Thoughts on wall printers?

[depps74]

I am considering buying one. Just wondering what the general sign making communities thoughts are on this machine.

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Thoughts, experience, wait and see?

 

[netsol]

Sounds a lot easier than printing a roll of dreamscape and installing it.

It already occurs to me, that if you build a support jig to hold your 4x8 ft or 5x10 panel vertical, this could be the poor man's flatbed (assumung the poor man can swing $16k-$32k)

 

[d fleming]

How many times has your printer gagged and ruined a few feet of film or banner? Feel like painting the wall again if it goes mental?

 

[Billct2]

I see issues...two guys to haul and set up a machine to print a mural that would take one guy an hour to install. Then there's durability, laminated murals have a layer of protection that direct paint wouldn't.
Then like d fleming said, what happens if the machine has a hiccup? Repaint the wall and start over? The only advantage I see is no cutline, so if you had a really complicated detailed image it could be printed directly with no need to contour cut. But then again, that is usually handled by covering the whole wall.

 

[netsol]

I suppose you have a point. Harbor sales will not drop me off another wall

 

[depps74]

How many times has your printer gagged and ruined a few feet of film or banner? Feel like painting the wall again if it goes mental?

I couldn't agree more. The main use I have for it is for clients of mine that want their lettering small and not vinyl. Previously they were using a silkscreen vendor who silkscreened wall text direct on the wall. So I saw this as a possible solution.

 

[depps74]

I see issues...two guys to haul and set up a machine to print a mural that would take one guy an hour to install. Then there's durability, laminated murals have a layer of protection that direct paint wouldn't.
Then like d fleming said, what happens if the machine has a hiccup? Repaint the wall and start over? The only advantage I see is no cutline, so if you had a really complicated detailed image it could be printed directly with no need to contour cut. But then again, that is usually handled by covering the whole wall.

Yes these are all my concerns. The only reason I am considering it is a lot of my customers need lettering direct on the wall. In some cases they use vinyl lettering, but for a lot of their exhibitions they used this company that did silkscreened letters direct to wall. That company closed and did not sell. To my knowledge this way of silkscreening is not a common practice, so a lot of my clients want what they cant have. In an effort to fill this void I started looking into this tech. However it still looks really too young and untested.

 

[Pauly]

You’ll never get to the edge of the wall.

It’s a gimmick machine.

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

Originally when those vertical printers came out they used them for printing the sides of semi trailers, I have seen them being used indoors & outdoors on walls and glass, not the fastest printers but the prints looked great

 

[depps74]

You’ll never get to the edge of the wall.

It’s a gimmick machine.

Correct its not advertising to do so, its more for framed out work. For text, if the quality is there it could be a gamechanger.

 

[depps74]

Originally when those vertical printers came out they used them for printing the sides of semi trailers, I have seen them being used indoors & outdoors on walls and glass, not the fastest printers but the prints looked great

Thats interesting. I am on the fence about the quality cause I have not seen it in person. Hoping to get to do that soon though

 

[depps74]

The promo video has mis-registered white poking out beneath the color...
How do you calibrate the printhead when the medium is the wall itself? What do you do while it's running, watch it? Does it not stink? Does it print to the non staining walls, or just fall off in a sheet a week later? What happens if the power goes out or somebody trips over the extension cord? I love new tech, but if it was this easy, why aren't they selling this to replace flatbeds like netsol suggested?

Good points. Esepcially the power cord one. The registration is XYZ tech, which claims it makes up for inconsistency in the wall. Wall prep is key, wiping with a rag before hand is all I have heard, but seems suspect. The thing I am begnning to wonder is if the tech is very very close. But then I think, if it is, why is printing on rolls still so precarious. How could it be any easier on a wall.

 

[Pauly]

Correct its not advertising to do so, its more for framed out work. For text, if the quality is there it could be a gamechanger.

It'll never be a game changer.

You can just get a good roll2roll, print some wallpaper. throw the few rolls on in your car etc and go install it at location.
The wallprinter, you need to go there, set it up. pray it works. Colours will never be on point. No wall is 100% flat so the inconsistencies will make the print look worse.

No matter how much marketing material you find on it, using a R2R is far more efficient.

Everything that wall printer can go, a R2R will do it better.

 

[Pauly]

Well that sounds short sighted. It's clearly not a perfect machine, but it's mighty hard to say what the future holds in tech like this. 640 k is enough for anybody...

Usually in a manufacturing industry. Something that's Game changing needs to solve problems.

What solutions is the wallprinter solving?
I honestly cannot find 1.
It wont do the job faster.
it wont have better quality
it can't go to the edge


I.e
Flatbeds solved the problem of using vinyl to stick onto any rigid stock. Shortening production times. Also allowing more substraits to be printed on where vinyl application wasn't adequate.
UV printers solved problems with drying time, print speed & durability with no lamination.

 

[Solventinkjet]

Looks like a hell of a lot of work to build the gantry and get the thing setup. Could probably print and stick a wall vinyl project quicker and higher quality. The promotional video shows a lot of vertical banding.

 

[Billct2]

depps, you do have a good point about those client who insist on lettering without vinyl. We have dealt with them, only a couple of museums that I can think of. And I have done the screenprint on a wall, its sucks, you only get one shot. It would be a really small market and unless you are in an area with a lot of guaranteed clients I'd be wary. That is if it even works as well as claimed.

 

[netsol]

Good points. Esepcially the power cord one. The registration is XYZ tech, which claims it makes up for inconsistency in the wall. Wall prep is key, wiping with a rag before hand is all I have heard, but seems suspect. The thing I am begnning to wonder is if the tech is very very close. But then I think, if it is, why is printing on rolls still so precarious. How could it be any easier on a wall.

i think you would prep with TSP like a painter would, followed by alcohol, except in an EXTREMELY clean environment

(god forbid you do a convenience store or a deli)

 

[depps74]

then a vendor sent me this. Seems to be someone has figured out how to use this effectively.

depps, you do have a good point about those client who insist on lettering without vinyl. We have dealt with them, only a couple of museums that I can think of. And I have done the screenprint on a wall, its sucks, you only get one shot. It would be a really small market and unless you are in an area with a lot of guaranteed clients I'd be wary. That is if it even works as well as claimed.

Yes I have so many clients in a panic right now because the only vendor who did the screen printing method closed his shop, and these clients insist on finding a new guy who can do it because their visitors pick the vinyl lettering and they just don't like the look of it. I have tried to convince them six ways to Sunday to go vinyl, but they are stubbornly wanting it on the wall. I actually have been looking for someone with experience doing the screen prints. Would you be able / interested in training a fellow vendor? I'm in NY but could travel! Too much money to be made not to figure this situation out.

 

[depps74]

This is very true.
I'm not saying this printer would solve any of those issues, more so that the technology will likely overcome some aspect and make it a legitimate tool, though potentially not for this trade. I could see a simpler setup involving something like a robotic arm running a printhead, something not limited to a gantry that could actually 'jump' over existing conduit or trim work on the wall, run to the edge of the kick panel at least, as well as being able to fold itself into a neat little dolly sized package for transport. Quality is what it is, I'd reckon with enough R&D this thing could outperform an individual sticking vinyl, though quality will always be superior in a production environment.

Usually in a manufacturing industry. Something that's Game changing needs to solve problems.

What solutions is the wallprinter solving?
I honestly cannot find 1.
It wont do the job faster.
it wont have better quality
it can't go to the edge


I.e
Flatbeds solved the problem of using vinyl to stick onto any rigid stock. Shortening production times. Also allowing more substraits to be printed on where vinyl application wasn't adequate.
UV printers solved problems with drying time, print speed & durability with no lamination.

Only one for my needs: letters painted on walls. I have Musuem clients that insist on it. They used to use a screen printer, but he closed his shop so now their is a huge void as there is not many vendors that do it. I do vinyl for these clients, but for a bulk of their jobs they use screen print, so my choices are: let the business pass me by, learn screen printing, or learn this new tech. no options seems great. It can also do small lettering which is a plus for those 12pt serif font jobs when they want a label painted direct no the wall.

 

[depps74]

It'll never be a game changer.

You can just get a good roll2roll, print some wallpaper. throw the few rolls on in your car etc and go install it at location.
The wallprinter, you need to go there, set it up. pray it works. Colours will never be on point. No wall is 100% flat so the inconsistencies will make the print look worse.

No matter how much marketing material you find on it, using a R2R is far more efficient.

Everything that wall printer can go, a R2R will do it better.

Not if they want it direct on wall. Museums are addicted to silkscreened lettering, thats a dead method so this seems like the next best thing..... if it works.