Printer for tarpaulin

[tomence]

What printer can print on tarpaulin does anyone have any experience with printing on tarpaulin the one they install on the flatbed semi trailers.
Thanks

 

[G-Artist]

I am bumping this a bit.

Perhaps posting the size as well as the actual material that needs to be printed will help.

Are you looking for a merchant member to print for you or the actual type/brand of printer that would be needed to accomplish printing on that material?

Screen printing will work.

 

[tomence]

I am looking to buy a printer for me the size should be at least 8.5 feet and up to 10 feet so i guess 104" should be ok size, just i don't know if a printer like Seiko ColorPainter or Roland AJ will work. Should i get solvent printer or uv. I attached two pictures just to have an idea what i am talking about this is a sliding flatbed tarp system.

 

[tomence]

bump

 

[G-Artist]

Since you are looking for a printer then once you have narrowed down what you can afford you will have to provide a sample of the material to your local dealers (or the mfg.) along with a test print file.

One you get it back then you have to determine how good the print is as well as the properties of the print (scratch and wear test, etc.).

There are a myriad of questions and answers that go into determining what to buy...but one thing to remember is how to phrase the question(s). Such as when a UV printer dealer tells you that you can print anything with it (it will). Ask if the ink will stay on (probably not) and if you need to precoat the surface before printing to get proper adhesion (many substrates do)?

With a printer that large, can the printer feed that heavy material without stuttering?

 

[tomence]

That is what i want to find out, i mean there is something out there that prints this material as you can see in the pictures i attached. I thought somebody from this forum have done anything like this.

 

[MikePro]

+1 to UV printer!
Hell, find out if there is a wholesale UV printer in your area (check merchant members on this site) and give him a sample to print for ya. If you like it, and his price... you've got a supplier (and your solution) until you can find a good deal on the $80k printer you'll need to do the job in-house from now on.

Nothing wrong with outsourcing, just make sure you're getting a good price from your client.

 

[tomence]

I am not waiting for a deal if i find what i need i will buy it i am asking if anyone prints this things what printer they use so i can start researching printers. If i need UV printer then i will start looking at UV printers. I want somebody with experience to tell me what printer they use. Going from dealer to dealer of course they gonna try to sell me whatever they sell. If there is no one then i guess i have to take the hard way and find things on my own.

 

[BigfishDM]

Just ask the guys you took that picture from, that will tell ya everything you need to know.

 

[petepaz]

not sure i have seen a printer that could handle that heavy material
but i would do like G-artist said and get some material and check with the dealers
are you going to also attach all the hardware needed for it to hang on the trailers
or are you just looking to supplie the printed material to the trailer mfr

 

[tomence]

Just to supply the printed material.

 

[tomence]

Just ask the guys you took that picture from, that will tell ya everything you need to know.

Bigfish those pictures are just sample i DL from google just to show you what i am looking for. The guy that gave me the idea has already established business as flatbed tarp installer but he is only installing blank tarps no pictures printed on them. His business is skyrocketing and he is interested in having somebody print on that material. I can get samples from him that is not a problem. The problem is finding what is the best printer to have to print on it and take those heavy rolls of tarp. There is a market for it and i would like to take a piece of it. I know it is a big investment and i am willing to take that risk to grow my business.

 

[BigfishDM]

I will find out. I will call and see who did those prints and see what machine they run to produce those graphics ok. I just have a strong feeling its going to be done off a 16' Vutek, Scitex or another big boy machine. I will let you know what I find out, I do see alot of this stuff is printed in the Phillipenes from what I found

 

[tomence]

Like i said Bigfish there is a big market for it and i have to think about it hard to find out what i am getting into. I love the idea but on the other hand there is lot of money to be invest. Thanks upfront for taking your time to find out what printer can do this job.