hates making them and that's why they're so expensive?

You know you can get flatbed cutters with punches to create Braille instead of engraving.

 

[Pauly]

Lol at the idea that anyone would trust Canon. They have proven themselves innumerable times to utterly fail to serve their customers, having issues exactly and worse than the OP described with DCS.

Another in-character move for Canon is to sell their Touchstone software as necessary to do raised prints. It is 100% unnecessary--I and others have done raised printing with the default software. Canon preys on suckers with that software.

We've had canon/oce equipment for almost 10 years.

While we're not on a service contract for some of our equipment any more, each time I need to replace a small part or purchase anything, I get it with in a day or 2.
When we do a service call, they're here the next day with everything up and running

 

[JBurton]

You know you can get flatbed cutters with punches to create Braille instead of engraving.

Punches? Would such a machine also make the raised copy? Also how would it be different than an engraver? Genuinely curious here.

 

[Pauly]

Punches? Would such a machine also make the raised copy? Also how would it be different than an engraver? Genuinely curious here.

I think only dots.
I only came across it while looking at flatbed cutters.

I know zund has the module.

If you don't need raised text, you can print then punch or punch then print.

In the video it's making dents but iicr on alumium it'll do it and on the reversed side it'll be raised.

This is how its done for high traffic areas, I personally wouldn't use print for ADA signs.

Im pretty sure if you look hard enough you can find one that could do text also. It'll be a more specific machine though

 

[StarSign]

It is drilling the holes and then the braille tool inserts the bead, this is not punching the aluminum.

 

[JBurton]

Ah, ok so that is a braille raster insertion tool. They actually include that option for most engravers, but in the end you're just setting up the flatbed to engrave ADA signs instead of an engraver.