Care to share your Epson experience?

[iladi]

Hi, a long time HP Latex user here and now , as the infamous SMK1 deadline aproaches I am in the middle of a dilema:

- pay 6000 euros to do a SMK1 job on the Latex 310 I allready have

- pay 10.000 euros for a brad new Epson 40610


I had an ecosolvent before, as I also owned a Roland printer. But times are different now and I guess is a long way from the late SP540 to the newer Epson.

So, help me, please, with some feed backs I am shure nu vendor will share for the Epson 40610 printer:

- maintenance costs
- life of the cappings, dampers, also the costs of them
- BANDING????
- other hiden costs

FYI am used 82 ink carts, 3 maintenace carts and 13 printheads this year, so far, on my HP 315. A quick math comparattion shows about 5500 euros more than if I had used a 40610, but I am not aware of the hiden costs and TCO of the Epson.


Later edit: I do a lot of backlit printing. For a very picky client. What is the user experience with the very saturated backlit on the Epson printing? Profiles?
Thanks

 

[White Haus]

I don't have any experience with that exact model, but we recently purchased a S60600 after using Roland Soljet printers for last 10 years.

Speed and ability to lay down and dry ink is fantastic. Color reproduction is pretty damn good, even better with custom profiles. (Can easily hit colors with this 4 color printer that we were printing on our 7 color Roland)
Maintenance is almost non-existent. It seems to request a manual head cleaning every 2000 sqft or so, otherwise everything else is automated.
We've run around 5000 sqft through it and haven't changed inks yet, lowest ones are still at around 25%.

I can't comment on cost of captops other consumables etc because we just got this unit a couple of months ago. No other hidden costs yet.

Really you just fire it up in the morning and it will happily print all day long. Boot up/warm up times are very fast and interface is nice and simple on the machine.

We haven't experienced any banding when proper profiles have been used. There are times (like any other printer) when using a higher pass/resolution will be required for more vibrant/dense colors and ink laydown but otherwise print quality is always good.

Hope that helps. Not sure about the specs on the S40610 but if it's built anything like the S60600 I think you'll be very happy with it.

 

[CanuckSigns]

I've had an Epson s80600 for about 6 years now, we've run a ton of material through it and it's been almost flawless, in 6 years I've replaced 2 Printhead (1 under warranty) at $2500 CAD each, captops once at $600, and a little clear plastic cover over the sensor eye at $6 lol.

The printer is about as automated as it can be for cleanings, we get prompted about twice a month to do a manual clean which takes 5 minutes.

Banding can happen, like any printer, with the HP printers, the solution to any problem is to replace the Printhead, and even though they are not super expensive it's almost $1000 to replace them all and seems super wasteful.

There is a fairly strong smell from the Epson ink if that is a concern, we have a vent that exhausts outdoors near ours and it helps, but some days it's overpowering.

 

[White Haus]

There is a fairly strong smell from the Epson ink if that is a concern, we have a vent that exhausts outdoors near ours and it helps, but some days it's overpowering.

Definitely agree with this! Pretty bad when printing lots of heavy coverage, even compared to our UV printers. Air exchange/filtration would be recommended.

 

[iladi]

in 6 years I've replaced 2 Printhead (1 under warranty)

There is a fairly strong smell from the Epson ink if that is a concern, we have a vent that exhausts outdoors near ours and it helps, but some days it's overpowering.

Can you elaborate, please? Why and how much sqfeet/sq meters / liters of ink for each head?


Smell is not an issue: HP smells also, not to mention the fog when it prints with a lot of ink.

 

[swordguy3222]

We have 3 S80600 here, they've been great. Aside from lack of support here, reason why I started doing all the support myself, machines pump out work almost non-stop sometimes running all 3 even over night.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Can you elaborate, please? Why and how much sqfeet/sq meters / liters of ink for each head?


Smell is not an issue: HP smells also, not to mention the fog when it prints with a lot of ink.

HP is the only company who measures head life in amount of ink through them. I have no idea how much I've put through the machine in 6 years, lots.

 

[ikarasu]

Can you elaborate, please? Why and how much sqfeet/sq meters / liters of ink for each head?


Smell is not an issue: HP smells also, not to mention the fog when it prints with a lot of ink.

Unless you're in a really open area, and even then the Epson is a much stronger smell than the latex. I don't mind the smell, and most people don't, but it is definitely stronger.

The epsons are great printers. I went from a latex to an Epson s40 and then back to latex... Although I went with the Epson latex.

The only thing I did not like about the Epson, was how slow it was.. but I had an Epson s40, the one you're planning to buy.

I believe it is 130ish square feet an hour for a vinyl, not to mention high quality. So you're looking at roughly 6 hours to 7 hours to print a full roll... Where as the HP does almost 250 ft. So two and a half hours to print a roll.



We still have an s40, we use it when we need really fine text and less grainy prints... But it amazes me how slow it is. I would stay away from the s40 unless you do very little printing, look into the s60 or the s80

 

[swordguy3222]

Definitely agree with this! Pretty bad when printing lots of heavy coverage, even compared to our UV printers. Air exchange/filtration would be recommended.

Strange, I have very little with smell with 3 running. The only strong smells we get is depending on the stock. Some 3M stock, 40C for example, smells when heated, but ink itself doesnt smell off mine.

 

[iladi]

I believe it is 130ish square feet an hour for a vinyl, not to mention high quality. So you're looking at roughly 6 hours to 7 hours to print a full roll... Where as the HP does almost 250 ft. So two and a half hours to print a roll.
But it amazes me how slow it is. I would stay away from the s40 unless you do very little printing, look into the s60 or the s80

On the HP 315 I do 10 pass on most vinyls, 8 sq m I guess, rarely 8 pass. 16 pass on backlit. So 13 sq meters the same vinyl will be a good improuvement for me. Thanks for the info.

 

[Northern Design]

S40 Print quality is great, ink yield is fantastic, dry time great, non warranty repair $2600 per visit, they just changed there repair policy and screw the consumer. buy and retain the warranty or run away.
D1 does the repair work, good people but short staffed.
Not sure I would get another epson, 2 head failures a year is enough for me

 

[ColorCrest]

It is imperative to vent the fumes and not breathe them. Imperative. Understand the definition of imperative. Did I mention "imperative?" I did.

Many shops have overhead HVAC or the like. Many shops can open some sort of door so the heavy-than-air fumes might vent out along a floor. Try this if possible, at least.

 

[marsuni]

After using Epsons since 2012, when I sold my HP Latex and HP-SEIKO Solvent 9000, there was No return!!!
Having Epson SC-30610 (the previous model) and SC-80610 (a real beast) for thousand of sqms, I can say "Epson and eyes wide shut".

 

[chris20630]

The best for me is 100% exakt tiling. Printquality is great at 8 pass, 4 pass tend to see banding in evenly areas. Smell: I'm glad s40 is placed in its own room with window

 

[iladi]

Can someone tell if the optional dryer has heater or is only fan mode?

 

[greysquirrel]

The dryer is for the s60 only. No need for it on the s40 or s80. The IQ off of the Epson surecolor is better than anything on the market in the sub 20k price range, Panel to panel line up is spot on. Honestly you may only need the s40. I run two, backlit prints all day long...

 

[swordguy3222]

The dryer is for the s60 only. No need for it on the s40 or s80. The IQ off of the Epson surecolor is better than anything on the market in the sub 20k price range, Panel to panel line up is spot on. Honestly you may only need the s40. I run two, backlit prints all day long...

The dryer is needed even for the 80600, depending on the material and ink used. Using the metalic silver ink with no dryer is not going to set and stick to liners. Even reflective vinyls I find I need the dryer.

 

[iladi]

I am very disapointed: more than a week and Epson dealer is not able to print me a demo on a 40610 machine

 

[stickerhed]

The dryer is for the s60 only. No need for it on the s40 or s80. The IQ off of the Epson surecolor is better than anything on the market in the sub 20k price range, Panel to panel line up is spot on. Honestly you may only need the s40. I run two, backlit prints all day long...

What profile do you use for backlit?

 

[greysquirrel]

Epson Display Trans Backlit Film