Hey everyone, been a while since I've posted. Hope everyone is well. I am considering the purchase of a printer/plotter and have been looking at some used items on ebay and elsewhere. I am very familiar with the Gerber Edge and am sure I don't want one. The other options I see are a few of the offerings from Roland. The PNC-500, the 50, 60 and the 600. If any of you guys/gals have experience with these machines or a useful opinion to share I would be most appreciative.
Steve Posted by Bruce Evans (Member # 44) on :
If your sure you don't want an edge, then you definitely don't want any of the Roland thermal products. Roland does have a great line of Solvent print/cut machines now. Take a look at the VersaCamm. It's around 13-14K.
Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
The PC 60 - 70 machines use ribbons and can be costly to run. I just purchased an SP-300 VersaCamm from Roland. It is an amazing machine. It will print on almost any uncoated vinyl assuming you tweek the print profiles, you can print directly to banner material!!!!! It is a solvent ink so it has a pretty good outdoor durability. You can print a job, take the material out, laminate or clearcoat, then reinstall in the machine. The machine 'senses' printed registration marks and adjusts automatically to cut the contour PERFECTLY.
I have seen some of the PC 60-70 machines sell for 3 - $4000. The VersaCamm is more costly initially, but it costs only .22 per sq/ft to print on average.
check it out at www.rolanddga.com Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
quote:Originally posted by Bruce Evans: If your sure you don't want an edge, then you definitely don't want any of the Roland thermal products. Roland does have a great line of Solvent print/cut machines now. Take a look at the VersaCamm. It's around 13-14K.
Bruce, we must have been typing at the same time. Quite an advertisment for the VersaCamm Posted by Steve Aycock (Member # 3612) on :
I suppose I should have mentioned my budget is particulary small. I have seen the pnc-5000 for less than a grand, the pc-50 and pc-60 for between 2 to 4 grand. I could swing as much as about $2500 or so. A more direct question would be; Would it be worth purchasing one of these machines if it could be had for $2000 or so ?
Of course I would love to have a nicer machine but if one if these would get me by for a while...
I would like to have it for short run decals, vehicle and boat lettering. Mostly the decals. The boat and vehicle lettering would be a nice bonus if the outdoor durability was good enough.
If I could afford a new machine the Summa DC-3 looks very promising as a 36" print and cut. My Summa plotter has served me well and Summa as a company has never shied away from support for me since I've had the machine.
Steve
Posted by Myra Grozinger (Member # 327) on :
Why are you so sure you don't want an Edge?
Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
Hiya Steve, If you do a search, you'll find a lot of info here on the Roland, Edge and other printers and peoples opinions on all of them. Your best bet is to find someone who you can outsource the jobs to until you can afford to make the payments on your own machine. I feel buying used is a risk. If you cheap out now, it will cost you a lot more in the long run.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Myra, If I read this right, it's because of cost...he's looking for something inexpensive to get him by for a while...the Edge isn't cheap.
Steve, Of course you'll get a different opinion from mine here, but I wouldn't consider an DC3. Mainly, because of the lack of spot color/materials support. The width would be great...but if you investigate, you'll find that the Summa has very little to offer in "foil" colors, whereas the Gerber Edge has tons of spot colors and specialty foils as well as a vast array of substrates built around it's printing process.
If, down the road when you're serious about these...you're probably going to find better Solvent printers with even greater outdoor durability at more reasonable prices....
I saw a guy's PC 60 ( I believe that was the model) from Roland work. It was far slower than the Edge, had banding issues, AND scratched off with my fingernail with very little pressure...maybe the newer ones are better?
Posted by Steve Aycock (Member # 3612) on :
Of course price is of concern regarding the Edge. More so though, I have run the edge and Gerber's proprietary software for years before I opened up my own shop. Though both the machine and the software are powerful tools and get get the job well done I have a distaste for the way Gerber keeps things so proprietary and in my opinion overpriced. I have seen two Edge machines fail and the cost of replacing the print head was nearly as great as a new machine. Even the minute little screw head in the blade holder for the cutter was extremely overpriced. I consider myself somewhat of an expert with Gerber's software, or I did. It's been a while. Though even after years of experience with it I find it's user interface to be non-intuitive and the learning curve to be quite steep for new users. Most of the enhancements to the newer version are ripoffs from other popular software suites that Gerber attributes to themselves as being their own innovations. In addition the software itself is written in VB (Visual Basic) which is itself a clunky, verbose way of programming. it's a ram and cpu cycle, resource hog for no particularly good reason. Add to that Gerber requires payment for their "Gold level" support and I'll not be a Gerber customer.
The pc-60 seems to be the machine I am most attracted to at this point. I hate to hear that you could scratch off the print with a fingernail. That's pretty crappy. The banding and such in my experience is typical of improper file preparattion. Hopefully that can be resolved. I'm very concerned about outdoor durability as well. I suppose overlaminate is an option but not really one I want to pursue. I want to print it and stick it and be done with it. I'll continue my research while I shop for a machine. I'm thankfully not in a great hurry. Thanks for your replies.
Steve
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
my edge prints small decals more often then signs. Basically it seem to be doing hundreds of dollars worth every day. & several days when I crank out $1000 worth. Every one of them costs me probably half what they will cost you to produce on a PC 60, & therefore makes me more money. If I couldn't sell enough to make money then it would be unwise to get any machine. If you CAN sell enough to make money... then you can't afford to NOT get the machine that makes you MORE money. MORE... like More then your monthly payment & cost of materials... More like it's not Costing you anything its Making you money. I had a PC60 for 3 weeks... sucked all the way around, & although I have no love affair with Gerbers customer service, or replacement parts costs... but my EDGE has served me very well for 3 years... Rolands customer service sucked as bad as their machine & was easily 1/2 the reason I abandoned that machine. Oh, did I say the decals sucked too? the banding is due to 1/4" foils instead of 12" foils... not due to bad file prep. That machine can make great truck door graphics to see from a distance... but the EDGE is far superior as a money maker & producer of quality decals then the PC60 will ever be.
Rolands other technology seem to be bringing in great reviews & I'm not knocking those machines at all. As stated above... subbing out the decal production is a great way to bring your companies market up to speed before the purchase. If your only bringing in enough to feel comfortable spending $2000... I'd invest my time in marketing more short-run decal opportunities instead of buying substandard equipment.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Steve, I think Doug hit the nail on the head. Plus, from what I have gathered, print head replacement is "only" $2,000 and doesn't come close to the cost of a new machine as you've indicated.
The Gerber Edge is a great machine....and you don't have to buy their software to drive it....I believe Signlab has software out that will drive the Edge and from some accounts has a more user friendly interface....worth exploring.
I am glad to hear Doug back up my thoughts on the PC60. It's been awhile, but like I said...I remember it as being a horrible alternative....extremely slow, and I don't think you'll achieve the durability you're looking for. Personally, I wouldn't want someone coming back to me in 6 months and saying the printing is fading and flaking off. That is my impression of that unit. I wouldn't call the Edge or the Edge 2 a speed demon....but I know for a fact it'll run circles around the PC60 in quality, speed, and durability.
Wow! I don't even work for Gerber!
Posted by Steve Aycock (Member # 3612) on :
Your comments are appreciated. I have heard as much about the PC-60 from other sources since my last post. I'll continue my research and hopefully find a decent alternative. I could most likely get my hands on a more expensive machine. But I don't do credit. No cards, no vehicle loans. The only thing I owe on are my wifes education and the house. When those are payed off, makes me sweat to think about it...I'll never purchase anything on credit again. If I can't pay cash I don't buy it. Whilst I do my research I'll continue to save up. As much as I hate to say it the Edge is seeming a more attractive alternative. If I can get away from the Graphics Advantage or Omega, I might find myself interested. It may be that there is a used Edge out there worth the buks. Though I'd have to couple it with a Gerber plotter too. Much to think about. Thanks again for your replies.
Steve
Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
In my opinion the PNC5000 is a great waste of money. I had one for about 4 months. It uses a single 4 color cartridge, so if you lay down magenta, the 3 other colors on the ribbon go by unused and wasted. You could easily use a full cartrige to print a set of door logos. The speed is snail slow too.
Our VersaCamm is rated at 3 years outdoor durable. We bought a liquid laminator to extend the lifetime, but we use a lot of Krylon Clear for small jobs.
I'm pretty sure the PC60 - 70 uses separate ribbon cartridges so you won't have the waste of the PNC5000. The technology isn't too far off from the Edge from what I know.
Good luck on your search.
BTW - I feel the same way about Gerber. I looked at their router tables when we bought ours. We did not go Gerber.
Posted by Rick Beisiegel (Member # 3723) on :
Edge user here....Can't imagine being without it. If you do change your mind, be sure to buy it from someone who has on-site tech support. That gives you some idea of their commitment to Gerber. I reccomend Advantage Sign Supply 800-522-3698. The Roland had such a poor history when I was shopping, that I didn't look twice at it. Gerber Edge is state of the art sign making equipment period. Remember, you get what you pay for-ALWAYS.
If you are still not convinced, you can outsource your edge work until you feel comfortable signing on the dotted line. That's what I did. I also called and interviewed Edge owners....Every one of them reccomended it. Now, so do I. Hope this helps.
Regards,
[ May 13, 2004, 03:30 PM: Message edited by: Rick Beisiegel ]
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
Steve, I respect your beliefs & convictions. I still want to make some points that are only to offer my way of looking at things, not to challenge your way.
quote:The only thing I owe on are my wifes education and the house. When those are payed off, makes me sweat to think about it...I'll never purchase anything on credit again.
I can empathize with your thoughts, but after many years steering clear of fully imersing myself in the American way of doing business (huge debt) I reached a turning point & have no regrets now to carrying debt. Like your comments above... if you held strong to that philosophy before buying your house... you could probably never have bought a house... how much rent money would be down the toilet now? Also what about your wifes education? I'm not sure if she works, or plans too, but her earning potential will most likely benefit from that expense. My EDGE will be paid off this october. Since I put 10K down, my payments are less then my new shop truck... & less then half my shop rent. Talking about shop rent... sure thats like paying cash, but you probably have a lease where you are expected to keep paying every month far into the future & although you didn't get a loan to pre-pay... is it really all that different? I know my business is very dependant on staying where I am. Not that I would fail if I had to move... but moving would be very expensive in down time, build-out & possibly inconvenience to customers used to finding me here.
the "makes me sweat to think about it..." comment reminds me of my belief that "point of view" is of huge significance in my life. If I allow thoughts of fear or worry... they will drag me down enough that at the very least that "drag" becomes something real that deserves to be worried about & can then create more to worry about. Buying a sign business was very scary... but it has rewarded me so well that risk-taking since then is less scary. The EDGE was the next scary risk I took & in the first year I got my biggest job ever, a 22K job just printing & installing edge prints. Needless to say, that risk paid off. So when I had an opportunity to buy a house, 30 years of debt could be scary, but now I don't waste the energy on fear. I also happened to gain 200K in equity on that purchase in 2 years time... so just like expensive equipment could represent positive cash-flow instead of expense... buying on terms could also have more positive consequences if you don't focus on the negative ones.
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
I really like that no debt philosophy. Its my best defence too.
But some debt is necessary. House and car, and one credit card. Several times in the past years not being in debt has saved my butt when my peers lost it all. Flooding, huricanes. Layoffs etc.
All other equipment is paid for in cash. Or I have the cash stacked in a pile just to cover the debt load. Or If I must buy i will make sure I can maintain a savings level of a few percentages.
Posted by Myra Grozinger (Member # 327) on :
I found Steve's answer extremely interesting because it pulled a lot of strings in me, who for many years, did not buy anything "Gerber" because of my remembered experiences since, God forbid, the cost of the 4Bs when they came out, the Gerber Scanner II, and the general proprietary exclusive grip they had on my pocketbook for such a long time. I have been heard to say: " NEVER say the word Gerber in my presence."
I now run an Edge, and cut the stuff with my old 4B which I bought on my birthday in 1984 or 1985 for $ 13500 unbelievable -choke me to death- dollars. My Edge is a Trunnion, I bought it used from Hyatt's about 2 years ago, and it is running like a top. I would simply hate to be without it ever again.
Now Gerber has discontinued service contracts on them, and I live in fear of it breaking down. So, in order to not have to be without it, and to not have to make a pocket book busting decision on a replacement from one day to the next should it break down, I took a look at the whole thing from the perspective of trading in cars. Through a sign board I found a guy in Atlanta who needed to pay taxes on taxday and sold his Edge LE to me at a very kind price, and I simply jumped on it, because the Gerber people will support this one with a service contract.
So the new Edge is sitting in abeyance, while the old one just chugs along.
When I read the post the question of WHY he said he did not want an Edge became important. Because I'm going to sell the one I am using as soon as I can stand to unplug it, to someone who can run it and needs a bargain. I was curious seeking to educate myself about the market that's out there for it.
By the way, I run the Edge with Signlab's thermal printing module, it is sort of "loser"friendly, and needs to be for old right brained me. I do not own Omega.
Posted by Roy Frisby (Member # 736) on :
Steve, do yourself a big favor...DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER BUYING A PC60. I owned one and that has got to be one of the worst pieces of junk ever made. To paraphrase an old boating phrase, "Two of the happiest days of my life was the day the pc60 arrived and the day it left. I now own an Edge and it beats the pc60 "hands down"!
Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
It sounds like there is a lot of Edge users. The early Rolands were not cheap to run or very quick. A friend of mine is an Edge owner too. He came to our shop last week and was VERY IMPRESSED with the Roland VersaCamm. At $.22 sq/ft. for inkjet technology I think the Egdes days are numbered. Also consider an 11.75" panel size for the Edge to a 30" panel on the Roland. By the time you get an Edge printer, software and a Gerber plotter you are not going to be far off on $$$. Just my 2 cents worth.
Posted by Randy W. Robarge (Member # 2022) on :
I have a PC-60. It's been a good machine since Roland came out with the proper cleaning methods.
My first head blew a few years ago and I never replaced it. Then Roland figured out that their cleaning instructions were wrong, and came out with yhe properr instructions. I replaced it last year and haven't had a problem with banding since.
It's not a bad machine for printing anything up to 3 0r 4 square feet, but I'd probably take a look at those Versacams - they look cool.
Randy
Posted by Michael Berry (Member # 2604) on :
Jerry,
Can the versa cam print of the very wide variety of materials that an Edge can? (magnetic, static cling, etc)
Posted by Steve Aycock (Member # 3612) on :
The ability to print on multiple substrates although attractive is not in my opinion that big of a selling point. In the years that I ran an edge for a million dollar a year sign company we ran few alternate substrates through the machine. When we did it was problematic. The static cling was hard to print on and the mag material tried to stick to both the edge and the plotter. I had to use a layer of premask on the machine to separate the mag from the metal.
I've been looking for a local company that would be willing and convenient enough, for me to outsource my printing to. The ones I have spoken with have been either too expensive or shown an unusual reluctance to the idea. It's particularly disturbing to think of the "cutthroat" attitudes that some of my fellow signmakers exude.
They seem to be overly concerned that I might somehow be taking something from them. The fact of the matter is that the market here is far from saturated. Most of us are so busy we can't get get it all done. The only time I have been slow at all since I started this business has been over the holidays. Even then things were still rolling.
I'll figure something out. There's a machine out there for me and I'll find it. Whatever brand or type it might be.
Steve
Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
Steve,
Try looking at what the machine can make you instead of what it costs you!
That's the trouble with most sign makers, they look at what a machine or product costs.
In fact it ought not cost you anything at all, it should make money for you.
It's funny how you want to slam and degrade a company that does just that for many sign makers on a daily basis and has since day one. Thier machines make money. Who gives a crap wether the software is proprietory or a screw costs x or that the software is in visual "who gives a crap".
Your priorities seems a bit off, are you looking to just "own" a digital printer or do you want to make money with it? Do you want to work for a machine or is the machine to work for you?
The Versacamm may be a great machine, but time will tell. Just like time has told of all the failures and lost profits from Roland that where never stood behind in thier thermal machines.
The edge has since the early nineties been turning profits for signmakers who were smart enough to realize a great return on thier investment, not just what it "costs".
It seems to me that you do not have enough of a budget to warrant owning a digital device to make money. I would advice like checkers to sub out your work untill you have the right budget for the right machine.
I have now put on my asbestos underwear so let the flaming begin. lol Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
quote:Originally posted by Michael Berry: Jerry,
Can the versa cam print of the very wide variety of materials that an Edge can? (magnetic, static cling, etc)
I haven't tried Magnetic material?? I will do some research. I have ran banner material through and it printed GREAT.
Posted by Pete Sharkins (Member # 4525) on :
I too have been considering digital. My thoughts seem to follow Steve's pretty closely. All of my work comes from my PNC-950 Roland, and it's getting long in the tooth (9 years). Does anyone have any comparisons between the Edge and PC-600? I must have 24"+ width capability. The 60 just seems to pop up in the "NO" column too often for my likes...
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
I have not had one client in 5 years selling edge prints to ever question the seam in graphics over 11.8" In my work probably less then 10% of my work is tiled... but of the 10% that is... most of it is bigger then 24" anyway. Stuff that big is usually designed to be seen from across the room at least & if installed properly, you can't even see the seam anyway.
If you do a search, you may find a very detailed comparison between the edge & Rolands pc60 or 600... it was a hands down blow-out for cheaper material costs with the edge... comes back to having enough work to justify the upfront costs, but even if you don't... buying the cheaper printer will end up costing as much after paying too much for foils for a few years, but then your still stuck with the less profitable machine
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Listen to Doug...he uses his Edge to make money, and that's what it was designed for. You just simply make a point of making the Edge make money for you....show designs based on Edge capabilites and it will blow away the competitors without those same capabilities.
Once you get it, you have to sell it's capabilities which in my opinion, the Edge does for you.....
Just show someone a font with a simple fade, a four color print or multiple tiffs printed as spot colors for a special texture effect and they will be going...."Oh, yeah baaaaby, that's what I want".
Tell him about it Doug.
Posted by Myra Grozinger (Member # 327) on :
My most important and costly discovery was that when printing on static cling, with my edge, the only thing that would work is GERBER FOILS. They work without a hitch.
I talked to everybody and their brother at all the companies when I ran into problems printing on static cling. It included their presidents. I ruined gobs of foil and static cling vinyl, and I followed all kinds of leads and hints that only cost me more money in ruined supplies.
Then I called up my good friend and political foe Glenn Taylor who said that if I buy Gerber Foils there WILL BE NO PROBLEM on static cling.
HE WAS RIGHT.
About magnetic material, I have been discouraged from even trying. When I listen to the pros on the subject of running the mag material through the edge, and how it needs to be compensated for in various ways it is just to much of a Pain in the A$$ to even consider.
I print the image on oracal 651. I apply it to regular magnetic material in sheets. I cut it all apart. I tell my customer that I give them a higher and better power rating on the magnetic sheeting, and therefore they won't lose the thing the first time air gets between it and the collected dirt.
I, of course, reliquish the ability to die cut.
Works for me, and works for them
Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
Myra,
They must have fixed those problems with the Edge 2, I print on Gerber mag all the time with no problems whatsoever. I also have sintra panels covering the metal body of my 4B so when I die cut it doesn't stick to the body.
I also echo Doug's comment on paneling, in my 4 years of ownership I've had only 2 customers that had a problem with it. I then sent the job to a local company who has a maxx.
Posted by Rick Beisiegel (Member # 3723) on :
AMEN DOUG AND BOB ROCHON!!!!!
The Edge is tried and true....PERIOD! In the 90's they were way ahead of their time. Today, the same machine is for sale new from Gerber. While software upgrades have been made, the Edge is consistant and is the leader.
The biggest reason people buy somthing else is start-up costs. I was nervous to sign my lease 3 years ago, but today with the equipment paid for, it was one of the smartest things I ever did. No regrets!
Also, if you are at all talented, you can install seamed prints with minimal problems. It has never been an issue for us. Sometimes we make issues for our clients that they are not bothered by.
Regards,
[ May 17, 2004, 08:27 AM: Message edited by: Rick Beisiegel ]
Posted by Steve Burke (Member # 2674) on :
Jerry- the Edge's days will never be numbered until inkjets print spot colours...hmmm. He could buy a machine with one head that prints over 2000 SOLID colors AND does 4-color CMYK on dozens of substrates or buy a machine that does zero solids and CMYK...on less than 10 substrates?
Steve-I do agree that much of an Edge's output is on basic 2 or 3-mil...but think how much money your boss left on the table because he didn't push the promo items like magnets, or business cards on Lexedge, or door knockers on styrene, or safety signage on luminous film, etc
Posted by Dan Streicher (Member # 4515) on :
The Edge is a amazing machine but I will say that our industry is changing rapidly and the technology around the corner scares me, with the technological advances of flatbed printers it is just a matter of time in my opinion until alot of the signs that some of us make a machine will be able to do. Just last week I saw a flat bed printer that you place a 4 X 8 sheet of primed MDO on and in less than half an hour it was completely painted in near photographic quality YIKES as technology advances and the equipment prices drop and materials advance, if you don't have a niche that could be very scarey. thank god it doesn't paint on dimensional products or I would stand in front of it and let it paint me up and rent myself out as a walking billboard, and then I can justify gaining weight so that i have more advertising space....I gotta run I need to get started on this new marketing idea
Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
quote:Originally posted by Steve Burke: Jerry- the Edge's days will never be numbered until inkjets print spot colours...hmmm. He could buy a machine with one head that prints over 2000 SOLID colors AND does 4-color CMYK on dozens of substrates or buy a machine that does zero solids and CMYK...on less than 10 substrates?
I'm not here to bust your chops. I think until you check out some of the latest technology, you won't know the resolution, speed, or ease of the new solvent inkjet machines. They also have several substrates to print on. I don't want a machine where I have to load separate foil colors and do multiple passes, then take it from that machine, load it in another, line it up, then contour cut.
Our VersaCamm prints up to 140 sq/ft per hour at 360 dpi with awesome color. That is great for a shop no bigger than ours. It has the capability of 1440 dpi, and can cut too. All for $14000. This machine is no comparison to the thermal Roland PC-60.
I made 30 of these decals the other day in less than 5 minutes, with a contour cut, and weeded. Posted by Rick Beisiegel (Member # 3723) on :
Thats OK....time will tell. Gerber has already jumped that hurdle. I am not impressed. Kind of a "Johnny come lately" if you ask me. I would buy another Edge in a heartbeat.
Regards,
[ May 17, 2004, 05:54 PM: Message edited by: Rick Beisiegel ]
Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
Dan
what machine was that? and did it flip the MDO and paint the other side? does it fill the voids and seal the edges?
Does it cut custom shapes and do all the above?
seriously inquiring minds want to know
Posted by Steve Aycock (Member # 3612) on :
In response to the comment about me "slamming" Gerber. I'll say that wherever I wasn't offering a fact I was only offering opinion. Nothing written in stone and I wasn't trying to vie anyone away from their own views. I don't like Gerber very much. If you do, great. No probs'.
My opinion does however truly stem from years of expericence with the Edge, the plotter that goes with it and of course both Graphix Advantage and Omega. I'm just trying to say that I didn't pull this stuff from thin air.
As I mentioned before The Edge is a powerful tool. It does deliver some really nice results on many substrates. Making money for many across the world ! Woo Hoo! for those that love this machine. I'm not being sarcastic, I mean it.
All that said. It's not the machine for me. The 11.8 inch size is too small. I don't like to tile larger images. I don't like changing foils for each individual color (process too). I don't care to roll up the print and switch it to antoher machine. "Bombsite" the register mark to get the jobs done. Just not my thing. It's a time consuming hassle IMHO.
Ok... whoever said it.. you are prolly right. I'm not really financially ready for a digital print machine. I've come to realize this in full. The purpose of my research and posting here was to find out exactly that.
I'll continue researching and eventually buy a machine. Might be quite some time before I do. When it happens though it won't be a shot in the dark. I'll get exactly what I want and need to make money and do a job well, efficiently.
I really do appreciate all the input. People of like mind in the sign biz as a resource is a blessing without bounds. I wish you all well.
Steve
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
I can appreciate some of the downsides to your argument against Gerber/Omega. Although it does a great job, it does have it's faults, some of which you have pointed out.
You can purchase a roll tensioner so you don't have to manually roll the vinyl up as it is output and roll it back on the vinyl roller when it backs up for another color pass.
But for sure, in a perfect world it WOULD be great to print everything at once in an outdoor durable system and also cut it on that system without having to move/and reposition everything.
There are some nice systems out there now that do that but at significantly higher cost....but you still have to run the output through a plotter.
Splices? They don't really bother me as far as visually,....but as you point out: the fact that you have to load in multiple foils for EACH panel is a drag.
I know, I know....you can print all the panels in one shot, thereby avoiding this. BUT, do you really want to take the chance that there won't be some glitch, piece of fuzz, a foil that abruptly runs out, or something else about 3/4 of the way through which wrecks all the panels???
I'd usually print each panel as a separate job...unless you are really, really positive that there aren't any hidden colors, or all of your colors are in the right print order, etc.
All in all I think the Edge is great...but there are some drawbacks. You either have to live with them, learn a work-around, or look at something else.
Good luck in your search. Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
quote:Originally posted by Dan Streicher: thank god it doesn't paint on dimensional products or I would stand in front of it and let it paint me up and rent myself out as a walking billboard, and then I can justify gaining weight so that i have more advertising space....I gotta run I need to get started on this new marketing idea
There is such a machine, it's the 3M Scotchprint Printer 2500UV and it can print over a Z-axis - I dont know how much of a z-axis it has but I saw pictures of a bedroom door with a Spiderman "poster" printed directly on the door, including the mitred decorative panels. This printer will also handle textiles and can print on carpet too.
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