Roland Advanced Jet AJ-740

Now that Epson is poised to launch it’s own Epson 64” eco-solvent printer, Roland is gradually moving away from using Epson printheads.

If you utilize Epson printheads you have several disadvantages: first, you pay a surcharge for the ink (because you have to pay a fee to Epson for any ink that runs through an Epson printhead). And you are stuck with the 220 milliliter and 440 ml rectangular cartridges, the silliest looking and most primitive ink delivery system yet produced by an otherwise serious manufacturer.

All serious solvent printers use either a bulk ink supply or at least more than half a liter.

So this Roland Advanced Jet AJ-740 printer uses Seiko printheads to avoid having to be stuck with Epson style cartridges. This Roland Advanced Jet AJ-740 uses a one-liter cartridge. At its current price a liter however, the ink is a still a bit expensive.

Roland Advanced Jet AJ-740 eco-solvent, mild-solvent wide-format printer

But after-market ink companies know the high cost of OEM ink, so Bordeaux, Triangle and other third-party ink companies are waiting to provide lower cost ink for you.

It is unclear what is the true chemistry of the solvent ink?

Nowhere is the exact chemistry of the ink explained. It is simply called “EcoXtreme ink.” This is not the same as Eco-Sol MAX ink (which is a third-generation eco-solvent, the identical ink that is used by the Roland VersaCAMM and SOLJET Pro II and III as well as by the Mutoh Rockhopper 3). I do not see the MSDS list of chemicals anywhere, nor really any explanation of whether it’s a mild-solvent, lite-solvent, eco-solvent, or close to full-solvent

The green “Eco” logo is a bit phony looking for any printer that actually uses solvents. I doubt any Roland executive or manager would hazard to place this printer in their own home and run it 8 hours a day! But if the ink was really ecological, putting this printer in your home should be no problem, or??? This misleading ECO sticker is quite a surprise that a Japanese company would allow it. The four reasons given are too obvious and not really adequately ecological.

Otherwise, Roland makes popular printers, and the Roland managers that I know are capable individuals. Thus I was disappointed to see the unacceptable ECO concept, especially since with the new Epson eco-solvent printer, and the advances of Chinese solvent printers, as well as the rising market share of Mutoh ValueJet, Mutoh Rockhopper 3 Extreme, Mutoh Spitfire Extreme and the recent launch of the new Mutoh Blizzard, it would have been preferable to have more realistic advertising. Maybe it’s their advertising agency, and not Roland itself?

FLAAR has a site-visit case study of the Roland AJ-1000, which was definitely better than the seven Chinese solvent printers in the same printshop, but the Roland AJ-1000 had issues that frankly surprised me. After all, Roland is one of the world’s most experienced producers of wide-format printers.

VISCOM Germany was the first time I had time to inspect the Roland AJ-740. I first saw the Roland AJ-1000 at a Dubai sign trade show in 2006. I know more about the Mutoh mild-solvent and Mutoh eco-solvent printers because it was possible to spend an entire week in the Mutoh-Europe demo center, R&D facilities, and factory in Oostende, Belgium.

Comparisons: Comparing price and performance of the Roland Advanced Jet AJ-740

• Mimaki JV5
• Mimaki JV33
• Mutoh Spitfire Extreme
• Mutoh Rockhopper 3 Extreme
• Mutoh ValueJet
• Mutoh Blizzard
• Oce CS9065, Oce CS9090
• Xerox 8365, Xerox 8390

 

 

First posted November 2, 2007.