• I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...

Starting Up!

SpoonGuy

New Member
We are starting up additional production in Las Vegas for my company and I have been having meetings and researching Printers and equipment. Right now we have a 24" Graphtec and we need a printer and laminator. I have my sight on the Mutoh Value Jet in the 64". I think this will be great for us. However we are a smaller company and we mostly deal with short to long term signage in a indoor/ exhibit hall setting. Now eventually we will want to open up our services to the public and outdoor signage will probably be on our list to do.

Right now at home base we are running a HP 5000 and it does us quite well with standard prints, rollables, and backlits. However we do out source alot banners and such because they can get better quailty.

Now I need help deciding, because we have an HP now and familiar with it, I think they are going to want to go this route, but the eco solevent machine will be more benefical down the road, thats why I would like to push the Mutoh. I have tried to find info on the here about the HP 5500 on here but with no luck. Is this a good machine, like a upgrade to the 5000? Price wise I believe they are similar, am i correct? Is there any other printers to recommend that i can research?

Two other things would be a Laminator and RIP software. Laminator is important to us for durabity and the nature of the business and the "help" at shows. With the Mutoh I believe this would be less necessary on small easel and Product Items, so that way we can save money (CONSIDERING WE LAMINATE EVERYTHING NOW.)

As for the rip I would like a suggestion. I know that the HP doesnt come with a RIP or at least its very useless. The Mutoh I read comes with a basic version of Flexi... Is this correct and or Useable? If I had to get an additional Rip which probably wont need to do contour cuts, what is the best for this, Onyx? That what I have read, i think.


I know they are going to want to keep the cost down so keep this in mind as well. I know that was alot to read, but I want to be through. Any help would be great. hope im not over my head!
 

Pro Image

New Member
Howdee from VA..............

We just got the 1204 and 1400 cutter.............IMO that is the best deal in the market........

As for the 5500 its almost the same as your 5000.....Its a waterbased printer.

I would go with the Mutoh and It comes with Flexi print and cut..........
 

eforer

New Member
We are starting up additional production in Las Vegas for my company and I have been having meetings and researching Printers and equipment. Right now we have a 24" Graphtec and we need a printer and laminator. I have my sight on the Mutoh Value Jet in the 64". I think this will be great for us. However we are a smaller company and we mostly deal with short to long term signage in a indoor/ exhibit hall setting. Now eventually we will want to open up our services to the public and outdoor signage will probably be on our list to do.

Right now at home base we are running a HP 5000 and it does us quite well with standard prints, rollables, and backlits. However we do out source alot banners and such because they can get better quailty.

Now I need help deciding, because we have an HP now and familiar with it, I think they are going to want to go this route, but the eco solevent machine will be more benefical down the road, thats why I would like to push the Mutoh. I have tried to find info on the here about the HP 5500 on here but with no luck. Is this a good machine, like a upgrade to the 5000? Price wise I believe they are similar, am i correct? Is there any other printers to recommend that i can research?

Two other things would be a Laminator and RIP software. Laminator is important to us for durabity and the nature of the business and the "help" at shows. With the Mutoh I believe this would be less necessary on small easel and Product Items, so that way we can save money (CONSIDERING WE LAMINATE EVERYTHING NOW.)

As for the rip I would like a suggestion. I know that the HP doesnt come with a RIP or at least its very useless. The Mutoh I read comes with a basic version of Flexi... Is this correct and or Useable? If I had to get an additional Rip which probably wont need to do contour cuts, what is the best for this, Onyx? That what I have read, i think.


I know they are going to want to keep the cost down so keep this in mind as well. I know that was alot to read, but I want to be through. Any help would be great. hope im not over my head!

If you can deal with ventilating your space, a Mimaki JV3. A true solvent machine is ultimately IMO alot easier to deal with and the Mimaki is just a higher quality machine all around when compared to anything Mutoh (again, its subjective but this view is shared by many). The JV33 is hitting the street nowish, so you can have a JV3 for a song, and its just a much more industrial piece. The Mutoh has its strengths, but I wouldn't give up my JV3+Triangle ink combo for anything short of an HP 9000s with a bulk system. That reminds me, check out that machine too.

Another option which might be great for your type of work would be the colorSpan UV 5400 hybrid machine. Its great for POP and exhibit stuff, stupid fast and very versatile (roll to roll and rigid). Yes UV inks cost more volume to volume, but keep in mind a significantly greater amount of that ink is left on the surface when compared to solvent. Still can't match solvent for durability though.

As far as RIP software goes, I use Flexi Pro and I'm kind of non-plussed by it. I demoed Wasatch an intend to switch at some point. I bought flexi because my business does alot of contour cutting. I ended up getting a new Mimaki CG-FX160 plotter, and the bundled illustrator plug in for contour cutting is THE BEST THING EVER! Basically, I use all adobe products for design, cut with finecut in illustrator and only use the production manager in flexi! I haven't opened the design end of it in ages. Its not bad, it does alot of different things, but more specialized tools always do a better job at their individualized specialty. That said, its not bad and the built in color profiler is actually pretty good and supports alot of hardware.

Laminator, IMO Seal makes the best laminator out there. I cheaped out and got a cheap Korean Seal knock off called a Techno Seal. As delivered its terrible, but with tweaking its terrific. The fundamentals are there: Its huge, really heavy duty, 3 dancing rollers up top, nicely built laminate supply reel and good heat controls. Also the motor and chain drive are really diesel, but need adjusting from the factory. The way it is now, I'd put it toe-to-toe with any of the heavy hitting 60"+machines. I laminate alot every day with it by myself. Although heavy duty, it lacks the refinement and finish of a genuine seal laminator which hold adjustment better. Again, once you sort of figure it out, its fine. With infinite capital though. I would get a Seal. If you want more info on the knock off, PM me.
 
Top