Buying a 360

[ozlandJon]

What is a good price we should pay for the 360 and Only? Right now we have a VS-540i and Versaworks.

 

[Robert Gruner]

ARO $17K at your nearest authorized HP reseller...printer only (no RIP)!
Enjoy!

 

[myront]

We just purchased this printer after our Mimaki broke. Using Flexi Print Manager as RIP. Absolutely hate it! I had no say in the matter though. Very difficult to load different substrates. Colors are way off. We loaded all the right profiles too. The Mimaki was a breeze. Load and go. HP has many steps to go through. Banner stock jams on load, decal stock jams. Take up real is very cumbersome too. Not recommended to use the built in blade to cut banner stock!

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

We just purchased this printer after our Mimaki broke. Using Flexi Print Manager as RIP. Absolutely hate it! I had no say in the matter though. Very difficult to load different substrates. Colors are way off. We loaded all the right profiles too. The Mimaki was a breeze. Load and go. HP has many steps to go through. Banner stock jams on load, decal stock jams. Take up real is very cumbersome too. Not recommended to use the built in blade to cut banner stock!

Just really don't like it huh. When you load lift the lever push it all the way through and line it with the roll. Then lower the lever and select your media. You will never get a jam this way. Not sure how it's difficult to load. If you have the appropriate area setup for loading. I do all my loading in the other room and carry the spindle in. Because my printer barely fits in our room, yet I still don't think this is an issue. If I had a rear loading we wouldn't even be able to use it here.

In my opinion you don't have your machine set up properly(Profile wise). Your L360 should get as good if not better quality then the mimaki.

 

[myront]

The print quality is not in question. Same quality as Mimaki. We put the spindle in and start pushing it in slowly according to to directions until it grabs it. Trouble is decal substrate rolls back off the backer before getting to the point where the rollers grab it. Banner stock seems like it's not stiff enough to feed in. It buckles before the pinch rollers can grab it too. Tried lifting the pinch rollers but still won't feed in without binding.

 

[Vinyldog]

I like some things about my L310 better and I like some things about my SP540. Likewise some files I think print better on one than the other. I'm really glad I have both. There's nothing I like better than hearing them both running a the same time.

 

[P Wagner]

The print quality is not in question. Same quality as Mimaki. We put the spindle in and start pushing it in slowly according to to directions until it grabs it. Trouble is decal substrate rolls back off the backer before getting to the point where the rollers grab it. Banner stock seems like it's not stiff enough to feed in. It buckles before the pinch rollers can grab it too. Tried lifting the pinch rollers but still won't feed in without binding.

Loading procedures for the HP Latex printers are significantly different than for other brands of outdoor-durable printers, which typically have a rear-to-front print path. The HP Latex machines all use a front-to-front paper path which can be a challenge for some who are used to the back-to-front paper path. Here is the media load technique that I typically teach to new users to HP Latex machines:

1. Use the Assisted Manual Load approach, versus the Automatic load. This approach prompts the user to lift the big blue lever, to allow the media to more easily pass through the paper path, which is not straight. This approach does not rely on the rollers to advance the media, but instead the user is pushing the media from below, through the entirety of the paper path. This path includes pushing the paper through the curing unit so that it is extending out of the front of the printer (see attached image), before lowering the blue lever to secure the media. If desired, you can align the right edge in the front, with the right edge that feeds off of the roll to ensure that the media is straight and not skewing.

2. Use the Edge clips (see screen shot) with most semi-flat medias (SAV, banner, films, papers), but not with textiles.

3. After the media has successfully loaded and the printer is in a ready state, go to the Substrate Menu > Move > and back up the media to reduce the amount of wasted media at the lead edge. I would advise that the front edge of the media be entering the curing unit when this movement is completed, as some media, particularly reverse-wound banner PVC, that will not navigate properly into the curing unit if the lead edge does not start in the curing zone. Some medias (3M IJ35) I would recommend advancing a bit farther than other medias (cast films).

These practices will significantly reduce head strikes at the start of print runs, which can otherwise happen when these recommendations are not put into play. Using the right techniques, and a bit of patience, anyone can learn to properly load media into Latex 300 series machines with confidence.

Paul

 

[ProColorGraphics]

I am running a HP 360 and a new Epson S70. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. For simple signs that aren't laminated, I usually use the HP as the solvent inks tend to make the vinyl a lot harder to handle. I have had good luck with colors on both. The Epson has a WAY larger gamut of course. I use the HP to make my own profiles then an Xrite i1 to make them on the Epson. I am using Caldera as my RIP. As of right now, I wouldn't consider using anything else.

When I got my first L25500, that replaced a VP-540. I thought everything about the HP was better than that Roland. The quality and all!

Overall, I have no major complaints about either one and would definitely buy them again.