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Mimaki JV5-260S, Mimaki JV5-320S vies with Mutoh for entry level to grand format solvent printers

Mimaki has long offered UV-curable inkjet printers, but so far primarily for niche markets. Mimaki does not make any entry-level general purpose UV-curable printer; nor does Roland or Seiko either; nor HP. For the mass appeal sign printing market, Mimaki is still firmly entrenched in solvent ink chemistry. Mimaki, like Mutoh and Roland long before, is now trying to enter the market for entry-level grand format solvent printers with their Mimaki JV5-320S. The market is for outdoor graphics and general signage on vinyl, mesh backlit, for banners, billboards, and POP signs.

Price comparisons will be tough since Infiniti, Flora and dozens of other Chinese solvent printer manufacturers and distributors are also after this market. But so far the quality produced by a Mimaki, Mutoh, and Roland is clearly better than any Chinese printer, and Chinese printers don’t hold up for more than a year or so. Korean printers are much better, but still a Japanese printer offers better print quality for those clients who need quality over cheap low-bid output.

Compared with Mutoh Osprey, Mutoh Phoenix, Mutoh Spitfire Extreme

The 100-inch version of the Mutoh Spitfire Extreme is the printer of this size that we know the best, based on spending a week inspecting these at the Mutoh Europe factory in Oostende, Belgium. This uses a mild-solvent ink and produces photo-realistic output.

The 100-inch Roland AJ-1000 is another printer we have experience with, based on inspecting this in a printshop near our office.

The Keundo SupraQ 3300 solvent printer would also be a printer to compare with the Mimaki JV5-260S and especially the Mimaki JV5-320S. The Keundo SupraQ 3300 is rebranded by NUR as well, the NUR Tango 3.25, a 128-inch solvent-based printer for backlit, banners, PVC, vinyl.

The HP DesignJet 10000s (their version of the Seiko ColorPainter 100S) is also available but has a few issues.

The Mimaki JV5-260S and Mimaki JV5-320S are too new to have realistic evaluations as yet. The regular-sized versions Mimaki JV5-130S and JV5-160S have ink-drying issues they are aware of.

Now the newer 54-inch Mimaki JV33-120 and 63 Mimaki JV33-160 printers are available.

Mimaki JV5-320S printer, inks.

Samples printed by the Mimaki JV5-320S printer at SGIA trade show 2007.

Mimaki JV5-320S Solvent at FESPA 2007.

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First posted July 23, 2007.