Mimaki software advice

[StickySide]

Hey everyone new here and am picking up a mimaki jv3 this weekend, I am wondering for software advice, I mainly use adobe illustrator for everything (im a graphic deisgner for screen printing shop) and was wondering what software if any or plug in or whatever it maybe would allow me to print and cut directly from illustrator?

Thanks in advanced,
Matt

 

[Letterbox Mike]

None, you need a standalone RIP. Mimaki bundles a RIP with the JV3 new, but I doubt you're going to get it secondhand.

I'd recommend Onyx if you have to buy new, it works well with the JV3.

 

[wildside]

so you are buying a machine that you actually do not know what it does?

carry on dude

 

[StickySide]

Insignia: I have a copy of onyx he's throwing in a copy of flexi to

And Wildside: I know what the printer does, I have a roland gx-24 here at work and have done print and cut with our desktop printer, Was just wondering if it works in the same way, cus roland has a print and cut plugin

But im just undecided on my two choices a roland sp-300v for around $5000 with versacam software or the mimaki that has bulk ink system (triangle inks) and flexi for $2500 just need to buy a cutter for at home where the printer will be but still be using my roland here at work in the mean time.

 

[StickySide]

Also the mimaki is 64" printer wich would be great incase I needed huge print, which would you prefer for a printer? also the roland is used very very little and basically brand spanking new

 

[Letterbox Mike]

Don't even think of putting a Mimaki with Triangle ink in your house unless you invest another $3k+ on a serious ventilation system, that will render your house uninhabitable.

If you're getting Onyx with it, use that, it's a killer RIP. Unfortunately though you can't print direct from an application, a wide format printer is in a different league than a desktop printer. You'd also be wise to use a stand-alone RIP computer separate from your design computer if you plan on doing any volume with it. RIP software is a system hog, while you can multi-task and design while something is RIPping, it'll be a big bottleneck.

Honestly, since you're new to wide format printing, you're going to be much better off taking the Roland, it's more "plug and play" than a JV3 with third-party inks. With the Triangle inks, you're going to have to write your own profiles as no "canned" profiles are available, and third party ink like that is also probably going to cause you some maintenance headaches if you're not running a good volume through it.

 

[MikePro]

i run my jv3 with Onyx. I've used flexi in the past, but onyx rocks my socks off.

if you're buying a printer second-hand... be prepared for it to not work as well as you may have seen it running in someone else's shop. Packing it up, transporting it, installing it, is a LOT of downtime to have the printer not cycling inks through its system and you could have a buttload of problems awaiting you when you plug it in. might be worth the extra $$$ to have a tech. come in and show you the ropes and setup your software for you.

as far as 3rd party inks are concerned, don't sweat it. Triangle is a great brand and you can most likely get away with stock profiles for the time being... ultimately you'll want to profile your machine for each media you use, if you ever expect to match colors without wasting loads of material and time printing swatches over and over and over and over and over AND over, again.

 

[petesign]

Mimaki's ship with rasterlink. Save file as a eps and open in rasterlink and print. I run ES3 inks in my JV33 and the profiles aren't bad.

If you run es3, you don't have to ventilate, but there is a tradeoff - the inks don't have as much bite as the ss21.

Hope you have a laminator too... plan on spending as much on it as you would a plotter. I'd spend more - you are going to need it, and nothing sucks more than watching your POS laminator ruin a 20 foot run of IJ180.

(Sub out your prints until you can justify needing all of this equipment or it's gonna turn into a giant anchor around your neck.)

 

[StickySide]

Insignia: I have a computer I built that's really killer but I do plan on building another, and ya that's what I been reading about the maintenance required, and why the roland interested me so much, and thanks alot honestly for your input!

Mikepro: Ya me and the owner had talked about the difficulties I would have, He said we could flush the system, and then shrink wrap it for transportation he was going to show me all the things he does to keep it running as well as how to prime the ink he said the previous owner has basically took his money and ran with it and said that he wouldn't do that and that that's not the way he does business (doesn't mean i believe him), also I do have experience with setting up profiles as i have had to do so with out dye sublimation printer for each substrate, also have general maintenance experience with bulk ink systems an how to keep them running

 

[StickySide]

petesign:is es3 similar to eco solvent? and yes also was planning on getting a seal lamina tor that's why the mimaki interested me so much because of the price and i could afford a lot more than the roland kids I know have some motocross graphics buisness they use the big squeege to laminate with good luck but as for sub-ing out prints I don't trust other peoples work to well I always say if you want some thing done right do it yourself or figure it out also do not want to wait for them to do it and send it to me, would much rather just do it on my own time when i want how i want, My main focus here is just decal's for customers of our screen printing shop (take orders at work go home and print them) as well as mx graphics and jetski graphics and mainly stickers are a interest for me and would be nice to have at the house to make stuff randomly when I want that's another reason why I like the roland idea

 

[StickySide]

And as of right now its not like I'm trying to just start some random big huge sign company printing full size banners and car wraps, Would juts like to take decal orders from customers and make stuff I want for myself when I want in the mean time and if it picks up it picks up kind of a thing plus would use it to print on material to transfer to shirts when we need one off's and things on black shirt's here at work

 

[StickySide]

Plus there is enough of a call for decals here at work, to make decent side money for me which is awesome, The opportunity to work full time job and go home and make money just sounds to good to pass up to me

 

[fabiomoraes]

Photo Print working very good with JV3-160sp