First impressions of Encad VinylJet 36 printer at ISA tradeshow
The Encad VinylJet is an innovtive project that we hoped would return Encad to a leader in wide format inkjet printers. No other company has a product that breaks out of the traditional mold as this unusual Kodak-Encad printer.
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Encad VinylJet 36 printer at ISA 2003 tradeshow |
FLAAR editor Dr Nicholas Hellmuth attended the initial presentation of the Encad VinylJet at ISA '03 tradeshow. Encad was honest and forthright about the selection of media and precisely what companies had it available. We rate Kodak Encad as better in this respect than the other companies and their pseudo-solvent ink printers, where people felt duped because no one warned them about limited media choice.
The Encad VinylJet does not use any solvent, neither lite-solvent nor eco-solvent. So you won't stink up your entire environment with solvent ink smell.
The printer is a third the price of any solvent ink printer. Just realize that you can't do billboards with a 36 inch width, but you can sure get started in outdoor signage. Just be sure you calculate your long range prices: the initial equipment is very reasonable. But with true solvent ink selling at between $50 to $120 a full liter, compare the price of a full liter of the special ink required for the VinylJet. Also check the price of the media and see how it compares with the cheapo stuff that your competitors are using with cheapo after market solvent ink. Yes, they are paying off the higher price of a Vutek, Mutoh, Mimaki or other true solvent ink printer, but their operating costs may be much lower (due to lesser price of their inks and media.
Unfortunately the promises in the advertising claims did not meet up with the actual performance of the printer. After being featured at the Kodak booth for a year or so, the printer was silently withdrawn, and has disappeared (albeit not from the history of inkjet printers).
We regret that Encad did not succeed with this new printer. After all, Encad got the entire color wide format inkjet business going back in the 1990's. Besides, Encad provided FLAAR its first printer to evaluate. We kept it in our museum until we ran out of space, alongside a dozen newer printers from Epson, Mimaki, ColorSpan, and HP.
For comparative information on true solvent ink printers (DGI, Mutoh, Mimaki, Infiniti, and other Korean, Taiwan, and Chinese), on lite solvent and eco-solvent (Roland SolJet, Mutoh Falcon Outdoor), get your hands on the new updated FLAAR Series on solvent ink printers by Nicholas Hellmuth, available from the two universities where he has evaluation facilities.
Fast Facts on ECO-Solvent and Mild Solvent printers
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Samples printed by the Encad VinylJet 36 printer |
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