Need Help Canon Colorado and Avery vinyl is AWFUL

[nicktheawesome]

I don't know if it is the exact same link but they are from the Canon website, and also ones that tech support has sent me. Nothing looks good.

Just today we also tried Arlon SLX+, and you know what? Printed beautifully. Gloss is amazing, matte is amazing, flxfinish looks awesome, laminated like a dream, even the colors look better. Haven't wrapped with it yet or anything like that which is the next test.

Unfortunately that points to the material being the issue, which is what multiple people said both in this thread and the tech support from my distributor said. I don't understand how it can be an issue like this, as Avery is a big manufacturer and this is their flagship product, but my contact from Avery made it seem like Canon is unhelpful in this process and they are kind of stuck. Don't know how much of that is valid and true, but that's what I've heard so far. Disappointing if true - we have been primarily an Avery shop for years but maybe the future is Arlon. We really like Arlon's reflective line so we'll see!

 

[balstestrat]

I don't know if it is the exact same link but they are from the Canon website, and also ones that tech support has sent me. Nothing looks good.

Just today we also tried Arlon SLX+, and you know what? Printed beautifully. Gloss is amazing, matte is amazing, flxfinish looks awesome, laminated like a dream, even the colors look better. Haven't wrapped with it yet or anything like that which is the next test.

Unfortunately that points to the material being the issue, which is what multiple people said both in this thread and the tech support from my distributor said. I don't understand how it can be an issue like this, as Avery is a big manufacturer and this is their flagship product, but my contact from Avery made it seem like Canon is unhelpful in this process and they are kind of stuck. Don't know how much of that is valid and true, but that's what I've heard so far. Disappointing if true - we have been primarily an Avery shop for years but maybe the future is Arlon. We really like Arlon's reflective line so we'll see!

It's difficult to optimize one product to work with multiple different chemistry. Once you start changing things you risk breaking all hell loose. Majority of wraps is still being printed using solvent and latex.

 

[nicktheawesome]

It's difficult to optimize one product to work with multiple different chemistry. Once you start changing things you risk breaking all hell loose. Majority of wraps is still being printed using solvent and latex.

I completely get that, and I wouldn't really expect Avery to do that either - at best I would expect they would make a separate line, call it like 1107 or something, if the material itself is the issue. 1105 works well for many things, and changing the chemistry will undoubtedly affect that, so I wouldn't expect them to modify their main product for one situation. I would have thought the materials were more similar than different, but there must be a coating or something like that on the surface that is reacting with the ink. Avery's 2105 doesn't print well on the Colorado either.

I'm surprised that Canon isn't the one being proactive about this - 3M's IJ180 and Avery's 1105 are two massive print lines, so if it is a given that the machine cannot print on a main material, at least be up front about it! But saying "bad roll" rather than "broad scale product incompatibility" had me on a wild goose chase for 3 months!

I have attached the pictures of the Arlon below. This is with the 3200 optically clear laminate, laminator set to 125F and speed was 1. You can see the edge of the laminate to show both laminated and unlaminated areas. Colors are smooth and consistent, dot placement is much better and smaller, overall looks way better.

 

[Grizzly]

3M's IJ180 and Avery's 1105 are two massive print lines, so if it is a given that the machine cannot print on a main material, at least be up front about it! But saying "bad roll" rather than "broad scale product incompatibility" had me on a wild goose chase for 3 months!

Glad you finally got something that worked as expected! I don't like when companies won't take any responsibility. It's ok that everything doesn't always work, but blaming everyone else isn't the best way to do it. I also don't like the when you you're told, "I've never heard that before". 100's of companies with Colorados and 10's of thousands of rolls of Avery out there and you're telling me not one person has said that it's not working as expected?

 

[soggywinter]

Glad you finally got something that worked as expected! I don't like when companies won't take any responsibility. It's ok that everything doesn't always work, but blaming everyone else isn't the best way to do it. I also don't like the when you you're told, "I've never heard that before". 100's of companies with Colorados and 10's of thousands of rolls of Avery out there and you're telling me not one person has said that it's not working as expected?

We struggled with 1105 on our Colorado M3 with stretch discoloration, tearing, and delamination. Matte is less bad than gloss.

 

[nicktheawesome]

Got the samples back from Canon! I sent them the roll I had been using, and they said my roll was bad. Interestingly - I used multiple different lot numbers. Canon said they were able to print on their 1105 and it is my roll that is bad. Well I got the samples back today, and they didn't use 1105, or at least they didn't use a wrap vinyl version of it - there was no air egress backing. The samples they printed on the 1105EZRS I send them and it looks just like our prints with holes in the color. This tells me that this printer cannot print on 1105EZRS - Canon as much as said this by saying every roll is bad.

Attached is a picture of the print of the "good 1105" they sent back. This is without laminate as Canon does not have a laminator and apparently could not afford one for testing purposes. I have also included a picture of the sample printed red - along with a piece of Avery's Carmine Red wrap vinyl to show what red is supposed to look like. I know a printer without a dedicated red ink will not get me a carmine red level red, but this is just a dark orange. My Latex 330 prints SIGNIFICANTLY more red when asked.

I'm glad to those of you who are having success with this printer. Anybody who hasn't bought one - don't! It has been 3 months and over $70k for a company (Canon) that just *does* *not* *care* at all. Not to mention all the time, material, and ink I've thrown out. I wish I had bought 4 HP printers instead - yes FOUR. Then I would have backups and consistency. Very very disappointed with Canon.