february 2010 oce arizona 250 gt · 2015. 2. 10. · acuity oce arizona 250 gt pag. 3 uv site visit...

Acuity Oce Arizona 250 GT

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Acuity HD 2504Oce Arizona 250 GT

Comparative Observations

February 2010

Nicholas Hellmuth

UV Flatbed from FujiFilm

Pag.Copyright 2008-2010 FLAAR

Please NoteThis report has not been licensed to any printer manufacturer, distributor, dealer, sales rep, RIP company, media or ink company to distribute. So if you obtained this from any company, you have a pirated copy.

Also, since this report is frequently updated, if you got your version from somewhere else, it may be an obsolete edition. FLAAR reports are being updated all year long, and our comment on that product may have been revised positively or negatively as we learned more about the product from end users.

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Your only assurance that you have a complete and authentic evaluation which describes all aspects of the product under consideration, benefits as well as deficiencies, is to obtain these reports directly from FLAAR, via www.wide-format-printers.NET.

INTRODUCTION 1THE BASICS 5PURCHASING 8STRUCTURE OF THE PRINTER: Vacuum 8STRUCTURE OF THE PRINTER: Media Transport Mechanism & Media Path 10LINING UP FLAT MATERIAL (to help it feed straight) 11FLATBED ASPECTS (for dedicated flatbeds) 12ROLL-FED 12STRUCTURE: Miscellaneous 14TABLES for Combo or Hybrid Flatbed 15UPGRADES, Future Improvements? 15Miscellaneous 16OPERATING THE PRINTER 17CONSTRUCTION (BUILD QUALITY) 18AESTHETICS 19SET-UP OF THE PRINTER: PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS 20INSTALLATION OF THE PRINTER 22TRAINING 23TECH SUPPORT & WARRANTY 24CLEANING & MAINTENANCE NEEDS 24MAINTENANCE 26SAFETY & HEALTH CONCERNS 27PRINTHEAD TECHNOLOGY 31PRINTHEAD DPI & Features 32Bi-DIRECTIONAL VS Uni-DIRECTIONAL PRINTING 32PRINTHEAD Positioning 32PRINTHEAD: Associated Features 32PRINTHEAD Life Expectancy 33SUBSTRATES 33SUBSTRATES, Issues 34SUBSTRATES: Cleaning, Priming, Preparation 34SUBSTRATES: General Concerns 35APPLICATIONS 36INK 37INK: White & Varnish 37INK Cost 37INK: General Knowledge 38INK: Longevity 38INK Color Gamut 38THE UV CURING LAMPS 39UV LAMPS: Cooling 40RIP SOFTWARE & Printer Software 40COLOR MANAGEMENT FEATURES 40PRODUCTIVITY & ROI (Return on Investment) 40ADVERTISING CLAIMS: Anything Misleading? Any Hype? Slight Exaggeration? 41GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 42COMPARISONS WITH OTHER PRINTERS 42SUMMARY: Image Quality Issues: General 43Conclusions 44

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INTRODUCTION

This printer is still relatively new, especially the roll-fed attachment. Independent information is scarce and the first year it was not encouraged to inspect the printer at the factory even though I was in Vancouver. After two years, finally it was possible to have access to the Oce factory, Oce wide-format R&D facilities, a demo room for actual testing, and discussion in depth with key managers and executives.

We have inspected other flatbeds in additional detail earlier because they were more accessible sooner in their product life: spent two days at the Gandinnovations factory in Canada including in their main demo room already a year ago. Plus have done multiple site-visits of owners of Gandy Jeti UV flatbeds in sign shops worldwide, including visiting the same place more than once to see how the printer is faring. In addition it was possible to spend two more days at the new Gandinnovations factory in summer 2008.


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Factory Visit


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UV Site Visit Case Study

Solvent Site Visti Case Study

Caution is crucial with any new printer, irrespective of which brand it is. It is not only the hardware that is new, it’s primarily the firmware, the manufacturer’s software that drives the printer internally. Firmware is often constantly upgraded during the first six months during the gestation period.

But at least this printer is manufactured directly by Oce, so you don’t have the even more serious issues such as printers made in China, where it may take over a year for new parts to be designed when glitches are found. Besides, Oce has been test-driving this printer for over six months since it was first shown. But instant functionality of a major name brand is not always the case; I spoke with one person who had a Durst Rho 600, and he had issues the first four months. It was not until much later that the firmware and software was adequate to allow this expensive printer to function adequately (now it works just fine).


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The first edition of this report was a First Look. The subsequent update was based on speaking with an owner of this printer as well as inspecting certain aspects at FESPA ’07 in Berlin. We also learn a lot from other industry consultants. So then there was a Second Look at this new Oce system, and now that additional material is available, we will take a Third Look. If a factory visit is accommodated, we will upgrade this report again.

We have added several comments based on discussions of this printer at VISCOM Germany in September 2007. I have also been able to speak with owners of several Oce and Fujifilm versions of this printer, so we have this slight update for 2008. Plus the roll-fed option is finally available, and was shown, actually functioning, at ISA 2008.

During 2009 and again in 2010 I kept hearing about issues with the printheads, so we revised the “downsides” section at the end of this report.

Oce Arizona 350GT at Viscom Italy 2008.


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Brand name, model?1. This printer is sold under two names: Acuity HD 2504 by FujiFilm and Oce Arizona 250 GT by Oce. It’s essentially the same identical printer.

What is the nature of the company? Is this company the manufacturer, distributor, or rebranding a machine 2. made by someone else?

FujiFilm owns Sericol whose ink is used by Oce. Oce is the manufacturer of the machine. Sericol is the chemical company that makes the ink.

Oce Display Graphics Systems (ODGS) manufactures these printers in Richmond, BC, Canada, outside Vancouver.

Two end-users have indicated they tend to prefer to interact with Fujifilm. Naturally this will depend on what country you are in as to whether the local Fujifilm office or the local Oce staff are optimum to interact with.

What other printers are the same or similar chassis from this manufacturer or distributor?3. There are not currently any larger or smaller versions of this platform.

What other printers of other brands are comparable?4. The Mimaki JF-1631 is the most directly comparable dedicated flatbed UV printer. Another popular flatbed would be the 4x8’ Jeti of Gandinnovations. GRAPO also has a flatbed (but not sold in the US). Inca also makes flatbed UV printers, but they are priced much higher. By the time of DRUPA ’08 several other companies that today make only hybrid or combo style UV printers will make dedicated flatbeds.

How does this model compare with comparable previous printers?5. This printer is better in every respect compared to Oce’s previous UV printers. Oce had earlier designed an entry-level UV printer: their Arizona 60uv. It was withdrawn from the marketplace before it was actually delivered. It had an ink that was too matte; an unusual flash curing system; and a skewing issue with the media (because they were trying to retrofit a solvent-based and oil-based printer into becoming a hybrid UV flatbed).

THE BASICS

Oce Arizona 250 UV, ISA 07


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Oce’s other UV was a true flatbed, but was also derived from a solvent machine, the Arizona T220. The UV version of this lasted about three years. It was built like a tank (but was correspondingly slow). But there was too much competition from Inca; and then when Gandy’s flatbed entered the market, that took over what was left of the high-end flatbed market.

The new 250 GT model seems to have been developed by a completely different team at Oce. It is far more practical than the two models that failed. The Oce 250 GT elicits favorable comments from its design style alone. It does not have the appearance of a Mack truck or a tank, yet it still looks well built, indeed very shrewdly thought out.

If this is a rebranded printer, what features are different than the original printer?6. The Acuity appears effectively identical to the Arizona. The difference between buying it from Oce vs FujiFilm is the tech support and color management. This will vary by city, region, and country, not so much which is better or worse, but in some areas Fuji will be strong and Oce not as present; in other areas Oce will already be there but not as much for Fuji offices. The printer is as new to Fuji as it is new to local Oce dealers.

Oce makes the machine but Fuji makes the ink. Fuji also makes printheads, but Spectra, not the Toshiba Tec heads that are in this printer.

We are neutral on the two options: Fuji or Oce. As time goes on we will begin to receive feedback from end-users about how they are handled by one or the other.

When and where was this model first introduced?7. This printer was first shown at SGIA 2006 trade show. It was not shown in Europe until many months later.

Is this printer mature or still in alpha-stage or beta-stage?8. The machine appeared to be still in advanced beta-stage at ISA ‘07, though the fact that the roll-fed mechanism was discretely not presented at all suggests this portion has not yet left alpha-stage. By late summer 2007, the machine is being delivered for over a month, but still has no roll-fed capability. By early 2008, still no roll-fed capability. They should simply cover over this part of the printer and forget about it. Gerber has a much better roll-fed system for a dedicated flatbed printer. Unfortunately, Gerber uses cationic ink, which is a new chemistry which is not yet finished.

But by Spring 2008 (ISA trade show), the roll-fed aspect was finally presented to the public.

List price? 9. FujiFilm is honest to state that the full price is $140,000. Too many other companies use sneaky pricing tactics to quote one low price and not really tell you up front that you have to pay a ton more for what the printer needs to be set up and function. Indeed one manufacturer told me that he had changed his pricing statements on pricing be-cause FLAAR had been critical of his earlier low-bid price that was not really the full true price on the invoice when shipping, warranty, ink, training, and installation costs were added on.

Buyers are gradually learning not to purchase any printer that has sneaky pricing. So in the long run it is beneficial for companies to openly state up front the full true cost of their printers.

So, realize that the price of installation, training, and warranty is twenty-thousand dollars: $20,000.00. So the actual price is $120,000 + $20,000 = $140,000.

I commend FujiFilm for being honest in this respect.

Although the price of the Zund 215 has dropped to attempt to compete with the ColorSpan models, the presence of this Oce capability pretty much wipes out much hope of anyone buying a new Zund 215. Indeed Zund dropped out of the UV printer manufacturing business all together during 2007.

Now that the Oce 250 is a mature printer, it’s price will tend to drop.


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What accessories are extra charge? Are these same or similar accessories included with other printers at 10. no extra cost?

The roll-fed option is naturally an extra cost of respective magnitude. The static bar is an item of extra cost.

What other costs are involved? 11. “Other costs” are installation, training, and warranty. So it depends on who you talk to as to what price you are told. But the price on your invoice will be at least $140,000.

Check on shipping costs, since shipping is traditionally extra, since the manufacturer does not know how far away you are (such as Hawaii).

Does a complete set of full-sized ink cartridges come with the new printer, or merely a “starter set” that is 12. not as full as a regular set?

At the $140,000 price (printer price plus extras) you should expect to receive ink.

Is an air suction system needed to be installed as a separate item, or is all the vacuum table or other 13. vacuum requirements already included in the printer itself?

A vacuum pump is included. With some other printers you need to buy this pump yourself. Although the pumps are not expensive ($150) the ones you buy at Home Depot are noisy to the point of being unbearable. The vacuum pump for the Oce has an acceptable noise level.

Is it recommended, or required, to buy a spare parts kit? Or extra printheads? 14. Check to see, but the spare parts kit should be included in the $140,000 price, but not in the $120,000 price. Most spare parts kits, for other printers, include at least one extra printhead. Gandinnovations is generous in this respect. So you need to check with your dealer to see if extra printheads are included in the $140K price, or not.

What is the cost of a spare parts kit?15. If you are quoted the $120,000 price, this does not include the spare parts kit. If you are quoted the actual real full price that will be on your invoice, $140,000, that includes spare parts kit, warranty, installation, and training.

The final total price varies by country, distributor, and dealer, so check locally.

Oce Arizona 250 UV, SGIA 06


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PURCHASING

Are dealers national (most companies) or regional (Roland allows a dealer to operate only within a limited 16. regional area)? Does a buyer have any choice in dealers?

In the US Oce sells directly. In the US and some other countries you can also buy from FujiFilm. In other countries the situation varies.

What is confusing is that although the printer is effectively identical, the deals and relationships between a client and Oce and a client and Fujifilm may vary considerably. Oce owns the manufacturing aspect; Fujifilm owns the ink aspect. Both are supposedly partners, but in reality the printer is a one-time sale, but ink is sold over and over again the entire life of the printer.

STRUCTURE OF THE PRINTER: Vacuum

Is there a vacuum function? 17. This is the most sophisticated vacuum bed I have yet seen. Not in ability to provide a vacuum (that I assume is normal), but in how the engineers have designed the system for flexibility and adaptability: you can go under the bed cover and configure your own vacuum size. What a great idea.

But when I see people actually using the printer, they have to tape down the edges, by hand. And when I see the printer at trade shows, they have to mask off all the parts of the flatbed table that is not covered by the board being printed. So clearly no vacuum system is perfect (the vacuum board of the Mimaki is an example of another one with issues).

In how many sections?18. There are three vacuum sections, which are user-definable in area of coverage (within reason).

Is the vacuum created by simple fans, or by an air pump?19. A professional air pump is used. Simple fans are used primarily on cheaper machines.


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Oce Arizona 250 UV vacuum system, ISA 07

Can you turn one or the other section(s) off and on?20. At first my notes suggested that the vacuum sections are only totally off or fully on (not variable in this respect), But the User Manual indicates there is a Vacuum Bleed Valve that “can be adjusted to reduce or increase the amount of vacuum suction on the media.” There is a gauge to keep track.

Either way, each of the three sections is independent of the other. There are three zones to start with, but you can redesign the size of the zones to suit the size of the materials you work with the most. This is a unique feature that I am not familiar with on any other UV flatbed (perhaps others have it and no one previously commented on that feature).

The variable aspects of this Oce vacuum system is one of the main features which the adroit booth attendants show potential buyers. Thus I was surprised to see in the User’s Manual the statement that you have to “mask active vacuum zones not covered with media.” If I interpret this correctly, it means you have to put some other material on top of the table to stop the vacuum and direct the vacuum to the area where the media is placed.

Can the vacuum be too strong for thin materials, and cause them to deform?21. Yes, here Oce is honest, and describes the vacuum issues when a material is too thin. Then you may have to use a spoil board for the material.

At VISCOM Italy the vacuum had sucked so hard that it left depressions (marks) in the material that Oce had used to cover the table in order to concentrate the vacuum under the actual object being printed.


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STRUCTURE OF THE PRINTER: Media Transport Mechanism & Media Path

Is this a dedicated flatbed with no roll-to-roll capability? Or is this a true flatbed or just add-on feeder 22. platforms at front and back?

This is a dedicated flatbed, but it was originally conceived of as having an add-on roll-fed capability. This roll-fed add-on system seemingly has major issues, and so was not shown at ISA 2007, not even as a prototype.

Was this printer made originally as a UV-curable ink printer, or is it retrofitted with UV-curing? If retrofitted, 23. what was the original brand or model?

This is originally made from the ground up as a UV-curable ink flatbed system. Oce no longer designs or makes solvent ink printers since the solvent printer market was taken over by Chinese, Koreans, Gandinnovations, Mutoh, Mimaki, and Roland.

How is media held flat? Vacuum table? Pinch rollers?24. The media is held flat by vacuum. I can’t help but notice that on the Mimaki JV-1631, that the Japanese operator always uses masking tape to tape down all four edges in addition to using their vacuum.

Oce Arizona 250 UV flatbed table, FESPA 07


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LINING UP FLAT MATERIAL (to help it feed straight)

Is a feeder-stacker option available?25. Stacker-feeders were shown for the Durst Rho early on, but were not exhibited in the last several years. Stacker-feeders were advertised for other brands, but never appeared at trade shows. Thus it is unlikely that a stacker-feeder will appear for this Oce printer.

Is there a registration gate that is lowered across the back printing area?26. No registration gate.

Instead they offer “table rulers” or “media registration cards.”

Is two-sided printing realistic? Is there a special mechanism for registering the position of the image on 27. the second side?

Yes, you need to tell the RIP software what you are trying to achieve, and put the material in the position indicated in the manual.

Do you have to hand measure the media height, to enter it manually into the software?28. Yes, you must stop and measure each new material by hand.

Rigid material being prepared to be printed with the Oce Arizona 250GT


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ROLL-FED

How is roll media fed? Pinch roller against grit roller? 34. The innovative Roll Media Option of Oce does not use either a pinch roller or a grit roller. Instead the media is pulled through the system by the take-up roller. Tension is maintained by motor control between the take-up roller and feeding roller. The idea is that the material is never touched on the printing side by any rollers.

At SGIA ’06 there was a provisional roll-fed system attached to the printer. But this roll-fed option never reappeared during 2007 (at least not so far).

This naturally suggests “it is still being worked on” which suggests it needed to be redesigned. This is not surprising since no other dedicated flatbed has a flawlessly operating roll-fed system: the closest would be that of the NUR Tempo, but one end-user said it was a bit problematical.

Mimaki has the most rudimentary roll-fed system of an otherwise dedicated flatbed; it is simply a holder for a spindle at one end of the printer. There is no attempt to make it fully functional. You would have to pull it across the flatbed by hand, and tape it down, unless the vacuum would hold it down evenly.

Gerber is attempting to design an add-on roll-fed system to its dedicated “ion” UV printer, but so far, during the entire year that this prototype has been shown, I have not seen the roll-to-roll add-on function.

This is a polite way of saying, don’t expect to seriously be able to print on roll-fed material on most flatbeds. The NUR Tempo being (so far) the only exception.

FLATBED ASPECTS (for dedicated flatbeds)

If a dedicated flatbed, how many sections is the flatbed divided into?29. Yes, this is a dedicated flatbed whose table is one continuous piece.

If a dedicated flatbed, do the edges (joins) of the sections of the table cause a noticeable imprint on thin 30. material?

Because the flatbed is not in sections, there are no edges to cause an imprint or ripple on any thin materials.

Is pin registration present? How many pins? What is their position(s)?31. No pin registration system is employed. Gandinnovations has a full pin registration system as do some other flatbeds.

One issue with any registration system on two sides is that every UV printer operator that I have interviewed says that much (and sometimes most) of the materials are not cut at a perfect 90-degrees by the manufacturer. This issue is especially awkward for a combo or hybrid printer if you try to line up a rigid board at the end and simultaneously at the side.

If no pin registration system is present, what kind of other registration system is available?32. Oce has an innovative concept of “table rulers” or “media registration cards” instead of pin registration. This also helps lower the cost; whether it increases the manual labor will be a question for your printer operator to find out.

Does the printhead carriage move across the widest dimension of the table (like Gandy Jeti or Oce 250), 33. or across the narrow dimension (this is how Inca does it)?

The Oce Arizona 250 prints across the long axis which is more efficient than the Inca or Mimaki which both print across the narrow axis.


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Unless you consider the Zund 250: it is not widely known that the Zund 250 has an optional dedicated flatbed add-on. I have tested this in the Zund factory and have also seen it operate at FESPA ’07. It is a full-fledged flatbed. But this same Zund model 250 printer also has a full-fledged roll-fed system, indeed it has a double set of pinch+drive rollers. This Zund also offers six colors (not available on the Oce) and white ink (not available on the Oce).

You can download our report on the Zund UVjet 250-combi from www.wide-format-printers.NET. Although this printer was cancelled by Zund (they are too successful with flatbed cutters, where they can make more profit than with UV printers), there may be a successful from another Swiss company.

What size? What positions are the rollers relative to each other?35. The Oce has no pinch or pressure rollers whatsoever.

Although rollers might not be expected for a dedicated flatbed, other flatbeds do in fact have pinch rollers. The Skyjet flatbed actually has two sets of rollers. And more and more combo printers have pinch rollers as well.

If there are no pinch/grit rollers, is the media held by tension?36. There are five components of the roll feeding system, positioned at approximately equal distances: • Feed roller • Dancer bar • Capstan • Gimble • Take-up roller.

There is interaction among the different components (to maintain the proper tension) based on sensors.

All the rollers are one continuous roller, not a series of individual smaller rollers.

How is the roll held at the feeding position? On a spindle? On a saddle?37. Roll-fed material is held in a fixed position on a media shaft that supports the use of 3-inch cores (no other core dimension is usable).

How is the roll media handled at feeding position? For example, is there a dancer bar?38. Yes, there is a dancer bar, on the input side of the platen, before the capstan.

Is the feeding area for roll-fed material physically attached to the printer or is it out in front and not 39. attached (as on the GRAPO Octopus).The roll-to-roll area is physically attached to the printer but the roll-feeding path is completely independent of the flatbed table itself. The roll-fed media does not need to go up, over, or have any need to interact with the flatbed table (the flatbed table is not the platen for the roll-fed system).

The best way to see a jerry-rigged contrast is to look at the Mimaki flatbed’s add-on roll-fed mechanism. This was stuck on after they noticed the Oce prototype. The difference is that Oce designed their flatbed knowing they would have a roll-fed attachment. The Mimaki was designed as a dedicated flatbed with no original intention of having to accommodate roll-fed material. The closest to the Oce system is that of Gerber.

At the front, is there an extra roller bar(s) near the platen or transport belt? Is it a bar to roll under the 40. media, or over the media, or are there both (in addition to pinch roller/grit roller arrangement).“The platen has two components (one on either side): on the input side is a non-driven rotating capstan roller and on the output side there is a non-driven non-rotating gimble.

The capstan serves to accurately monitor material advance and pass along this information to the printer controller to trigger active compensation before the next printing swath. The gimble serves to keep the media both smooth and in proper tension. The gimble works in unison with the dancer bar on the input side of the capstan.”

http://www.wide-format-printers.NET.


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How is the roll media handled at take-up position? For example, is there a dancer bar?41. The gimble immediately precedes the take-up roller in the system. This arrangement keeps the media in tension, along with the dancer bar on the other side.

How to you fasten roll-fed media to the take-up reel?42. As with most printers, you can either use simple tape, or use a “leader” to avoid wasting media.

Describe the overall path of the media through the system?43. “Media is fed from the feed-roller, around a dancer bar, up to a large, non-driven capstan, across the platen (where it will be printed), around a gimble, and onto the take-up roller.”

Does roll-fed media feed evenly?44. In theory, yes, the combination of the dancer bar and gimble are supposed to assure that the media feeds evenly through the system.

For handling ink that passes through the weave of fabrics or mesh, is there a trough? Or other mechanism 45. to catch the ink?There is no trough for printing on fabrics or mesh unless the material has a release liner.

Is there a cutter? Is it manual or automatic.46. There is a cutting slot, for using an X-Acto cutter or comparable (manually).

Is the cutter up near the platen (where cutting residue can eventually clog the printhead nozzles), or is the 47. cutter further out, where detritus is not as much an issue?Cleverly the cutting slow is more than 10 cm out in front of the print zone. It would be expected that the media would move most debris away from the print zone anyway.

STRUCTURE: Miscellaneous

Does the printer have leveling supports? How many, and how strong?48. The wheels are leveling supports all in one common structure. On most other printers they are separate. This is an individual design; both kinds of solution are acceptable as long as the structure is robust enough.

Oce Arizona 250 UV at ISA 07. The wheels and leveling supports were designed as a unitary structure


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TABLES for Combo or Hybrid Flatbed

To change from roll-to-roll to rigid, what do you have to do?49. Once the roll-fed system is finished (an uncertain amount of time at present), in theory, you will be able to switch back and forth without moving tables or switching anything but a software control.

But see our warning in a previous section: most dedicated flatbeds lack roll-fed attachments because it’s awkward to have both systems in one machine. The NUR and Zund 250 are the only that succeed having both so far.

UPGRADES, Future Improvements?

What features have been added in the last six months?50. A static suppression system has been added as an extra-cost option. Static suppression is helpful for hard plastics and certain other materials.

The roll media option is of course the most significant new feature.

What features are being added, or changed, further out in time?51. The roll-fed option will supposedly be available in the future. But since this feature was already listed and offered at the launch in 2006, but was hastily withdrawn and never shown in 2007, there is only one logical conclusion: if they can’t get it to work during the course of twelve months of 2007, and since no other printer company has been able to make a roll-fed adaptation to a dedicated flatbed function, it is unlikely a true roll-to-roll system is likely to suddenly fall out of the sky in 2008 that actually functions fully. Even Gerber is having a challenge to get their roll-fed system to function in association with a dedicated flatbed (but their problem is more the ink than the feeding of a roll, since Gerber cleverly realized you can’t ever feed roll material over a dedicated flatbed platform).

“Common sense upgrades are possible in the future.”

Are upgrades modular, or are you stuck buying a completely separate new printer?52. So far, upgrades have been modular.

What firmware upgrades have been made available?53. As is typical for most new printers, firmware updates have been issued to improve usability and overcome deficiencies. The fact that firmware is updates is a good sign.

Now that the roll-fed option is available, there is new firmware to facilitate the roll-fed option.


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Miscellaneous

What moves: • the flatbed platform, • the printhead area,• only the material (fed by roller table; then gripped 54. and fed by the printhead area mechanism as on a regular printer; or both?

The table is stationary, as on the Inca Spyder and as on the Mimaki flatbed.

On the Gandinnovations printer the table moves in a forward direction. On the Inca Columbia the table moves like a rocket back and forth.

If the objects you are printing are not as wide as the full width of the printer, does the printing carriage still 55. have to cross the entire space, or can the printing assembly hover just over the area of what has to be printed (and thereby be a bit faster?).

Yes, this printer can hover.

Printhead carriage moves across the flatbed table Oce. Arizona 250 UV, SGIA 06


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OPERATING THE PRINTER

Can the operator manage print jobs via the Internet with this printer?56. Onyx ProductionHouse and Onyx PosterShop RIP software have Internet access capabilities.

Do you get an LCD screen in the printer or a real computer monitor? How big is the screen or monitor?57. The system is unique in that the monitor is not attached to the printer at all; it is a monitor on a stand. You can put the stand anywhere around the printer.

You can see the monitor in the upper left corner. It is not attached to the printer

Is the position of the LCD screen or monitor user-adaptable?58. The monitor is fixed on the stand so does not swivel on the stand, but you can swivel the stand if you wish.

How many operators or operator assistants does this printer require?59. This printer requires only one operator.

Where does the operator stand or sit?60. The operator can move the control station wherever desired. Normally it’s at the right front end.


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What controls are on either end?61. At the right end is the main power switch, coolant reservoir level, and ink filters.

Is a foot pedal included (for operating aspects of the printer)?62. There is a foot pedal for activating the vacuum.

Is there a pole with beacon lights?63. Dilli was among the first to use a vertical pole with beacon lights. The Oce does not have a pole, and has only two lights, yellow and green. In the User Manual text it is mislabeled as 16 (it is actually labeled as 7 in the photograph).

Vacuum pedal These are the only lights the printer has. They are located at the top of the printer carriage.

CONSTRUCTION (BUILD QUALITY)

What is the solid-ness of the construction of the outer body? Is it plastic? Metal? Heavy gauge?64. The outer body appears well designed, solidly built, and of adequate strength. The material is primarily metal which makes it better than printers made of cheap plastic.

The Oce T220 UV was built like a Mack truck (though with an engine of a Yugo). The 250 GT has a better engine but does not look like a Mack truck.

Reportedly the design team included David Emmett (spelling uncertain), who did R&D for the Cymbolic Sciences LightJet. Additional innovation came from the Oce teams in Venlo, The Netherlands. So this printer was not entirely in the hands of the teams who came up with the T220 series (which unfortunately failed in the marketplace). Printers (such as the T220UV) built by engineers for engineers tend to be over-engineered (and not very practical).

The Oce Arizona 250 is not over-engineered; this can be interpreted as a downside or a plus feature, depending on your point of view.

Is there both a front hood and a back hood?65. There is no hood at all, none. So neither front nor back.


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AESTHETICS

How would you describe the design of the printer?68. Attractive design, rather slick for a production printer. Looks agile (not heavy like a tank).

Can you easily tell which is the “front” and which is the “back’?69. Has scalloped struts at the back so you can load at the back. Otherwise there is not that much to distinguish the front from the back, though both can be figured out: the front of the carriage is one indicator of the front of the overall machine. But it is not like the Seiko ColorPainter 64S (HP Designjet 9000s) where the front and back are hard to distinguish unless you know the printer well (or unless you see it printing).

How would you describe the overall workmanship of visible parts? Clean (Swiss made), or flimsy and 66. uneven (several Chinese-made printers)?

Workmanship is good.

What sensors does the printer have?67. As expected for a printer with a European heritage (though it is actually manufactured in Canada) this machine has a dozen sensors, including head temperature coolant sensor, vacuum, etc.

To know what is the front of the printhead carriage is a safe way to tell which is the front and which is the back of the printer.


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SET-UP OF THE PRINTER: PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

What is the delivery time, between the time I order the printer and it is delivered?70. There was a six month backlog of orders at the beginning. This backlog gets less as time goes on, and will perhaps be even less as competitors come out with newer models.

What are the electrical requirements of this printer? This means, will the building have to be rewired.71. • 50 Hz, 200-240 VAC, single phase, 16A• 60 Hz, 208-240 VAC, single phase, 16A.

Do you need to budget installing a ventilation or room exhaust system?72. All UV printers need room ventilation, for everything from ozone to misting ink to general odor. The operator’s manual states clearly that room exhaust ventilation is absolutely required. So this cost needs to be factored in (but you would have the same cost for any brand of UV printer; they all need ventilation, just that some companies try to avoid being realistic and don’t warn you of this up front).

However there may be a difference in what the manual admits about ventilation (which you find out only once you buy the machine) and what you are told at a trade show.

Are there any special temperature or humidity requirements or preferences of this printing system?73. Temperature 18 to 30 degrees, with it being preferable to not have much fluctuation during the day.

Relative humidity should be between 30% to 70%.


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What about altitude? Some cities such as Guatemala City are at a high altitude?74. This printer will operate at an altitude between 0 to 2400 meters, so it’s fine for most parts of the world (our office is at 1500 meters, three volcanoes are on the near horizon).

What is the connectivity? Network, SCSI, FireWire, or other?75. Network, 100Base-T.

What air pressure is required to be provided to the printer? Is this for a vacuum table, or other purposes 76. (such as ventilation)?

No outside air pressure is required; the printer has this feature self-contained.

Realistically, how much surrounding and support space will the equipment need in addition to the 77. machine’s own footprint.

The printer itself needs 4 x 7 meters (13 x 23 feet) for intelligent space. But this does not count all the space you really need to handle the flat rigid materials, both for loading, unloading, and storage.

Does the printer come in one piece? Does this mean you have to remove a wall to get the printer this size 78. into your office?

Your doors need to be at least 1.67 m (66”) wide.

What is the size and weight of the printer?79. 4.1 meters wide by 2 m long, 161.4” by 78.7 inches, weights 550 kg which is 1,212.5 lbs.

The crate (+printer) weighs 816 kg, 1800 lbs. The crate is 2.146 x 4.229 x 1.435 meters high.


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INSTALLATION OF THE PRINTER

How many manuals are available?80. The site prep guide and User Manual are readily available. Any other manuals that may exist are not readily available unless you own the printer.

Is there a Site Preparation Guide? If so, is it helpful?81. Yes, there is a Site Preparation Guide of 20 pages; it was not yet made available at first, but Oce did kindly send an early version of the User Manual. Subsequently both became readily downloadable via the Internet.

The illustrations that show clearly how much space is required to get the printer out of the crate are helpful.

What is the rating of usefulness of the User’s Manual and other associated materials?82. The User Manual is friendly in appearance and professionally designed. The User Manual is 134 pages, the briefest of most outside of a Chinese manual. This is not bad, and not a demerit in a review, just a statement of fact. A substantial portion of the first dozen pages is strong warning against serious UV light damage to your eyes. These warnings are repeated over and over.

The early version I was provided is Rev B.

The manual has an index but no glossary, but an index is good (because not all manuals have one).

Is the Service Manual for the end-user or only for tech-support?83. The Service Manual is intended only for the tech support person, not the end-user.

What is the native language of these guides? Is the translation acceptable?84. The native language is English, In theory this main manual is supposed to be in eight languages; EU regulations require that a manual must be in the language of the country a machine is sold into. The acceptability of the translation would have to be judged eight times.

There is one spelling error on page 11, Guage should be Gauge. In the User Manual text it is mislabeled as 16 (it is actually labeled as 7 in the photograph). The same word is misspelled again on page 42, but in a different way,”Gague.”

We don’t consider this a serious sin, since there are spelling errors in any written work (including the FLAAR Reports). Poor spelling is only a demerit if it is on every other page and part of a cheap translation. Here it’s just a single word, albeit twice. The Oce manual is significantly better than the Chinese manuals I have seen. Even manuals translated from major manufacturers in Japan are stilted and not fluent English. So the Oce manual is better than adequate in comparison.

What kind of cut-away drawings or other drawings exist that show the various parts of the printer?85. So far have not found any cut-away drawings at all, but there is a good photo of the front of the printer. Lack of good drawings is the primary weak point of the manual when you compare it with other manuals that have excellent drawings of front, back, and both sides.

How hard, or easy, are the manuals to obtain BEFORE you buy the printer?86. Very easy. Oce deserves honorable mention for making their User Manual easily available.

Do people also come for a pre-installation site inspection? From the factory or from the distributor or from 87. the dealer?

There is not necessarily an actual pre-site inspection by a person from the manufacturer or distributor. Whether a pre-site inspector comes, or whether this is done by e-mail or telephone, may depend on the local dealer, distributor or the relationship of the local sales rep with the printshop.


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TRAINING

Is training included in the purchase price? If so, what kind of training is offered? 88. The original price includes the printer and warranty. A “Quickstart” training is included during the installation.

If you already know the basics, you can request advanced training.

Is training necessary? Is classroom training available? 89. Yes, training is both useful and helpful. Classroom training at an Oce demo center is available as “Advanced level” (one day) and/or Advanced+Color Management (two days). The location of training depends on what part of the world you are in.

Is factory training available?90. No.

What on-line training is available?91. Not available.

What about follow-up training after you have had the printer a month and know enough to ask better 92. questions?

Yes, Oce offers follow-up training, as requested.

What expenses do you have to pay relative to training? Is training at your site (so you have no transportation 93. costs) or do you have to send your people to be trained at the manufacturer (you have to pay airfare, hotel, and meals)?

For the Oce trainer during installation, this initial on-site training includes all travel expenses, lodging, meals, since this is part of the installation.

Later classroom training is free for the training, but the customer covers their own personal expenses.

Realistically, what expenses must you incur for the installation, such as a fork-lift truck or crane to lift the 94. printer off the truck?

Normal installation expenses are covered when you pay the manufacturer/distributor/reseller for installation. So, if the printer has to be lifted up to a second floor, then naturally you will incur an extra cost.

Between the day the printer arrives, how soon is it realistic to achieve full productivity? 95. The date you can begin to do serious productivity, without still experimenting, depends greatly on what material you print on, level of training and experience, and other factors. People that bought a Luscher found it took several months to learn about everything. On Oce, getting going will not take anywhere near this much time. But this is something you can best learn about by asking end-users.

How much of a learning curve is there?96. Oce correctly points out that the learning curve depends on the skill level of the operator.

For this question I appreciate the honesty of the manufacturer: “ONYX ProductionHouse software is the most complex part of the system, but it is no different than driving any other printer.” This is precisely what I hear from other people in the printing industry. This is why I have begun to evaluate Caldera RIP, which appears much easier to use. I even went to their headquarters in Strasbourg to test it in person, after experiencing it first at Mutoh Europe demo room and then at the Durst demo room in Europe.


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TECH SUPPORT & WARRANTY

What is the original warranty period?97. Original warranty is comparable to that of most other printers: 12 months, but does not include heat replacement. Heads are replaced at Oce’s cost only if head is DOA at time of installation of the head.

Does it include parts, labor, printheads?98. Printheads do not appear to be included in the warranty except if there is a manufacturing defect; in other words if the printhead is DOA when you buy it, then it is replaced. But there is, so far, no indication that a printhead will be replaced if it fails later on.

Most other warranties replace the printhead if it fails for any reason (other than user error, namely a head strike).

CLEANING & MAINTENANCE NEEDS

How easy is it to access the area where you have to clean the heads?99. The service station (maintenance station) has a cover. You simply slide it open to access the suction nozzles.

How is head cleaning accomplished? Spray, vacuum, manual, other?100. This printer has a unique manual “vacuum cleaner.” This reminds me of the mini vacs that you buy to clean off computer keyboards. Flora, a Chinese-made UV printer, uses a regular home vacuum cleaner; just put the end of the vacuum near the heads and suck away.

To what degree is purging manual, and to what degree is it manual?101. Manual, one head at a time.

Some other printers have automatic head cleaning, but with the Oce you have to open and close valves by hand.


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To initiate a purge, where is the control or button? Is it software generated or do you have to press a 102. button? Is the button on the outside of the printer, or inside on the carriage?

You purge at the back left area.

Is there a capping station?103. No capping station.

What is the nature of the service station?104. There is no wiper blade.

Is the service area the same as the parking area?105. Yes, they are the same area, at the left.

Does this printer spit, or “weep” (“flash”) at regular intervals?106. No spitting.

Do you need to have a band of printable colors along the edge, outside the main printed area, to keep all 107. printheads and their colored inks fresh and ready to print (so as not to dry out when not be used by the colors in the design)?

No band of printable colors is needed.

What about waste containers to hold the purged ink? How much ink do they hold? How often do they fill 108. up?

There is no waste container, in part because the printer does not spit. There is only a tray to catch the purged ink. The waste tray holds 1.5 liters (about $300 worth of ink).

How often does the waste container need to be emptied 109. It is very rare that a printer manufacturer lists this in the spec sheet, especially with ink at over $200 per liter. With some printers, it is flush solution and ink together that fill up the tray. Flush solution usually costs less than the ink.

So far the VUTEk QS printers have the most honest answer of how often theirs has to be emptied, and it was more often than I would have thought.

Printhead cleaning vacuum system


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Do you have to drain the on-board container manually? Or just remove one bottle and place an empty 110. bottle in it’s place?

You have to manually open the drain, and drain it into a separate container that you have to hold in your hand. This is one way the price of the printer is kept low: lots of hands-on activities. So you need to estimate which is lower cost in the long run: a printer that does all this automatically, or doing everything manually with your hourly-wage employees all month.

Where is the waste ink container situated?111. The waste tray is appropriately below the service station area.

Do you have to manually open and close a valve to let the flush solution flow through a printhead? Is it 112. individual for each printhead? Or is it automatic from the LCD touch screen or keyboard?

There is no flush system (tubing) in the printer. This is not necessarily a positive or negative attribute, but more a reflection of the fact that this is not a retrofitted solvent printer.

Does the manufacturer provide any special cleaning tools?113. The primary “special cleaning tool” is the vacuum (literally a vacuum cleaner) plus swabs.

Does the manufacturer provide any special cleaning liquids?114. The flush liquid is only for wetting the swab. There is no flush bath or filling the heads with flush (at least not during normal usage).

MAINTENANCE

What daily maintenance is required at start up in the morning?115. “Reset meniscus, purge, and vacuum the heads” is what we were told.The manual states:• Turn on the ink heater• Wait until the ink reaches 40 degrees C• Clean the underside of the carriage• Perform printhead maintenanceThis is a relatively easy procedure.

What daily maintenance is required at night?116. “Nothing, there is no set shutdown procedure.” But if you check the manual you are told to• Turn off the UV lamps• Turn off the vacuum• Swab the printheads• Turn off the ink heaterThis is all easy and simple to accomplish.

What daily maintenance is required if you print the entire day long?117. Nothing special.

How complex is it to align the printheads?118. Alignment is normally needed only at the factory. But there is an alignment test print and procedure, but this is for the tech support person, not normally for the end-user.


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Is there a sleep mode? Should the machine ever be turned off? Does this entail having a UPS unit to 119. guarantee it is on all the time?

As with many UV printers, you need to keep the power on all the time because you need the slight negative pressure to keep the ink inside the printheads. Otherwise ink will drip out in an uncontrolled manner.

How should a printer be prepared for sitting unused for a long time?120. Even if only for a weekend, before shutting down, you need to do a printhead maintenance and head swab. Then close the ink vacuum shutoff valves.

SAFETY & HEALTH CONCERNS

How many emergency stop buttons are there? Where are they located?121. Three emergency stop buttons are visible on the outside surface of the printer, one on the operations table (next to the monitor) and one at each end of the bridge (the structure for the printhead carriage).

How much ozone is produced? 122. In UV lamps of the current generation, ozone tends to be produced primarily while the lamp is heating up. Once the lamp is up to full temperature, little or no more ozone is produced.

Is there any ozone suppression system inside the printer?123. No.


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Is the machine enclosed, or exposed?124. The printhead carriage is exposed.

Dr. Ray Work has written about the potential safety factors in an open exposed system (in general, since the Oce 250 was not known previously). Vince Cahill, a widely recognized industry expert on UV printers, has also commented on issues of exposed systems in general.

In distinction the Mimaki JF-1631 has enclosed their system virtually completely, more so than on their alpha model, and more so again than the beta model, due to feedback in part from FLAAR (as consultant). ColorSpan has now enclosed all their models. Gandinnovations has also reacted to general industry consensus by enclosing their 4x8’ model (larger models not being practical to enclose with a lid). The trend is more and more to enclose the UV-lamp area and to enclose the area where misting of ink may occur.

Is there a front hood only? Or a front and also a back hood?125. There are no hoods whatsoever.

What keeps UV lamp light from leaving from the space between the bottom of the hood and the 126. platen or transport belt?

In the present design, there is no protection from the high light that shines (reflects) out the bottom. Oce responds that their printer meets all standards.

There is light leak especially at both edges of a print run when the light hits the edge of the table.

What kind of “skirt” exists along the bottom of the hood to prevent light leakage?127. Since there is no hood, there can’t be a skirt. The skirt is what (on other systems) prevents the serious light leak. The Zund 215 would be an example of an open system with serious light leaks especially at the end.


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What system of ventilation or exhaust system is built into the printer? Or if not required, what would 128. common sense dictate? Is it adequate to clear the work area of gasses and fumes?

Since the printer is not enclosed, there is no ventilation or exhaust system built in. Look at the DuPont Cromaprint 22uv in distinction. This has a serious exhaust system built in.

What is the noise level, primarily of the fans for the vacuum?129. The noise level is not as bad as UV printers which don’t have their own internal air pump for the vacuum. I would rate the noise level as better than expected (in other words, the noise is not thunderous). This is because the vacuum pump is “sound-dampened.”

Do the printer specs list the noise level?130. As with most printers you only see the noise level when you get the User’s Manual. Then you learn it “does not exceed 75dB). It says “provide noise protection enclosure or remove pump from location.” The question would be, where are you supposed to move the pump? Outside?

What moving parts might hit a person if they are standing near the printer?131. The Manta and the Lüscher are careful to have bright striped warning tape to warn you about their moving gantry. This safety feature is missing on the Oce.

Are any other safety or health issues involved? Does the operator need to be concerned with any other 132. safety precautions?

Most of the health issues of UV-cured inks are still not fully known, and definitely not adequately published. For example, how long does the ink really cure? What measures and standards exist to measure this? How long does the polymerization process continue, and what about ink that has misted? These are general questions, not specifically directed toward this one printer model.

Is the Operator Manual so poorly translated that you might make a mistake; a mistake that could be 133. damaging to your health, or otherwise dangerous for your printshop?

Several of the user manuals that I have read, that were translated from Chinese, and even from Japanese for better known brands, were poorly done. Some were inexcusably bad. But since Oce is a multi-national company, you can expect their English manual to be acceptable.


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How easy is it to obtain the MSDS of the ink?134. It is rare that the MSDS of the ink is easy to obtain. If the MSDS is an auto-download from the company website, this is how it should be. But most companies do not wish the end user to know which brand of ink is being used, so hiding the MSDS is not necessarily an attempt to hide the dangers, but may be to hide the source of the ink.

How is the UV light shielded so it does not burn the eyes of the operator? Does operator have to wear 135. safety glasses?

Dr. Ray Work has been a vocal industry spokesperson about light leak in general, as has an international consultant in UV-printers, Vincent Cahill. They speak about the potential damage to your retina. They and others also discuss the issue of misting. So this is an issue we are following due to their having raised these questions. The Oce is new, so was not available to them for their reports. Thus I would defer to them on their considerations of the dangers inherent in the open design of this printer.

Other UV printers have total enclosure, even skirts all along the front of the carriage. Even Chinese printers now have skirts. Yet a few brands have open designs, like the ColorSpan 72uv. But they stopped their open design precisely because of feedback. Same with Mimaki: their first design for the JF-1631 was closed, but not closed enough. So now it is much more sealed, even with a completely new hood design.

The Oce manual states: UV Light Hazard: Wear Eye and Skin Protection. Eyewear, Gloves, and Long Sleeves are essential for Users and Bystanders. Special restrictions and protective measures are essential - These include the use of Eye and Dermal (skin) Protection. Industrial Protective Eyewear with lenses that block both UVA and UVB must be used. Long sleeved work clothes and gloves are essential to reduce the Skin’s exposure to UV emissions. Avoid looking directly at UV lamps.

I have yet to see any UV printer operator with Dermal Protection or gloves, much less Industrial Protective Eyewear. This simply does not happen. Any clever lawyer could easily argue that it is not normal in the workplace to actually wear any of this whatsoever.

The most telling statement is:

Caution:Warning for Seated Individuals: The UV Emissions and Blue Light Emissions profile of the Arizona 250 GT is at its worst for individuals in a seated position (Table Height of 90cm). Remove all chairs within 5 metres (16 feet) of the printer.

There then follows two more paragraphs of drastic warnings about UV light radiation hazards emission. The Site Prep guide (available as an easy download) states: “Superficial eye damage and burning of the skin can occur with even brief exposure to UV light. Serious injuries can result from prolonged exposure, especially if unshielded.”

Now you can see why Dr Ray Work and Vincent Cahill have written so many articles and have made so many comments to colleagues during trade shows. You can also now understand why Gandinnovations completely de-did all its new flatbed printers: they are totally enclosed.

Same with Mimaki: their prototype the IPF model was wide open. Their “finished product” that I saw at the launch for Europe (December 2006) was more closed but had serious light leak if you were seated, or at the end or back. The critique was so strong that Mimaki completely redesigned the printer carriage and now has total coverage. This is much cheaper than a single lawsuit.

How do users know if they are allergic to the non-cured ink?136. As with all chemicals, allergic reactions can take many forms. But people we have spoken with indicate that if you spill non-cured UV ink on your skin, if you are sensitive, you will notice it quickly (and painfully). But even if you do not react immediately, you do not want to have UV ink or the flush for UV printheads on your skin.


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PRINTHEAD TECHNOLOGY

Which brand printhead is used?137. Oce declines to identify the printheads but it is generally concluded by everyone else that the heads are most likely from Toshiba Tec.

Is the printhead identified in the spec 138. sheet brochure by brand or also by model, or not at all?

Mimaki and Oce do not list their printheads. Mimaki declines to identify them if you ask. But once you buy the printer obviously you will find out what brand they are. And if you are in the industry it will take you an hour or so to learn which heads are in the Mimaki. It took me a bit longer to learn which are in the Oce printer. Nowadays it is general knowledge which brand of head is used; no one seems to ask about, or care about, which specific model it is.

We publish these printhead specs in our respective reports on Mimaki and Oce because if a print shop is about to pay over $100,000 to buy a printer, and if they are expect to choose between six different brands and models, it is logical that they want to know about the printheads before they make their

final decision. In fact, for cars, in the US, it is not legal to hide the name of the manufacturer of major components of the car. This law is a result of a lawsuit of a man who bought a Cadillac, found out the engine was just a rebranded Chevy engine, and sued, stating he had bought a Cadillac and expected that everything in his car would be a Cadillac. Both Mimaki and Oce use heads that are at the elite level of a Cadillac, so there is no need to hide their brand name.

Toshiba Tec heads use patents licensed from Xaar.

When a printer manufacturer attempts to claim that they make the heads (Durst for their Array and to some degree Oce for this printer) it is misleading and potentially untrue. No printer manufacturer of UV machines makes their own heads (other than possible Scitex Vision, so perhaps HP Scitex in the future).

It is not productive to use smoke and mirrors to bamboozle clients into thinking your printer offers something unique: Toshiba Tec heads are available now even on cheap Chinese printers (a good reason for Oce to want to try to distinguish their use of these heads!).

How many other printers utilize the same printhead? Have they shown any problems?139. Mimaki and Oce both use Toshiba Tec heads. Flora is now offering Toshiba Tec heads on its combo-style 1.8 meter UV printer.

Variable-drop size grayscale heads are great for 4-pt type, but these heads are a challenge to manage with software when you have only four colors.


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PRINTHEAD DPI & Features

What is the drop size in picoliters? 142. 6 to 42 picoliters, greyscale variable droplet technology from Toshiba Tec.

Bi-DIRECTIONAL VS Uni-DIRECTIONAL PRINTING

Is the sequence of ink color laydown the same coming and going? (rare). Or is the sequence of colors 143. bi-directionally a different sequence than uni-directional? (the usual way).

Even though there are two heads per color, I was told that the sequence of color laydown is not mirrored, but is different in one direction than the other. I would have expected a more sophisticated way to design the color sequence.

How many printheads per color?140. Two.

How many total number of printheads?141. Eight.

PRINTHEAD PositioningAre printheads in a single row, or staggered?144. Single row.

How is the nozzle plate protected? Is it recessed?145. Yes, there is a metal bumper.

PRINTHEAD: Associated Features

Can the end-user vary the printhead temperature, or is the temperature fixed?146. This is not for the end-user to tweak.

Can the firing frequency be varied by the end-user? 147. With this printer Oce prefers that the end-user not try to get into the system and change setting values.

With Spectra heads on a Gandinnovations printer, you can (and may wish or need to) tweak the firing frequency of the heads.

Is negative pressure required to maintain the ink (without the ink dripping out the printhead when the 148. machine is turned off)?

Most UV printers use a slight negative pressure on the printheads.

Is the negative pressure user variable?149. Yes you can, but there is not much reason for the user to do this.

PRINTHEAD Life Expectancy

What is true life expectancy of this print head? Is the printhead considered a consumable? 150. “Three to four years, or more. The average loss of heads is about one head per year per printer.”

How often can you expect head strikes? What causes them? Who will replace the printheads and at 151. whose cost?

A headstrike is considered a user error and the user has to pay for the new printhead and installation costs.


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SUBSTRATES

Can this printer handle printer rigid material only, or roll-to-roll only, or both interchangeably?153. The present model can handle rigid material only. The price of the roll-to-roll option is not yet set since this op-tion is not yet operable enough to reveal at a trade show.

What sizes of material can be printed on?154. The flatbed can hold material 1.25 by 2.5 meters, which is 49 x 98 inches. So this table can hold a 4x8’ MDO board or any other standard US sized sheet, which tend to be 4x8 ft. But it can’t hold a 2x3 meter board for a European printshop as can the Gandinnovations Jeti 2030 printer that is made specifically to hold a 2x3 meter board. The Oce can hold only 1.25 x 2.5.

What are the most common causes of printhead failure? 152. Headstrikes against the edge of the substrate or if the substrate bubbles up due to heat. It is possible for an electrical issue to cause a head to fail, but that is not common.

What materials can this printer print on okay?158. Any UV printer can print on most materials just fine, including on Acrylic, Styrene, Dibond. But the question is not whether it can print, but whether the ink subsequently rubs off, flakes off, or chips off. What if you cut the material with a CNC router or XY flatbed cutter? Sintra is renowned for chipping at the edge if you use some Sericol UV inks. I hear this from many people, including end-users that I know in person.

Materials that may be a problem with the Oce Arizona 250 and Acuity version include DiBond, Plexiglas, Coroplast, Sintra, and Styrene. The degree of problem, or lack of problems, will depend on how the material is pre-treated (or not), and how the material is used after printing.

Sample printing on styrene

SUBSTRATES, Issues

Considering that Oce is a European company, the size is a bit short, but does handle the American size, so perhaps this is the target market.

If roll-to-roll, what core diameter(s) will this 155. printer accept?

Only a 3” core is usable.

How about maximum roll diameter or 156. weight?

The system can accommodate rolls from 90 cm to 2.2 meters in width.

What thickness can this printer handle?157. 4.8 cm, 1.89 inches. This is enough for basic rigid signage material, but a tad slim for some architectural materials.


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SUBSTRATES: Cleaning, Priming, Preparation

There may also be additional materials that have issues. Obviously no trade magazine publishes even the first five most common (listed above). We are keeping track and update this FLAAR Report when we have significant new information.

What materials can this printer print on sort of okay, but where you have to overcome problems?159. You can print on glass, but the question is adhesion (scratching).

Carpets have issues with fibers getting onto the printhead nozzle plates. This is true on all printers; this is not a defect just in the Oce Arizona 250.

Can you print on mirrors?160. You should be careful, or even beware, of printing on mirrors. The instruction manual says not to print on mirrors at all.

Heat concerns: will the heat generated by the UV curing lamps cause adverse effects to some delicate forms 161. of heat-sensitive media? Which materials might curl, distort or discolor from the heat?

Heat sensitive materials would include polyethylene, polypropylene, shrink-wrap, very thin and thermal sensitive papers, plastic coated cartons, PVC and aluminum foil (www.dotprint.com/fgen/prod1297.htm).

Oce lists several other common signage materials as sensitive to the heat of UV lamps: such as styrene or Plexiglas. For these reasons we have a separate FLAAR Report on applications and materials.

What about build up of static electricity? What kind of materials cause this? Do some materials generate static 162. electricity which cause the media to attract ink in areas not supposed to be printed on. How is it manifested?

You do need to be aware of how to prevent static electricity build up:• No carpets or rugs on the floor.• Use a humidifier during winter months to avoid dryness• Learn which media are susceptible to gathering a static charge.• Consider a printer that has specific anti-static features: • Grounding • Static bar(s).

You can opt to purchase a static bar system that goes across the back of the gantry. If the inks or curing system have a static issue, why is the fix an extra cost to the end-user?

What happens in very dry weather (low humidity), especially in winter with central heating?163. During dry periods (with low humidity) static problems may increase. With a high static charge (such as with PVC materials), the ink is attracted to charged areas of the material. This results in overspray (ink laydown in unintended areas).

Do you have to brush off or otherwise clean each sheet of incoming material by hand before you print on 164. it?

Coroplast and Sintra need to be cleaned (dust especially).

Finger oil is an issue with all UV-cured inks (and water-based ink printers as well).

Oce recommends tack cloth, used in the automotive industry to clean off the results of sanding down car parts (cheesecloth with wax on it). To learn what tack cloth is, just Goggle it (spelled as one word or two, either way).

http://www.dotprint.com/fgen/prod1297.htm


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SUBSTRATES: General Concerns

What problems in feeding exist, such as skew to one side?168. Skew results because no one single feeding system can accommodate all kinds of surface characteristics or thicknesses of materials.

How often is pre-treatment required, either receptor coating or other special surface treatment to the 165. material to be printed?

“Printing on Coroplast can be improved with an adhesion promoter.”

Oce offers their own “…a pre-treatment solution that can be used to clean and treat media surfaces to promote good adhesion.”

For about a year people told me that at trade shows in many countries that the booth attendants were coating some rigid materials with Sericol Uvijet Adhesion promoter. At FESPA Mexico I saw this with my own eyes: you can see the bottle of adhesion promotor as a standard accessory under the printer.

There is nothing wrong with using a primer …. If people are told about it in advance, and if there is a footnote in any advertising that suggests UV ink will print on anything or everything. Actually in this respect, footnotes and documentation for the end-user, Mimaki is one of the best, as you would respect from a traditional Japanese company. But not in any booth at any trade show have I seen any notice about adhesion promotors being used on the material that was displayed as typical of this printer.

It turns out that Oce is aware of the issue of adhesion, and has an Applications Bulletin, Number 6, “How to Improve UV Ink Adhesion.” Of course if you never have to print on Coroplast (other the few other materials that really require this primer), you are okay. When I was at Oce headquarters they openly discussed the need for a primer on Coroplast. So the issue is mainly how and why the primer is used without people knowing about it.

However all this should be on the spec sheet that is given to people at the trade shows. During the initial years the ink adhesion problem was hidden.

Which substrates must be or ought to be prepared before printing by being corona treated? 166. Coroplast and Styrene for sure.

An Oce support document states clearly that corona treatment is needed on some materials. Realize this takes either extra expense (if you buy it pre-treated) or extra time (if you corona treat it yourself).

Also be sure to ask what materials, if any, may need plasma treatment or flame treatment. This is a question that most booth attendants and even printshop owners and managers are not generally familiar with.

Which substrates ought to be laminated, top-coated, or otherwise post-treated?167. Realize that top-coating (a UV clearcoat) may be useful on some materials and even possibly required on some applications. This may require an additional machine, space, training, and further ventilation considerations. You are not protecting against the sun, you are protecting against the ink rubbing off slippery surfaces such as glass or marble.

Oce clearly states that top coating may be needed. But you don’t find this out until you buy the machine or until you happen to stumble upon this document somewhere on the Internet.

Lamination can also serve to provide a glossy finish on a material that is naturally matte.


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APPLICATIONS

What are the applications listed by the manufacturer?170. • Event graphics • POP displays • Limited-term signage • Banners • Backlit and reflective rigid displays • Transit advertising • Directional signage

Can you print fine art photos, giclee, or décor?171. In theory, yes, you could definitely do décor.

Can you print on textiles or fabrics? How do you handle the ink that gets through the weave?172. Yes, you can print on flag material, but for textiles put down a masonite board; otherwise the vacuum could suck ink through the fibers. This masonite board comes with the printer.

What other kinds of applications can you print?173. • Billboards, but for jobs this large you might prefer speed of another printer.

• Banners, general signage (good but for jobs this large you might prefer speed).

• Exhibit graphics; excellent quality for this.

• Backlit, need to compare with results from the “camera” system on the Jeti solvent printers. Backlit is done best with white ink layering techniques (available on NUR, VUTEk, Zund 250, etc).

• POP; excellent

• Vehicle graphics; not ideal for a dedicated flatbed printer.

• Bus shelters, excellent quality, but since these tend to be backlit, NUR, VUTEk, Zund 250 and other printers that offer white (and white layering) may be better.

• Rigid materials; such as construction signs. Ideal for MDO boards and comparable materials for construction signage.

What kinds of applications are not something you should try? What applications print mediocre, or 174. poorly, and why?

The biggest problem with UV-cured inks on vehicle graphics is when the material has to stretch or conform to the shape of the vehicle, especially over rivets, decorative trim, or anything that is not flat. Most UV printers are not recommended for vehicle wrap unless they use a special ink made to be flexible. Also be careful by making sure that adhesion and cleanser-resistance is adequate.

That said, today (2007) the inks are a lot better and you can consider experimenting with UV-curable vehicle wrap. However a roll-fed system is more efficient for printing vehicle wrap.

To print backlit can you set a mode for double-density?175. Yes, they call it “overprinting.”

What about edge-to-edge printing (borderless)?169. Yes.


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INK

Is there a special ink for flexible material, and another ink for rigid material? What other inksetsare 176. available? Is there any choice in inks?

Since this is a flatbed printer (albeit with a future roll-fed adapter), it uses an ink for rigid materials. So at present only one ink is available.

Is an extrudable or thermal-formable ink available from the printer manufacturer?177. No heat formable ink is available at present. Four or more ink companies make such ink. The ink offered for the Mimaki UV printers can thermo-form to about 1 or 2 inches. The new heat-formable UV ink offered by Gandinnovations can thermo-form to at least 6 inches.

How many colors are used to produce output - four, six, or eight?178. Oce considers that only four colors are needed because the variable droplet sizes can offer adequate transitions (which otherwise would require six colors to handle).

INK: White & Varnish

Is white ink available? 179. No white ink is available.

Is spot varnish available?180. No spot varnish is available. Spot varnish, even in a Durst Rho, is not easy to use.

INK Cost

Does ink come in cartridges or bulk? How large are the ink containers for replacement ink? 181. Ink comes in self-collapsing bags of two liters each color.

What is the cost per container? What is this cost translated to liters?182. The container costs $430, which is $215 per liter. In comparison cost for the ink in a Gandy flatbed is $150 per liter. Ink for a NUR printer tends to be less still. The lowest price for a UV ink that I am familiar with is for the NUR Expedio Revolution.

Prices vary per country and as inks are changed or improved, the price changes too.

How do you know when the waste container is full?183. You look at it, and if it is full you will see it, since it’s an open tray, not a hidden waste bottle at the end of a tube.

How can you see the remaining ink level?184. You have to look at the ink bags and guess. There is a low-ink message on the LCD panel, but like every other printer, it starts to tell you to switch ink long before you really need to.

How often do the ink filters have to be checked? Cleaned? Changed? 185. Oce is very clear about this: 6 months or 11 bags of ink (22 liters of ink).

Can this printer use after-market ink? If yes, what are pros and cons? If no, why is no after-market ink 186. available or widely utilized?

Oce works hard to convince you not to dare try to use after-market inks.


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INK: General Knowledge

How much ink does the ink container in the printer hold?187. Two liters per color.

How is new ink added? Pouring into the on-board container? Switching the container to the new ink 188. container?

You swap out the bags.

How do you avoid building up old ink inside a large container?189. There is no ink buildup inside the ink container because when you add new ink you change the ink container. In other systems you pour new ink into the old container. This means that some old ink can be in the system, and potentially could gel. Oce, ColorSpan, and other systems that change the ink completely, avoid that aspect of ink gellation issues.

Is there an issue with “ink starvations?”190. “Ink starvation” means that not enough ink can get to the printheads in fast printing modes. Ink starvation is a real issue that affects even some quarter-million dollar printers. So you need to check with end-users to see if they have issues with ink starvation.

Has any misting or spray been reported? What about ink inside the machine parts?191. Misting of ink is one of those things where you are almost always told “our printer has no misting.” The only way to learn the truth is to put a white cloth or white tape in several places near the path of the printer. If the white material has any ink spots after a week, then you have misting.

If you have misting of ink, that means you, and your operator, may be breathing raw or partially cured UV-chemistry.

Static charges within the printer or on the substrates may encourage misting. Indeed the Oce manual (available by downloading it from the site), specifically mentions ink mist.

One way other printer manufacturers control ink mist is by having a total hood (complete cover) and serious exhaust (to draw the mist up and out of the print room). The DuPont Cromaprint is the best example of a serious exhaust system (although this printer has other issues, related to its mechanical parts, in aspects related to safety, DuPont is far ahead of many of its competitors).

INK: Longevity

What is the longevity outdoors? What about in the full sun in direct sunlight?192. Longevity is estimated at two to three years but is still being tested.

INK Color Gamut

191. Which colors print best?193. The best example of a color gamut sample was the pre-stretched canvas prints that were being handed out at VISCOM Germany. This batch of samples reveals that yellow is bright, and not dirty as with other UV-curable inks. The only weak color was red, but it was not as bad (not as orange) as previous generations of the same (Sericol) brand of ink.


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THE UV CURING LAMPS

How many different sets of lamps are there? Is there pinning first and then curing later?194. There is one traditional set of two mercury arc curing lamps. There are no LED lights for pinning first.

What wave length do the lamps cover?195. 366 nm is one major wave length for the photo-initiator to be triggered with this system.

What is warm up time?196. 1 minute (for the UV lamps). Warm up time for the ink can be up to 20 minutes if it was cool in the print room over night.

What brand of lamp is used?197. Integration Technology, 8.5 cm lamps. This is the brand of lamp used in about 50% of the UV printers today.

How many lamps does the printer use?198. Two.

Can you have one lamp on one setting and the other 199. lamp on another setting? Or do both lamps have to be on the identical setting?

Yes.

How long does the lamp last, in terms 200. of hours of operation? How many hours are used up by each “strike” (by each time you turn the lamps on)?

The UV lamps are rated to last 500 hours, which is half the time that others last (in other words, most UV lamps last twice as long).

How do you keep track of lamp-hours?201. In the user interface on the monitor.

Can the lamp alone be replaced or does 202. the whole assembly need replacement?

The lamp on this printer is a lot easier to reach than the lamp on the Oce Arizona T220uv.

What is the true drying (curing) time of 203. the inks used with this set of lamps? What factors influence the true (total) drying time?

The ink does not necessarily totally cure within seconds. Some colors, depending on how thick the ink is laid down, may cure “instantly.” But several factors may result in a cure that takes 24 hours, 48 hours, or weeks. If you set the print mode for “glossy” this reduces the lamp intensity. These prints will outgas for weeks.

Excessive light k


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UV LAMPS: Cooling

Are there shutters?204. Yes, the lamps have shutters.

Are there fans elsewhere in the printhead carriage area?205. No fans because there is no hood.

What other fans are there in the printer?206. On two sides of each UV lamp there is an open grill which at least allows air to get in and out of the area around the lamps.

RIP SOFTWARE & Printer Software

Which RIPs are featured?207. Onyx ProductionHouse version 7, Oce edition, is the featured RIP software. Notice the word “featured.” RIPs come in many versions and flavors.

Since many printshops prefer Wasatch or Caldera, it is a bit restrictive to offer only one RIP, though the choice is understandable, since Oce owns Onyx (or at least they did at one time).

COLOR MANAGEMENT FEATURES

What color management sensors or measuring tools are on-board?208. It would not be expected that most printers have any of their own color management tools. The ColorSpan 72UVR and ColorSpan 9840uv are the only UV-cured ink flatbed printers that we know of that offers color management features actually built inside the printer.

PRODUCTIVITY & ROI (Return on Investment)

What productivity claims does the printer manufacturer made?209. The manufacturer claims sellable prints of 16 square meters an hour or 172 square feet per hour, but does not indicate in the initial spec sheet what mode or how many passes are involved, nor is the viewing distance indicated. You have to dig into the manual or do research to learn this is “production mode.”

But this is not the mode that people are buying this printer for. The prints shown at trade shows tend to be printed at slower modes and often uni-directionally. Naturally this varies by trade show, by image, and by printer operator. Nonetheless, every single person who has commented on the printer, including people who were looking to consider buying it, commented that it was “slow.”

How much time does it take to set-up each new size and shape of rigid printing substrate?210. This aspect is not listed in any spec sheet. You learn this only if you spend an entire day in the demo room, but doing the loading and printhead height calibration yourself. Then you get a further comparable reality check when you start production in your own print shop.

This factor will make or break your production goals. It makes little difference how fast a printer will print if you have to spend 7 frenzied minutes to align and set-up each new print job by hand.


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ADVERTISING CLAIMS: Anything Misleading? Any Hype? Slight Exaggeration?

How does the actual printer compare with what was claimed in the ads?212. The “Technology Backgrounder” is well written and attractively designed.

The main issue is relative to the claim that no ventilation is needed, not even if the printer is to be used in an office environment. I will defer to Dr Work and Vince Cahill as to whether that claim is valid in the real world. If current standards are met, a common sense reply would be that clearly the standards in inadequate to protect the health of individuals, especially when ink chemists cannot themselves tell you when the polymerization chemical chair reaction ceases.

The “Technology Backgrounder” (a PR release) claims that the printer can do roll-to-roll. So far this was not true for anyone who bought the printer before spring 2008. Even if their printers can be retrofitted, they were without roll-fed capability for a year. The output exhibited at FESPA ’07 was poor, and contradicts claims that “smoother gradients” look nice. I also found that the quality was not as good as 6-color printers; again, the PR release might be considered by some to be exaggerated.

It claims it uses less ink with 4 colors than with 6 colors. Yes, we hope so, but if the quality is not as good, the minute savings are not helpful. Plus, the ink itself costs more, so using less ink is negated by the high cost of the ink.

If you ask a dozen people in industry about this printer, 100% say it is slow. Thus the headline “Designed for Productivity” is a bit dubious.

So, it’s a nice printer, looks attractive, but in a point-by-point comparison, it clearly has pros and cons. Obviously the downsides are not mentioned in the manufacturer’s PR releases.

What advertising claims use smoke-and-mirrors to hide something, or make a claim that is not realistic?213. Two claims are not acceptable: first, the claim that 4-colors with variable droplet printheads can match or exceed the quality of six colors with a fixed drop size. Sorry, prints displayed by Oce in their own booth were unacceptable in this respect. Naturally, yes, variable droplet size has advantages, but if all you have is variable droplet size, and you lack 5th and 6th colors (light Magenta and light Cyan), it is naturally you will try to claim you don’t need them. VUTEk claimed, loudly, that no one needed white ink, and that white ink did not work at all. But that was because they did not have any white ink ready. Then six months later they got white ink, and then they stopped telling people that white ink did not work (in fact the VUTEk white ink worked beautifully). So, human nature is quite consistent in advertising.

Second, by not listing the printhead manufacturer, and by claiming proprietary technology in the printhead, the insinuation is that these are special printheads available only in this printer. This is unlikely to be true (a polite way of saying it may be untrue). We hope that every printer manufacturer has proprietary firmware to drive their heads, but even if there is a special edition Toshiba Tec head for Oce, it’s still a Toshiba Tec head. You can get the same printhead in a cheap Chinese printer that costs about half of the price of the Oce. Probably not the same software to drive the head, but it’s still a Toshiba Tec grayscale head. Indeed the Flora (made in China) F1 180uv has an even newer, better quality Toshiba Tec grayscale head than that used by Oce. This printer is also rebranded by Raster Printers.

So find one of these printers that is already installed, and learn from them what productivity obstacles exist and what the real throughput is.

Can this printer hold up to two or three shifts per day all week?211. Since the printer is slow, you need to run it several shifts per day to achieve much production. But if you run this UV printer for 16 hours a day, the constant heat from the UV lamps may heat up the overall flatbed table. This results in the flatbed area radiating heat onto the underside of the materials being placed onto this bed.


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Neither of these points are reasons not to buy this Oce printer; neither of these points is a reason to select a competing brand instead. It’s a nice which is all the more reason they should concentrate on its actual features and potential instead of making things up or by using smoke-and-mirrors to hide the facts of life: it’s a CMYK printer, not a 6 color printer. No white either.This issue would never have been raised if Oce had simply acknowledged what heads it was using and acknowledged that CMYK only was a way to reduce costs.

How often do people return this printer and say they want their money back?214. Every printer that I have ever heard of has examples of where people can’t stand it and they return it. The HP 5000/HP 5500 was the most popular wide-format inkjet printer of all times; it sold over 150,000 printers (the Mimaki JV3 has sold probably 5,000-6,000 more or less, to have a comparison).

Yet I know people who were so irritated with the HP that they wanted to return it. FLAAR has three of this spe-cific model and I am totally content with it.

The same with virtually all UV printers: someone, somewhere, has returned one. So having a printer being returned is not the end of the world. Some of my favorite printers, that I would be pleased to have in the FLAAR labs, other people have returned them.

This is a polite way of saying that it’s not surprising if some people have returned their Oce Arizona 250. What is crucial is finding out why?

Was it unreliable? Did pieces and parts wear out or fall apart? (the latter is unlikely). Why were they returned? This is obviously a question that only Oce can answer.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

How many printers of this model are in use; in the USA; in the rest of the world? 215. We estimate that minimally 500-600 had been sold as of the end of 2007, with over 600 and possibly 700 sold by summer 2008 (potential maximum of 800 sold). This makes the Oce Arizona 250 the best-selling flatbed of its class in the world.

To compare: the ColorSpan 9840UV has sold about 150 by end of 2007; the two widths of VUTEk QS series had sold over 300. The entry-level current-generation ColorSpan had sold about 300 before being acquired by HP. FLAAR has figures for most UV printer manufacturers but we do not systematically classify and sell this information (we are a research institute interested in learning, for our own use doing museum exhibits. As long as we do our own research, we at least like to share our findings with our over quarter-million readers on our large-format-printers web site on pros and cons of each brand that we have inspected).

COMPARISONS WITH OTHER PRINTERS

When people are considering buying this printer, what other printer(s) are they also looking at?216. The competitors for this printer are the • New 4x8 Gandinnovations Jeti 1224 UV flatbed (offers white and varnish) • New 2x3 meter Gandy Jeti (offers white and varnish at European size prints) • Both sizes of the Mimaki dedicated flatbed printer, JF-1631 and JF-1610. • Even the Raster Printers dedicated flatbed, Daytona T600UV • Plus all the ColorSpan hybrid and combo models • All the new smaller Korean (Dilli Titan, Agfa :Anapurna M, and IP&I 1606) • Taiwan printers (GCC 183)


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SUMMARY: Image Quality Issues: General

Is text sharp or fuzzy? What is the smallest text that you can easily read? 219. Text is well rendered, even 5 pt reversed text (white against a background of color).

Can the system produce glossy finish? To what degree is surface glossiness an issue? Can you select 220. glossy or matte or do you get what the system provides and that is all? If you get only one, or the other, which is it you get?

This ink is successfully semi-gloss in appearance.

Do you need “Pantone markers” to do touch-ups?221. If you use Pantone markets or other markers for touch-ups you run the risk that these areas will fade faster than the original UV ink.

What about abrasion (scratch) resistance? How susceptible is the ink to abrasion?222. On artist’s canvas (VISCOM Germany ’07) the ink did not scratch off at all, even when freshly printed.

Two years ago it was possible to visit the Dilli factory in Korea for several days, as well as visiting the D.G.I. research and development institute nearby. A week was spent inspecting GCC world headquarters and factory in Taiwan. By the time you read this report FLAAR will be at the two European headquarters and factories for Durst Rho printers, plus we have initiated a site-visit case study of a Durst Rho 800 that is a few miles from the FLAAR offices in Ohio. I recently spent an entire day in the Spuhl factory in Switzerland, where the L&P Virtu RS 25 and RS 35 are designed and manufactured. Then it was possible to inspect the original Leggett & Platt Virtu printers in their American manufacturing plant and demo room.

The insights available during such a factory visit are beyond description.

All these FLAAR Reports are readily available on www.wide-format-printers.NET.

The Mimaki JF-1631 UV flatbed is another example where access was encouraged and facilitated by the manu-facturer. I had two days with this printer at Mimaki Europe headquarters when it was launched for European dis-tributors (December (2006). This visit was facilitated by the managers of Mimaki Europe. It really helps to have access. Unfortunately this printer was prematurely launched (before it was adequately finished). And equally regrettably this Mimaki printer had too many old technology, left over from a previous generation of engineering. I was very disappointed that an elite Japanese company that I respected had such an uninspiring flatbed UV printer.

For the Raster Printers flatbed we receive all the documentation that helps better understand its innovative MEMS technology printheads and impressive use of LED lighting for pinning (fixing) the UV-curable ink.

What features on the other printers may be issues?217. The Korean and Taiwan machines are either hybrids or combos, not flatbeds. The Mimaki flatbed printer has continued issues even two years after it’s launch.

What aspects of the selected printer help decide in its favor?218. The Oce 250 has a sleek design, excellent quality of small text, and a glossy ink chemistry. The price, at $140,000, is reasonable when compared with other models (until you factor in productivity; it’s slow). Many printshops found they needed to buy two Oce’s (so the total is $280,000, not $140K). Even with a discount, you are looking at a quarter of a million dollars if you need to buy two of them.


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Conclusions

This printer is a challenge to evaluate, since it is clearly one of the most innovative UV printers since the re-launched Zund 250, the NUR Expedio Inspiration, and the Gerber ion. The Oce Arizona 250 GT has some features I have ever seen or heard of, yet it has a few aspects that lend me serious pause: mainly in aspects of health and safety. The lack of six colors is also a significant aspect; the claims in spec sheets and advertising slogans that six colors are not needed is NOT confirmed, neither by my inspection of prints at Oce booth at FESPA ’07 nor by end-users. When it is possible to do test printing at the factory demo room, and/or at a site-visit case study, we can revise these preliminary observations.

It is rare to have a printer that is so innovative, clearly popular, but which also has such glaring omissions and potential workplace safety issues.

Pros

The vacuum table is the most user-friendly I have yet seen in the sense that the user can define the size. Although the vacuum power is not variable, the size of the zones are. Also you can change the mask overlay to indicate what sizes of vacuum zone you have designed.

The ink can achieve a better (semi-)gloss than most other inks I have seen.

Colors, although not perfect in the reds, are rather good when compared with other inks and dramatically better than Sericol ink of just two years ago.

The quality of small text sizes achieved by the Toshiba Tec printheads is impressive. However KonicaMinolta heads can also achieve 6 pt text easily and even down to 4 pt type (available in IP&I printers and many other brands).

The Oce Arizona 250 prints across the long axis of the flatbed table which is more efficient than the Inca or Mimaki which both print across the narrow axis. Gandinnovations was among the first to recognize the value of designing a flatbed to print the long axis.

The operator’s position is completely personalized; you can move it anywhere you wish.

Oce is one of the few manufacturers that is innovative in suggesting using a tack cloth to wipe down some materials before printing on them.

You can store things on the horizontal supports under the printer. You can store even more things on the floor under the printer.

The user’s manual is honest in its lists of issues and problems. I would rate this as one of the better user manuals in this sense. For example, they say straight out that ventilation is needed. The most common mis-truth of other UV printer sales reps is, “our printer does not require any ventilation.” However if my memory serves me correctly, previous (earlier) literature or perhaps over-enthusiastic booth personnel sang the traditional refrain, “UV printers don’t need any ventilation; only full-solvent ink needs ventilation.” Fortunately this tune was changed in more recent literature, but the question is whether the client learns the full facts BEFORE they make their decision what brand and model UV-curable flatbed to purchase.


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Downsides

Every printer has a few issues. Even if you are happily married, there are probably a few things about your spouse, or children even, that are not perfect.

Printer manufactures are accustomed to trade magazines which would not dare publish a list of the deficiencies of a printer. But several printer manufacturers have thanked us for letting them know the downsides that need to be fixed. Because even if trade magazines don’t list these deficiencies, sooner or later people learn about them. Luscher could not keep people from learning that their UV lamp system did not adequately cure the prints. FLAAR was the only publisher who stated this clearly in print, but most people in the know realized it anyway.

Besides, every printer had a few weak points, and lacks key features. Yet people still buy them. So a list of defects and weak aspects of any printer is not necessarily a reason why not to buy it. Indeed, when you do purchase this printer, at least you will know in advance what to expect!

And, some weak aspects may never materialize if the way you use your printer is different from the applications and materials and print modes that the printshop was using that provided us with the list of weaknesses.

Although I list the vacuum table as a personal favorite, its actual performance in real life is not as stellar as I would have hoped. My comments are already in the main text. If we had a printer such as this at the university in our own test facilities, we could probably make most aspects function acceptably, or at least have a good work-around. But when we take notes at trade shows and in printshops, you quickly notice what is not functioning as it was expected or as it was hoped for.

Light leak has been made an issue by Dr Ray Work; he is the most vocal industry person on health and safety issues with UV inks (he is an experienced chemist among other things). Vince Cahill has pointed out potential damage to your retinas from too much bright light (both speaking and writing in general, since this printer was not available when they began their commenting). The point is not whether a printer meets some or all standards. The question is whether the standards are adequate. 90% of the printshops that I visit, the operator is not wearing safety glasses; and visitors for sure not. Since one claim for all UV printers is that their ink is less harmful than solvent inks, it is all the more incumbent on UV printer manufacturers to reassure the users that this is the case. Quoting standards is not convincing when it is unsure whether the standards themselves are realistic.

Light leak from the back is substantial. The Mimaki JF-1631 had a comparable issue when it was launched in December 2006 in Europe. I noticed that, and politely commented on it to Mimaki at that time (I was the invited speaker for the two-day flatbed launch event). Mimaki completely redesigned the hoods and enclosure as a result of this early inspection at that time. This is why more UV printer manufacturers now want to get FLAAR to their factories in advance, so we can provide this kind of information in advance, privately, so that the issues can be resolved before the printer is shown to the public.

Light leak from the end is also substantial. It is among the worst offenders in workplace safety that I have seen in recent years. There is no excuse for a major European corporation to sell a product with any potential health hazard whatsoever.

The potential damage to your retinas is even worse if you need to print on thick material. This is because if you raise up the printhead carriage to handle thicker material, the UV lamps are higher up, so there is much more space for the light to leak out.

We would not have to comment on safety and health issues if it were possible to provide these observations to the manufacturer BEFORE the printer is launched, MacDermid ColorSpan makes sure that FLAAR is in their factory testing their UV printers before they are launched, so changes and improvements can be made before everyone else also notices the occasional deficiency.

It is unclear whether printheads are replaced under warranty when they wear out.

While on the subject of the Toshiba Tec heads, these heads have not been successful on the contemporary Mimaki JF-1631. But the issues with the T-Tec heads on the Mimaki are as much an issue with the wiper blades and ink feeding


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system on the Mimaki. So the heads themselves are robust, but if not united to a spotlessly clean system, these heads are overly sensitive to anything on the surface, especially hair.

It is unclear when the roll-fed system can be inspected to insure it works as advertised. The Kodak 5260 printer (year 2001-2002) missed its delivery date continuously. Although the Oce 250 is not that or a CrystalJet, for us to complete this evaluation it is essential to see the printer at work outside an alpha or beta test site: we need to see the factory, factory demo room, and an actual printing company that is using the finished version of the printer. We have this documentation for the Gandinnovations UV flatbeds and for most of the ColorSpan UV printers, for NUR UV printers, for IP&I and even now for two brands of Chinese UV printers.

It is ironic that as far back as 1996 there was a flatbed printer with a functioning roll-feeding option. This was the Data Mate Rembrandt. I recently saw two of them in Israel, in the storage facilities of Bordeaux Digital PrintInk. This flatbed could print on diverse rigid materials, and roll-fed too. Neither the Mimaki JV-1631 nor the Grapo Manta nor the Oce Arizona 250 GT can beat this 11-year old system. It is unfortunate that printers such as the Data Mate Rembrandt are completely forgotten: there is not a single page of photographs or descriptions anywhere on the internet.

Print size is okay for US market (it can handle a 4x8 ft board), but size is short for European market in those cases where they need to print 2x3 meter boards. This is why Gandinnovations has a 2x3 meter version of their dedicated flatbed.

4-color only; not 6-colors, and no white or varnish. Although the printer makes up for this with a satin (low-gloss) finish, the lack of six colors and white is significant. Since I first saw this printer (autumn 2006), it has been possible to see white ink layering technology during visits to the NUR factory in Israel, two days at the Zund factory in Switzerland and several visits to the VUTEk factory. White layering is sufficiently impressive that VUTEk backlit prints come close to matching and in some aspects exceeding the quality of a LightJet or Durst Lambda. The Oce can not do white layering since it offers no white ink at all.

Europeans may prefer (or need) a full-sized 2x3 meter bed. This is why Gandinnovations offers a 2x3 meter model (for Europe) and a 4x8 foot model for the US.

The booth personnel in charge of the Inca Spyder 150 said that the main reason they had sold only about a dozen of this printer (other than it’s small size and high price) is that the output is too glossy for the preferences of screen printers. With the Spyder 150 there is no way to make the output less glossy (LED lamps and Sericol ink). The Oce has no LED lamps but does have glossy Sericol ink. I much prefer the glossy look myself (the Spyder is one of my favorite UV printers). But be absolutely sure that you clients can accept a semi-gloss or satin appearance.

I noticed considerable dottiness in light colors at FESPA ’07. That’s why other printers use 6 colors. The advertising claims for the Arizona 250 state that 4 colors are sufficient because they use smaller dot size. But this claim is not convincing so far. Any time any company has to make up a word to describe something is because they need smoke and mirrors to distract you from reality. Encad did this in their advertising slogan for years (because it’s Lexmark heads were among the most uninspiring of any printhead of its time). Roland claims blazing speed precisely because in reality their Epson printheads are a tad slow.

Check to see whether the ink in darker areas looks thicker. This could result in areas of thicker ink looking embossed if viewed from a certain angle.

The operator must measure the material manually and enter the measurement manually. Although this manual aspect is common on many printers, at this price range you would prefer to have it done automatically.

In general, most of the handling on this printer is manual, rather than automatic. We are checking with end-users to see which is cheaper: an automatic printer that costs more up-front, or a cheaper printer but you have to pay your operator to do things manually.

I will need to go and re-check most other UV printers to see how long they take to heat up their ink if the printer room has been cool. But 20 minutes for the Oce is rather a long wait in the morning.


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Oce correctly recommends that you not try to print on mirrors or even shiny reflective material. But several other brands of UV-printers are arranged so that you can indeed print on mirrors.

Ventilation is common sense for all work areas with UV printers irrespective of what anyone says or what standards claim. The best documentation for this is very simple: if anyone tells you that no ventilation is needed, ask them to install their printer in their home, and run it 8 hours a day, in an area that their spouse and children live, work, or play. See how long it takes the spouse to walk out of the house with the children. If the spouse accepts the odor and health implications for the children, or, if in an office environment not one single person raises one single issue about the odor being unbearable (not to mention the unknown effects further down the line from having UV ink misting the air eight hours a day) then I will gladly rewrite this paragraph. Oce is now improving statements that ventilation is needed, but my mental notes probably from SGIA ’06 raised this issue. However for a printer with no hood, ventilation is not as easy (and may not be as thorough).

A minor lack is the lack of a warning for being hit by the moving parts. Luscher and the GRAPO Manta have a warning system. In general the Oce lacks safety and health features. It is surprising that a large multi-national company is willing to take this many risks.

A possible major downside may be the number of material(s) that may require a primer. Sericol makes a primer, but this is extra time (and cost) to apply it: board by board, before you print. Primer is not needed on all materials, but get it in writing how many materials do NOT need a primer. Then ask for which materials do need a primer. Now at last you learn the truth. Realize that VUTEk (probably the model 200/600) had a problem printing on Lexan two years back; so the adhesion issue can be a problem with other brands as well. It would be worth learning which materials, at trade shows, are being pre-treated before the show, without warning people.

Comments from an end-user with several months experience with his new Oce 250

On the edges of one or two materials the ink simply flakes off. Since the ink is on the edges, when if flakes off this defect is immediately noticeable. Flaking ink also looks shabby. Sintra is one offending material.

The heat of the UV lamps makes the shiny table absorb heat; then the table emits this heat like a radiator.

If you attempt to run your Oce Arizona 250 printer all day and all night, the heat issue will become noticeable quickly. Since the Oce is so slow, you tend to have to operate it day and night to get production from it.

Banding is an issue. Banding can be caused by so many factors that it would require a PhD dissertation to analyze them all.

UV light leak is more severe the thicker the material is, since this causes the UV lamps to be raised, so they can emit more light outwards. For material 1” thick the issue is serious.

These are only the problems that the owner mentioned in passing. The printer operator will have a full list, and as soon as we can interview the operator this report will be updated.

In February I asked the owner of an Oce 250 (same as FujiFilm Acuity) and he said that the ink still flakes off the edges of some materials. He also mentioned the definite need for corona treatment on Styrene.

In general, most people who know the Oce Arizona 250 consider that the poor ink adhesion and flaking on some materials is a shame: Coroplast, Sintra, Styrene, Acrylic or Dibond would be among the materials that you should get samples on (of course they will be loaded with primer and so you won’t know what a headache it is to print on this materials in your own printshop).

All information on poor ink adhesion and flaking has come from people with years of experience with this printer.

During 2009 and again in 2010 I heard more storied of printhead nightmares. One person said they had heard of printhead overheating issues. As far as I can tell this is a limited percent of the models: in other words, some have serious issues with the printheads, others are okay.


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Pros plus Cons together

I recently interviewed the owner of an Oce Arizona 250 GT printer. He has considerable experience in wide-format printers of many brands. He said he has given up even thinking about the roll-fed adapter; he realizes that even if one is jerry-rigged, it will not be a true roll-fed solution. Plus he said that even if a roll-fed adapter worked, it would be too slow.

From the point of view of FLAAR, we had hoped the roll-fed would function, because this would make the Oce printer competitive with the new Gerber ion (which has the best roll-fed system for any true dedicated flatbed that I have yet seen). Fortunately for Oce (and sadly for Gerber), the roll-fed system was not finished by the time of the launch, and the cationic ink and cool UV curing system was not functioning as well as was wished for.One thing you notice quickly is that interviewing the owner who has paid for a printer gives you different statements than the printer operator (the hired hand who has to face the daily issues). The comments here are from the owner; I will interview the operator as soon as possible (and this report will be updated again). Operators tend to be more direct (usually negative), since they did not have to make the decision to spend their hard-earned money on this particular brand.

The owner said they were aware of the limitations of the printer (slow speed, etc) before they bought it. They felt it was “performing well” considering they knew in advance of what it could not do (no white ink as but one example). They said that the quality of the text made it possible to obtain clients that demanded premium output. It’s tough for the owner to recognize that the purchase was perhaps not the best (I noticed this when interviewing two different owners of the $650,000 Lüscher; that printer was a near disaster, yet the owners tried to say they were content. But when we asked details, we learned there were serious issues; indeed so many that Lüscher itself withdrew this printer from ISA ’07 and from FESPA ’07).

But it was quite telling that they said, “you can’t use this Arizona 250 for all the work in a typical printshop.” Later he stated, “it’s no Durst 800.”

But the most telling comment of all is that he was already shopping for another brand. No, he did not intend to junk his Oce: “I am pretty happy” (notice the word that hedges and defines the degree of happiness. If I was only pretty happy with my girlfriend, that’s not good enough. When I am totally happy with my girlfriend, then I am not looking for a new girlfriend. It’s rather similar with printers). But he surprised me by specifically asking me to suggest three other potential UV flatbed printers that would be the same quality as the Oce, but faster, and would have white ink and six colors.

Since I have been to the factories of many other flatbed printers, I have better documentation of their pros and cons. I tried to get to the Oce factory, but since this visit was not facilitated, I used the time originally set aside for Oce to go four other factories instead. Indeed for autumn I have a waiting list of other UV printer factories to visit.

Before you buy (any brand of UV-curable flatbed inkjet printer)

• First, be absolutely sure you speak with at least two, and preferably three, owners of this printer. Also speak with the operators. Owners may not be aware of quirks, and owners will tend to love their sleek new family member. Operators can tell you more of the truth of what are the limitations of a printer.

• Ask about adhesion and abrasion on some materials (ask the end-user; you will not usually get the full truth fromsomeone wanting to earn a commission selling you the printer; this is basic human nature (sorry to be blunt).

To buy this printer used would not be a clever idea.

To buy this printer knowing that most of the issues have been fixed with later models would also be a bit doubtful. And, today (in 2010) there are many other options: Jetrix as the best example, and in the US the SwissQPrint Oryx, not available in the US through WP Digital.

And, by the time of FESPA 2010 (and possibly at ISA 2010) there will be other printers.


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• Check about whether all the manual aspects of loading and unloading slows down production. Remember, the printer is producing ZERO square meters per hour while you are loading or unloading.

• Ask for a list of materials that the printer does poorly on: get it in writing from the manufacturer or reseller; then double-check with a printshop operator.

• Yourself, test it on 10 different materials, and do a scratch test on each. Do not trust this for someone else to do for you. Do the test personally yourself. If the dyne level of the ink is not adequate, ink adhesion will be an issue on too many materials. Do not send them the image and ask them to ship back the results: this is too easy for them to pre-coat or otherwise treat the material for better adhesion, etc. You need to learn the blunt reality BEFORE you pay $140,000 (this does not mean you should not buy this printer; this only means you should learn the FULL truth before you sign the order form).

• Ask if they experience any banding (especially in areas of solid dark colors).

• Ask whether there are issues in color gradations (because it uses only 4 colors, instead of 6 colors as most of the competing UV printers nowadays).

• Make the effort to do a comparison print: your file (not an Oce file), with lots of light color transitions (to see whether the visible dots from using just four colors affects you or your clients). Print this on the Oce (and be present yourself while it is done). Then have it printed on an Inca, a Gandinnovations, a Mimaki flatbed. If you are in Europe have it printed on a GRAPO Manta flatbed.

• Plus realize that many newer better printers will be available during 2010.

But if the Oce passes these tests, and you like everything else about it, then this is obviously a printer for you to consider.

But if there are problems with slowness, banding, abrasion; if there are some materials it just won’t print well on, if the limitation of 4 colors is noticeable, then you need to think twice.

General comments

The image quality of this printer is exemplary on the kinds of media that they feature in the trade show booth. The engineers that produced the overall chassis and print engine deserve recognition. But a FLAAR evaluation has value because it is independent. Since virtually no trade magazine can risk writing about health hazards involved in eco-solvent, mild-solvent, or UV printers, we owe a debt of thanks to knowledgeable individuals such as Dr Work (who was at DuPont’s ink division for many years). If Dr Ray Work accepts the claim that no ventilation is needed for UV ink, that this printer can be used in an office environment, and that the light leak is no issue, then I will update this section of the evaluation.

It is very noticeable that ColorSpan enclosed their next generation printer after comments on the exposed nature of their earlier UV model. Mimaki also went to considerable effort to completely redesign their new JF-1631 flatbed based on feedback even when the chassis was considered to be in final form. The “final form” had too much light leak and the entire carriage (gantry) area had to be redesigned to take care of this. We rate Mimaki as having accomplished a significant improvement in this respect.

Other than the unfinished roll-fed attachment, and the above mentioned health issues, this is the type of printer that a professor enjoys learning about.


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Acknowledgements

I thank a reader of the earlier version of this who kindly wrote with his comments on the first edition (April, before the printer was fully finished). It helps when we hear from our readers. I thank the owner of an Oce who answered initial questions. We will be inspecting his printer in-situ as soon as we can reach that city.

I also thank several colleagues for information on their point of view on this printer. I thank Oce for showing me the details of the new roll-fed option and Kelli Ramirez for answering specific questions about details. It is important to hear the manufacturer’s point of view in addition to the comments of end-users who face this printer’s pros and cons on a daily basis.

Most recent update, February 2010.First issued April 2007. Updated early August 2007, after FESPA ’07 in Berlin. Updated again in late August after speaking with the owner of this printer. Updated three times in September 2007, January 2008, February 2008.

If you have comments, such as if you have information that we are not yet familiar with, please let us know. If we have made a mistake in a specification, naturally we wish to know so we can correct the report.

But, realize that our point of view is comparative. We look at this printer after having inspected countless other UV printers of every size, shape, and kind. If you disagree with an observation, we will be glad to hear from you. But please understand that our perspective is different. If we merely repeated the standard mantra about any printer, this would just be another hollow Success Story.

We hope every printer is a Success Story, both for the printshop that buys it, for the printer operator that has to handle it daily, and for the manufacturer that has worked hard to design and produce this machine. But even printers that are great, and popular, have issues and downsides. I use a Macintosh computer, but I am not a Mac evangelist, and I see every issue and weak feature of this platform (as well as it’s nice features).


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Reality Check

Being a university professor for many years does not mean we know everything. But intellectual curiosity often leads us to enter areas that are new to us. So we do not shirk from entering areas where we are obviously not yet expert. If in your years of wide format print-ing experience have encountered results different that ours, please let us know at [email protected]. We do not mind eating crow, though so far it is primarily a different philosophy we practice, because since we are not dependent on sales commissions we can openly list the glitches and defects of those printers that have an oc-casional problem.

FLAAR and most universities have corporate sponsors but FLAAR web sites do not accept advertising, so we don’t have to kowtow to resellers or manufacturers. We respect their experience and opinion, but we prefer to utilize our own common sense, our in-house experi-ences, the results from site-visit case studies, and comments from the more than 53,000 of our many readers who have shared their experiences with us via e-mail (the Survey Forms).

Licensing Information

If you wish to distribute this report to other people within your company, please obtain a site licensing agreement for multiple copies from FLAAR by contacting [email protected] Substantial discounts are available for licensing to distribute with-in your company; we call this a subscription. The advantage of a subscription license is that you can opt for automatic updates. You may have noticed that FLAAR reports tend to be updated as additional information becomes available.

In some instances a license would be available to distribute out-side your company, including in other languages.

To distribute this report without subscription/license violates federal copyright law. To avoid such violations for you, and your company, you can easily order additional copies from www.wide-format-printers.NET.

Update PolicyStarting in 2008, updates on UV-curable wide-format inkjet printers are available for all individuals and companies which have a sub-scription, or to companies who are research project sponsors. If you are a Subscriber or manager in a company that is a research sponsor, you can obtain the next update by writing [email protected]. If you are neither a Subscriber or a research sponsor, simply order the newest version via the e-commerce system on www.wide-format-printers.NET. Please realize that because we have so many publications and many are updated so frequently that we have no realistic way to notify any reader of when just one particular report is actually updated.

There is a free PDF that describes the UV-curable inkjet printer Sub-scription system. Subscriptions are available only for UV-related wide-format printer publications.

FLAAR Reports on UV-curable roll-to-roll, fl atbed, hybrid, and combo printers are updated when new information is available. We tend to update the reports on new printers, on printers that readers ask about the most, and on printers where access is facilitated (such as factory visits, demo-room visits, etc).

Reports on obsolete printers, discontinued printers, or printers that not enough people ask about, tend not to be updated.

FLAAR still publishes individual reports on solvent printers, and on giclee printers, but subscriptions on these are not yet available; these FLAAR Reports on solvent, eco-solvent, and water-based wide for-mat printers have to be purchased one by one.

Please Note

This report has not been licensed to any printer manufacturer, dis-tributor, dealer, sales rep, RIP company, media, or ink company to distribute. So, if you obtained this from any company, you have a pirated copy.

If you have received a translation, this translation is not au-thorized unless posted on a FLAAR web site, and may be in violation of copyright (plus if we have not approved the translation it may make claims that were not our intention).

Also, since this report is frequently updated, if you got your ver-sion from somewhere else, it may be an obsolete edition. FLAAR reports are being updated all year long, and our comment on that product may have been revised positively or negatively as we learned more about the product from end users.

If you receive any FLAAR Report from a sales rep, in addition to being violation of copyright, it is useful to know if there is a more recent version on the FLAAR web site, because every month new UV printers are being launched. So what was good technology one month, may be replaced by a much better printer elsewhere the next month.

To obtain a legitimate copy, which you know is the complete re-port with nothing erased or changed, and hence a report with all the original description of pros and cons, please obtain your origi-nal and full report straight from www.FLAAR.org.

Your only assurance that you have a complete and authentic evaluation which describes all aspects of the product under consideration, benefi ts as well as defi ciencies, is to obtain these reports directly from FLAAR, via www.wide-format-print-ers.NET.

Citing and Crediting

A license from FLAAR is required to use any material whatsoever from our reports in any commercial advertisement or PR Release.

If you intend to quote any portion of a FLAAR review in a PowerPoint presentation, if this is in reference to any product that your company sells or promotes, then it would be appropriate to ask us fi rst. FLAAR reports are being updated every month sometimes, and our comment on that product may have been revised as we learned more about the product from end users. Also, we noticed that one company cited the single favorable comment we made on one nice aspect of their printer, but neglected to cite the rest of the review which pointed out the features of the printer which did not do so well. For them to cor-rect this error after the fact is rather embarrassing. So it is safer to ask-before-you-quote a FLAAR review on your product.

The material in this report is not only copyright, it is also based on years of research. Therefore if you cite or quote a pertinent section, please provide a proper credit, which would be minimally “Nicholas


52Pag.

Hellmuth, year, www.FLAAR.org.” If the quote is more than a few words then academic tradition would expect that a footnote or en-try in your bibliography would reference the complete title. Publisher would be www.FLAAR.org.

If you intend to quote any portion of a FLAAR review in a PowerPoint presentation, if this is in reference to any product that your company sells or promotes, then it would be appropriate to license the report or otherwise notify us in advance. FLAAR reports are being updated every week sometimes, and our comment on that product may have been revised as we learned more about the product from end users. Also, we noticed that one company cited the single favorable com-ment we made on one nice aspect of their printer, but neglected to cite the rest of the review which pointed out the features of the printer which did not do so well. For them to correct this error after the fact is rather embarrassing. So it is safer to ask-before-you-quote a FLAAR review on your product.

Legal notice

Inclusion in this study by itself in no way endorses any printer, media, ink, RIP or other digital imaging hardware or software. Equally, exclu-sion from this study in no way is intended to discredit any printer.

Advisory

We do our best to obtain information which we consider reliable. But with hundreds of makes and models of printers, and sometimes when information about them is sparse, or confl icting, we can only work with what we have available. Thus you should be sure to rely also on your own research, especially asking around. Find another trustworthy end-user of the same make and model you need to know about. Do not make a decision solely on the basis of a FLAAR report because your situation may be totally different than ours. Or we may not have known about, and hence not written about, one aspect or another which is crucial before you reach your decision.

The sources and resources we may list are those we happen to have read. There may be other web pages or resources that we missed. For those pages we do list, we have no realistic way to verify the ve-racity of all their content. Use your own common sense plus a grain of salt for those pages which are really just PR releases or outright ads.

We are quite content with the majority of the specifi c printers, RIPs, media, and inks we have in the FLAAR facilities. We would obviously never ask for hardware, software, or consumables that we knew in advance would not be good. However even for us, a product which looks good at a trade show, sounds good in the ad literature, and works fi ne for the fi rst few weeks, may subsequently turn out to be a lemon.

Or the product may indeed have a glitch but one that is so benign for us, or maybe we have long ago gotten used to it and have a work-around. And not all glitches manifest themselves in all situations, so our evaluator may not have been suffi ciently affected that he or she made an issue of any particular situation. Yet such a glitch that we don’t emphasize may turn out to be adverse for your different or spe-cial application needs.

Equally often, what at fi rst might be blamed on a bad product, often turns out to be a need of more operator experience and training. More often than not, after learning more about the product it becomes pos-sible to produce what it was intended to produce. For this reason it is crucial for the FLAAR team and their university colleagues to interact

with the manufacturer’s training center and technicians, so we know more about a hardware or software. Our evaluations go through a process of acquiring documentation from a wide range of resources and these naturally include the manufacturer itself. Obviously we take their viewpoints with a grain of salt but often we learn tips that are worthy of being passed along.

FLAAR has no way of testing 400+ specifi cations of any printer, much less the over 101 different UV printers from more than 46 manufac-turers. Same with hundreds of solvent printers and dozens of water-based printers. We observe as best we can, but we cannot take each printer apart to inspect each feature. And for UV printers, these are too expensive to move into our own facilities for long-range testing, so we do as best as is possible under the circumstances. And when a defi ciency does become apparent, usually from word-of-mouth or from an end-user, it may take time to get this written up and issued in a new release.

Another reason why it is essential for you to ask other printshop own-ers and printer operators about how Brand X and Y function in the real world is that issues may exist but it may take months for these issues to be well enough known for us to know the details. Although often we know of the issues early, and work to get this information into the PDFs, access to information varies depending on brand and model. Plus with over 300 publications, the waiting time to update a specifi c report may be several months. Plus, once a printer is considered obsolete, it is not realistic to update it due to the costs involved.

For these reasons, every FLAAR Report tries to have its publication date on the front outside cover (if we updated everything instantly the cost would be at commercial rates and it would not be possible to cover these expenses). At the end of most FLAAR Reports there is additionally a list of how many times that report has been updated. A report with lots of updates means that we are updating that subject based on availability of new information. If there is no update that is a pretty good indication that report has not been updated! With 101 models of UV printers, several hundred solvent printers, and scores of water-based printers, we tend to give priority to getting new re-ports out on printers about which not much info at all is available elsewhere. So we are pretty good about reporting on advances in LED curing. But glitches in a common water-based printer will take longer to work its way through our system into an update, especially if the glitch occurs only in certain circumstances, for example, on one type of media. With several hundred media types, we may not yet have utilized the problem media. While on the subject of doing your own research, be sure to ask both the printer operator and printshop owner or manager: you will generally get two slightly different stories. A printer operator may be aware of more glitches of the printer than the owner.

If a printer is no longer a prime model then there is less interest in that printer, so unless a special budget were available to update old reports, it is not realistic to update old reports. As always, it is essen-tial for you to visit printshops that have the printers on your short-list and see how they function in the real world.

But even when we like a product and recommend it, we still can’t guarantee or certify any make or model nor its profi tability in use because we don’t know the conditions under which a printer system might be utilized in someone else’s facility. For ink and media, espe-cially after-market third-party ink and media, it is essential that you test it fi rst, under your conditions. We have no way to assure that any ink or media will be acceptable for your specifi c needs in your specifi c print shop. As a result, products are described “as is” and without warranties as to performance or merchantability, or of fi tness


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for a particular purpose. Any such statements in our reports or on our web sites or in discussions do not constitute warranties and shall not be relied on by the buyer in deciding whether to purchase and/or use products we discuss because of the diversity of conditions, materials and/or equipment under which these products may be used. Thus please recognize that no warranty of fi tness or profi tability for a par-ticular purpose is offered.

The user is advised to test products thoroughly before relying on them. We do not have any special means of analyzing chemical con-tents or fl ammability of inks, media, or laminates, nor how these need to be controlled by local laws in your community. There may well be hazardous chemicals, or outgassing that we are not aware of. Be aware that some inks have severe health hazards associated with them. Some are hazardous to breathe; others are hazardous if you get them on your skin. For example, some chemicals such as cyclo-hexanone do not sound like chemicals you want to breathe every day. Be sure to obtain, read, and understand the MSDS sheets for the inks, media, and laminates that you intend to use. Both solvent, eco-solvent, and UV-curable inks are substances whose full range of health and environmental hazards are not yet fully revealed. It is es-sential you use common sense and in general be realistic about the hazards involved, especially those which are not listed or which have not yet been described. FLAAR is not able to list all hazards since we are not necessarily aware of the chemical components of the prod-ucts we discuss. Our reports are on usability, not on health hazards.

Most inks are clearly not intended to be consumed. Obviously these tend to be solvent inks and UV-curable inks. Yet other inks are edible, seriously, they are printed on birthday cakes. Indeed Sensient is a leader in a new era of edible inks. Therefore the user must assume the entire risk of ascertaining information on the chemical contents and fl ammability regulations relative to inks, media or laminates as well as using any described hardware, software, accessory, service, technique or products.

We have no idea of your client’s expectations. What students on our campus will accept may not be the same as your Fortune 500 clients. In many cases we have not ourselves used the products but are bas-ing our discussion on having seen them at a trade show, during visit-ing a print shop, or having been informed about a product via e-mail or other communication.

Results you see at trade shows may not be realistic

Be aware that trade show results may not be realistic. Trade shows are idealized situations, with full-time tech support to keep things run-ning. The images at a trade show may be tweaked. Other images make be “faked” in the sense of slyly putting on primer without telling the people who inspect the prints. Most UV inks don’t stick to all ma-terials; many materials need to be treated.

Or the UV prints may be top-coated so that you can’t do a realistic scratch test.

Booth personnel have many standard tricks that they use to make their output look gorgeous. In about half the cases you will not likely obtain these results in real life: in most cases they are printing uni-directional, which may be twice as slow as bi-directional.

Trade show examples tend to be on the absolutely best media. When you attempt to save money and use economy media you will quickly notice that you do not get anywhere near the same results as you saw in the manufacturer’s trade show booth, or pictured in their

glossy advertisement. Five years ago we noticed Epson was laminat-ing prints to show glossy output because their pigmented inks could not print on actual glossy media. The same equipment, inks, media, and software may not work as well in your facility as we, or you, see it at a trade show. All the more reason to test before you buy; and keep testing before you make your fi nal payment. Your ultimate protection is to use a gold American Express credit card so you can have lever-age when you ask for your money back if the product fails.

Images printed at trade show may be in uni-directional mode: so you may not realize the printer has bi-directional (curing) banding defects until you unpack it in your printshop. Bi-directional curing banding is also known as the lawnmower effect. Many printers have this defect; sometimes certain modes can get rid of it, but are so slow that they are not productive.

You absolutely need to do print samples with your own images and the kind provided by your clients. Do not rely on the stock photos provided by the printer, ink, media, or RIP manufacturer or reseller. They may be using special images which they know in advance will look fabulous on their printer. Equally well, if you send your sample images to the dealer, don’t be surprised if they come back looking awful. That is because many dealers won’t make a serious effort to tweak their machine for your kind of image. They may use fast speed just to get the job done (this will result in low quality). Check with other people in your area, or in the same kind of print business that you do. Don’t rely on references from the reseller or manufacturer (you will get their pet locations which may be unrealistically gushy): fi nd someone on your own.

Factors infl uencing output

Heat, humidity, static, dust, experience level of your workers (wheth-er they are new or have prior years experience): these are all factors that will differ in your place of business as compared with test results or demo room results.

Actually you may have people with even more experience than we do, since we deliberately use students to approximate newbies. FLAAR is devoted to assisting newcomers learn about digital imaging hard-ware and software. This is why Nicholas Hellmuth is considered the “Johnny Appleseed” of wide format inkjet printers.

Therefore this report does not warranty any product for any quality, performance or fi tness for any specifi c task, since we do not know the situation in which you intend to use the hardware or software. Nor is there any warranty or guarantee that the output of these products will produce salable goods, since we do not know what kind of ink or media you intend to use, nor the needs of your clients. A further reason that no one can realistically speak for all aspects of any one hardware or software is that each of these products may require ad-ditional hardware or software to reach its full potential.

For example, you will most likely need a color management system which implies color measurement tools and software. To handle ICC color profi les, you may need ICC color profi le generation software and a spectrophotometer since often the stock pre-packaged ICC color profi les which come with the ink, media, printers and/or RIPs may not work in your situation. Not all RIPs handle color manage-ment equally, or may work better for some printer-ink-media combi-nations than for others.

Be aware that some RIPs can only accept ICC color profi les: you quickly fi nd out the hard way that you can’t tweak these profi les nor


54Pag.

generate new ones. So be sure to get a RIP which can handle all aspects of color management. Many RIPs come in different levels. You may buy one level and be disappointed that the RIP won’t do everything. That’s because those features you may be lacking are available only in the next level higher of that RIP, often at consid-erable extra cost. Same thing in the progression of Chevy through Pontiac to Cadillac, or the new Suburbans. A Chevy Suburban simply does not have all the bells and whistles of the Cadillac Escalade ver-sion of this SUV.

Don’t blame us… besides, that’s why we are warning you. This is why we have a Survey Form, so we can learn when you fi nd products that are inadequate. We let the manufacturers know when end users complain about their products so that the manufacturers can resolve the situation when they next redesign the system.

Most newer printer models tend to overcome defi ciencies of earlier models. It is possible that our comparative comments point out a glitch in a particular printer that has been taken care of through an improvement in fi rmware or even an entirely new printer model. So if we point out a defi ciency in a particular printer brand, the model you may buy may not exhibit this headache, or your kind of printing may not trigger the problem. Or you may fi nd a work-around.

Just remember that every machine has quirks, even the ones we like. It is possible that the particular kind of images, resolution, inks, media, or other factors in your facility are suffi ciently different than in ours that a printer which works just fi ne for us may be totally unsatisfactory for you and your clients. However it may be that the specifi c kind of print-ing you need to do may never occasion that shortcoming. Or, it may be that your printer was manufactured on a Monday and has defects that are atypical, show up more in the kind of media you use which we may not use as often or at all during our evaluations. Equally possibly a printer that was a disaster for someone else may work fl awlessly for you and be a real money maker for your company.

So if we inspect a printer in a printshop (a site-visit case study), and that owner/operator is content with their printer and we mention this; don’t expect that you will automatically get the same results in your own printshop.

In some cases a product may work better on a Macintosh than on a PC. RIP software may function well with one operating system yet have bugs and crash on the same platform but with a different oper-ating system. Thus be sure to test a printer under your own specifi c work conditions before you buy.

And if a printer, RIP, media, or ink does not function, return it with no ands, ifs or buts. Your best defense is to show an advertising claim that the printer simply can’t achieve. Such advertising claims are in violation of federal regulations, and the printer companies know they are liable for misleading the public.

But before you make a federal case, just be sure that many of the issues are not user error or unfamiliarity. It may be that training or an additional accessory can make the printer do what you need it to ac-complish. Of course if the printer ads did not warn you that you had to purchase the additional pricey accessory, that is a whole other issue. Our reviews do not cover accessories since they are endless, as is the range of training, or lack thereof, among users.

The major causes of printer breakdown and failure is lack of main-tenance, poor maintenance, spotty maintenance, or trying to jerry-rig some part of the printer. The equally common cause of printer breakdown is improper use, generally due from lack of training or experience. Another factor is whether you utilize your printer all day every day. Most solvent and UV printers work best if used frequently.

If you are not going to use your printer for two or three days, you have to put fl ush into the system and prepare it for hibernation (even if for only four or fi ve days). Then you have to fl ush the ink system all over again.

Also realize that the surface of inkjet prints are fragile and gener-ally require lamination to survive much usage. Lamination comes in many kinds, and it is worth fi nding a reliable lamination company and receiving training on their products.

Also realize that no hybrid or combo UV printer can feed all kinds of rigid materials precisely. Some materials feed well; others feed poorly; others will skew.

Although we have found several makes and models to work very well in our facilities, how well they work in your facilities may also depend on your local dealer. Some dealers are excellent; others just sell you a box and can’t provide much service after the sale. Indeed some low-bid internet sales sources may have no technical backup what-soever. If you pay low-bid price, you can’t realistically expect special maintenance services or tech support later on from any other dealer (they will tell you to return to where you paid for the product). This is why we make an effort to fi nd out which dealers are recommendable. Obviously there are many other dealers who are also good, but we do not always know them. To protect yourself further, always pay with a level of credit card which allows you to refuse payment if you have end up with a lemon. A Gold American Express card allows you to re-fuse payment even months after the sale. This card may also extend your warranty agreement in some cases (check fi rst).

Most of the readers of the FLAAR Reports look to see what print-ers we use in our own facilities. Readers realize that we will have selected the printers that we like based on years of experience and research. Indeed we have met people at trade shows who told us they use the FLAAR web site reports as the shopping list for their corporate purchases.

Yes, it is rather self-evident that we would never ask a manufacturer to send a product which we knew in advance from our studies was no good. But there are a few other printers which are great but we simply do not have them in our facilities yet.

So if a printer is not made available by its manufacturer, then there is no way we can afford to have all these makes and models in our facil-ity. Thus to learn about models which we do not feature, be sure to ask around in other print shops, with IT people in other corporations, at your local university or community college. Go to trade shows….but don’t use only the booth…ask questions of people in the elevator, in line at the restaurant, anywhere to escape the smothering hype you get in the booth.

Realize that a FLAAR Report on a printer is not by itself a recommen-dation of that printer. In your local temperature, in your local humidity, with the dust that is in your local air, with your local operator, and with disorientation of the insides of a printer during rough shipment and installation, we have no knowledge of what conditions you will face in your own printshop. We tend to inspect a printer fi rst in the manufacturing plant demo room: no disjointed parts from any ship-ment since this printer has not been lifed by cranes and run over a rough pot-holed highway or kept in smeltering heat or freezing cold during shipment.

Taking into consideration we do not know the conditions in which you may be using your hardware, software, or consumables, neither the author nor FLAAR nor either university is liable for liability, loss or dam-age caused either directly or indirectly by the suggestions in this report nor by hardware, software, or techniques described herein because.


55Pag.

Availability of spare parts may be a signifi cant issue

Chinese printers tend to switch suppliers for spare parts every month or so. So getting spare parts for a Chinese printer will be a chal-lenge even if the distributor or manufacturer actually respond to your e-mails at all. Fortunately some companies to have a fair record of response; Teckwin is one (based on a case of two problematical hy-brid UV printers in Guatemala). The distributor said that Teckwin sent a second printer at their own expense and sent tech support per-sonnel at their expense also. But unfortunately both the hybrid UV printers are still abandoned in the warehouse of the distributor; they were still there in January 2009. But Teckwin has the highest rating of any Chinese company for interest in quality control and realization that it is not good PR to abandon a client or reseller or distributor all together.

Recently we have heard many reports of issues of getting parts from manufacturers in other countries (not Asia). So just because you printer is made in an industrialized country, if you are in the US and the manufacturer is X-thousand kilometers or miles away, the wait may be many days, or weeks.

Lack of Tech Support Personnel is increasing

The book of sales in the third quarter of 2008 resulted in many tech support problems.

The recession resulted in even more: some manufacturers may need to skimp on quality control during a recession, or switch to cheaper parts suppliers. Plus they are not hiring enough tech support during a recession. So the bigger and more successful the company, in some cases the worse these particular problems may be.

Any new compiled printer may take a few months to break in

Any new printer, no matter who the manufacturer, or how good is the engineering ane electronics, will tend to have teething issues. Until the fi rmware is updated, you may be a beta tester. This does not mean the printer should be avoided, just realize that you may have some downtime and a few headaches. Of course the worst case sce-nario for this was the half-million dollar Luscher JetPrint: so being “Made in Switzerland” was not much help.

Counterfeit parts are a problem with many printers made in China

Several years ago many UV printers made in China and some made elsewhere in Asia had counterfeit parts. No evaluation has the fund-ing available to check parts inside any printer to see if they are from the European, Japanese, or American manufacturer, or if they are a clever counterfeits.

Be realistic and aware that not all materials can be printed on equally well

Many materials don’t feed well through hybrid (pinch roller on grit roller systems) or combo UV systems (with transport belts). Banding, both from poor feeding, and from bi-directional (lawnmower effect) are common on many UV-curable inkjet printers.

It is typical for some enthusiastic vendors to claim verbally that their printer can print on anything and everything. But once you unpack the printer and set it up, you fi nd that it requires primer on some materials; on other materials it adheres for a few weeks but then falls off.

And on most hybrid and many combo printers, some heavy, thick, or smooth-surfaced materials skew badly. Since the claim that the printer will print on everything is usually verbal, it is tough to prove this aspect of misleading advertising to a jury.

Not all inks can print on all materials. And at a trade show, many of the materials you see so nicely printed on, the manufacturer may be adding a primer at night or early in the morning: before you see the machine printing on this material.

We feel that the pros and cons of each product speak more than adequately for themselves. Just position the ad claims on the left: put the actual performance results on the right. The unscrupulous hype for some printers is fairly evident rather quickly.

Be sure to check all FLAAR resources

Please realize that with over 200 different FLAAR Reports on UV printers, you need to be sure to check the more obscure ones too. If a printer has a printhead issue, the nitty gritty of this may be in the FLAAR Report on printheads. The report on the model is a general introduction; if we discussed the intimate details of printheads then some readers might fall asleep. And obviously do not limit yourself to the free reports. The technical details may be in the reports that have a price to them. Our readers have said they prefer to have the general basics, and to park the real technical material in other reports that people can buy if they really want that level of information.

So it may be best to ask for personal consulting. The details of the problems with the ColorSpan 5400uv series are rather complex: namely the center row of the Ricoh printheads. This would require an expensive graphic designer and consultants to show the details. And the design of the printhead would probably be altered by the time we did any of this anyway. So it is essential to talk with people: with other end-users, and with FLAAR in person on a consulting basis.

Acknowledgements

With 19 employees the funding has to come from somewhere, so we do welcome project sponsorship, research grants, contributions that facilitate our educational programs, scholarships for co-op interns and graduate students, and comparable project-oriented funding from manufacturers. The benefi t for the end-user is a principle called academic freedom, in this case,

• The freedom of a professor or student to speak out relative to the pros and cons of any equipment brought to them to benchmark.•The freedom to design the research project without outside meddling from the manufacturer.

Fortunately, our budget is lean and cost effective as you would expect for a non-profi t research institute. As long as we are not desperate for money we can avoid the temptation to accept payment for reprinting corporate PR hype. So the funding is used for practical research. We do not accept (nor believe) and certainly do not regurgitate corporate PR. For example, how many manufacturer’s PR photos of their prod-ucts have you seen in our reports or on our web sites?

Besides, it does not take any money to see which printers and RIPs function as advertised and which don’t. We saw one hyped printer grind to a halt, malfunction, or otherwise publicly display its incapa-bilities at several trade shows in a row. At each of those same trade shows another brand had over 30 of their printers in booths in virtu-ally every hall, each one producing museum quality exhibits. Not our fault when we report what we see over and over and over again. One of our readers wrote us recently, “Nicholas, last month you recom-mended the …… as one of several possible printers for our needs;


56Pag.

we bought this. It was the best capital expenditure we have made in the last several years. Just wanted to tell you how much we appreci-ate your evaluations….”

FLAAR is a non-profi t educational and research organization dedi-cated for over 36 years to professional photography in the arts, tropi-cal fl ora and fauna, architectural history, and landscape panorama photography.

Our digital imaging phase is a result of substantial funding in 1996 from the Japanese Ministry of Public Education for a study of scan-ning and digital image storage options. This grant was via Japan’s National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, Japan. That same year FLAAR also received a grant of $100,000 from an American foun-dation to do a feasibility study of digital imaging in general and the scanning of photographic archives in particular.

The FLAAR web sites began initially as the report on the results of these studies of scanners. Once we had the digital images we began to experiment with digital printers. People began to comment that our reports were unique and very helpful. So by 1999 we had entire sec-tions on large format printers.

FLAAR has existed since 1969, long before inkjet printers existed. Indeed we were writing about digital imaging before HP even had a color inkjet system available. In 2000 FLAAR received an educa-tional grant from Hewlett-Packard large format division, Barcelona, Spain, for training, for equipment, and to improve the design and navigation on the main web sites of the FLAAR Network. This grant ran its natural course, and like all grants, reached its fi nishing point, in this case late 2005.

In some cases the sponsorship process begins when we hear end-users talking about a product they have found to be better than other brands. We keep our ears open, and when we spot an espe-cially good product, this is the company we seek sponsorship from. It would not be wise of us to seek sponsorship from a company with a sub-standard or otherwise potentially defective printer. So we usu-ally know which printers are considered by end-users to be among the better brands before we seek sponsorship. After all, out of the by now one million readers, we have heard plenty about every single printer out there.

We thank MacDermid ColorSpan (now part of HP), Hewlett-Pack-ard, Parrot Digigraphic, Color DNA, Canon, Gandinnovations, and other companies for providing funding for technology training for the FLAAR staff and our colleagues at Bowling Green State University in past years and for funds to allow us to attend all major international trade shows, which are ideal locations for us to gather information. We thank Sun LLC, Caldera, EskoArtwork, Raster Printers (EFI Ras-tek), DEC LexJet, DigiFab, Barbieri electronic, Seiko II, Mutoh Eu-rope, IP&I, Dilli, Yuhan-Kimberly, GCC, Grapo, Durst, and WP Digital for providing funds so that we can make more of our publications free to end-users. During 2000-2001 we had grants to cover all the costs of our publications, and all FLAAR Reports were free in those early years. As that early grant naturally expired after a few years, we had to begin charging for some of our reports to cover costs. Now (in 2009), we are seeking corporate sponsorship so we can gradually make another 20% of our publications free to our readers.

Since 2006 we do a major part of our evaluations at a factory and headquarters demo room. Since the university does not fund any of these trips, it is traditional for the manufacturer to fund a research sponsorship. In the US this is how most university projects are initi-ated for decades now, and it is increasing. In fact there is a university

in Austria that is not an “edu” but is a “GmbH”, funded by the cham-ber of commerce of that part of Austria. In other words, a university as an educational institution, but functioning in the real world as an actual business. This is a sensible model, especially when FLAAR staff need to be on the road over a quarter of a million miles per year (roughly over 400,000 km per year total for the staff). Obviously this travel is hosted since unless money falls from heaven there most realistic way to obtain funding to get to the demo rooms for training is direct from the source.

It has been helpful when companies make it possible for us to fl y to their headquarters so we can inspect their manufacturing facili-ties, demo rooms, and especially when the companies make their research, engineering and ink chemistry staff available for discus-sions. When I received my education at Harvard I was taught to have a desire to learn new things. This has guided my entire life and is what led me into wide-format digital imaging technology: it is con-stantly getting better and there is a lot to learn every month. Thus I actively seek access to improving my understanding of wide format printer technology so that we can better provide information to the approximately quarter-million+ readers of our solvent and UV printer web site (www.large-format printers.org) and the over half a million who read either our wide-format-printers.org site or our roughly half million combined who read our digital-photography.org and www.FineArtGicleePrinters.org sites.

Barbieri electronic (color management), Caldera (RIP), ColorSpan, DEC, Durst, EskoArtwork, Gerber, Grapo, IP&I, Mimaki USA, Mu-toh, Dilli, GCC, NUR, Oce, Shiraz (RIP), Sky AirShip, Sun, Teckwin, VUTEk, WP Digital, Xerox, Yuhan-Kimberly, Zund have each brought FLAAR staff to their headquarters and printer factories. Bordeaux, InkWin and Sunfl ower ink have brought us to inspect their ink manu-facturing facilities and demo rooms. We have visited the world head-quarters and demo rooms of HP in Barcelona and received informa-tive and helpful technology briefi ngs roughly every two years. We are under NDA as to the subjects discussed but it is important that we be open where we have visited. Mimaki Europe has had FLAAR as their guest in Europe to introduce their fl atbed UV printer, as have other UV-curable manufacturers, again, under NDA as to the details since often we are present at meetings where unreleased products are discussed. Xaar has hosted an informative visit to their world headquarters in the UK. You don’t get this level of access from a trade magazine writer, and I can assure you, we are provided much more detailed information and documentation in our visits than would be provided to a magazine author or editor. Companies have learned that it’s a lot better to let us know up front and in advance the issues and glitches with their printers, since they now know we will fi nd out sooner or later on our own. They actually tell us they realize we will fi nd out on our own anyway.

Contributions, grant, sponsorships, and project funds from these companies are also used to improve the design and appearance of the web sites of the FLAAR Information Network. We thank Canon, ColorSpan, HP, ITNH, and Mimaki for providing wide format printers, inks, and media to the universities where FLAAR does research on wide format digital imaging. We thank Epson America for providing an Epson 7500 printer many years ago, and Parrot Digigraphic for providing access to their digital equipment, also for providing three different models of Epson inkjet printers to our facilities on loan at BGSU (5500, 7600, 7800). We thank Mimaki USA for providing a JV4 and then a Mimaki TX-1600s textile printer and Improved Technolo-gies (ITNH) providing their Ixia model of the Iris 3047 giclee printer.

We thank 3P Inkjet Textiles and HP for providing inkjet textiles so we could learn about the different results on the various textiles. IJ Tech-


57Pag.

nologies, 3P Inkjet Textiles, ColorSpan, Encad, HP, Nan Ya Pepa, Oracal, Tara and other companies have provided inkjet media so we can try it out and see how it works (or not as the case may be; several inkjet media failed miserably, one from Taiwan, the other evidently from Germany!). We thank Aurelon, Canon, ColorGate, ColorSpan, ErgoSoft, HP, PerfectProof, PosterJet, Onyx, Ilford, CSE ColorBurst, ScanvecAmiable, Wasatch and many other RIP companies for pro-viding their hardware and software RIPs.

We thank Dell Computers for providing awesome workstations for testing RIP software and content creation with Adobe Photoshop and other programs. We also appreciate the substantial amount of soft-ware provided by Adobe. As with other product loaned or provided courtesy of ProVar LLC (especially the 23” monitors which makes it so much easier to work on multiple documents side by side).

We thank Betterlight, Calumet Photographic, Global Graphics, West-cott, Global Imaging Inc. Phase One, and Bogen Imaging for helping to equip our archaeological photo studios at the university and its archaeology museum in Guatemala. Heidelberg, Scitex, CreoSci-tex (now Kodak) and Cruse, both in Germany, have kindly provided scanners for our staff to evaluate.

We really liked some of the results whereas some of the other prod-ucts were a bit disappointing. Providing samples does not infl uence the evaluations because the evaluators are students, professors, and staff of Bowling Green State University. These personnel are not hired by any inkjet printer company; they were universities employ-ees (as was also true for Nicholas Hellmuth). The testing person for the HP ColorPro (desktop printer) said he frankly preferred his Epson printer. When we saw the rest results we did not include this Heweltt-Packard ColorPro printer on our list of recommended printers, but we love our HP DesignJet 5000ps so much we now have two of them, one at each university.

Sometimes we hear horror stories about a printer. The only way we can tell whether this is the fault of the printer design, or lack of training of the operator, is to have the printer ourselves in-house. Of course some printer manufacturers don’t understand the reasons we need to have each make and model; they are used to loaning their demo units for a week or so. That is obviously inadequate for a seri-ous review.

Some of the media provided to us failed miserably. Three printers failed to meet common sense usability and printability standards as well (HP 1055, one older desktop model (HP Color Pro GA), and one Epson). Yet we know other users who had better results; maybe ours came down the assembly line on a Monday or Friday afternoon, when workers were not attentive. One costly color management soft-ware package was judged “incapable” by two reviewers (one from the university; second was an outside user who had made the mis-take of buying this package).

So it’s obvious that providing products or even a grant is no shield from having your products fail a FLAAR evaluation. The reason is clear: the end user is our judge. The entire FLAAR service program is to assist the people who need to use digital imaging hardware and software. If a product functions we fi nd out and promulgate the good news. If a product is a failure, or more likely, needs some improve-ment in the next generation, we let people know. If a product is hyped by what an informed user would recognize as potentially false and misleading nonsense, then we point out the pathetic discrepancies very clearly.

This is what you should expect from an institute which is headed by a professor.

Actually, most of our reviews are based on comments by end users. We use their tips to check out pros and cons of virtually every product we discuss. You can’t fool a print shop owner whose printer simply fails to function as advertised. And equally, a sign shop owner who earns a million dollars a year from a single printer brand makes an impact on us as well. We have multiple owners of ColorSpan printers tell us that this printer is their real money earner for example. We know other print shops where their primarily income is from Encad printers. Kinkos has settled on the HP 5000 as its main money maker production machine, and so on.

Yet we have documentation of several print shop companies whose business was ruined by specifi c brands that failed repeatedly. It is noteworthy that it is always the same brand or printer at both loca-tions: one due to banding and printheads then simply no longer print-ing one color; the other brand due to pokiness of the printer simply not being competitively fast enough. Same with RIPs, we have con-sistent statements of people using one RIP, and only realizing how weak it was when they tried another brand which they found sub-stantially better. Thus we note that companies which experiment with more than one brand of product tend to realize more quickly which brand is best. This is where FLAAR is in an ideal situation: we have nine RIPs and 25 printers. Hence it is logical that we have fi gured out which are best for our situation.

Grant funding, sponsorship, demonstration equipment, and training are supplied from all sides of the spectrum of printer equipment and software engineering companies. Thus, there is no incentive to favor one faction over another. We receive support from three manufactur-ers of thermal printheads (Canon, ColorSpan and HP) and also have multiple printers from three manufacturers of piezo printers (Epson, Seiko, Mutoh, and Mimaki). This is because piezo has defi nite ad-vantage for some applications; thermal printheads have advantages in different applications. Our reviews have universal appeal precisely because we feature all competing printhead technologies. Every printer, RIPs, inks, or media we have reviewed have good points in addition to weaknesses. Both X-Rite and competitor GretagMacbeth provided spectrophotometers. Again, when all sides assist this pro-gram there is no incentive to favor one by trashing the other. Printer manufacturer ad campaigns are their own worst enemy. If a printer did not make false and misleading claims, then we would have noth-ing to fi ll our reviews with refuting the utter nonsense that is foisted on the buying public.

It is not our fault if some printers are more user friendly, print on more media than other brands. It is not our fault that the competing printers are ink guzzlers, are slow beyond belief, and tend to band or drop out colors all together. We don’t need to be paid by the printer companies whose products work so nicely in both our universities on a daily basis. The printers which failed did so in front of our own eyes and in the print shops of people we check with. And actually we do try to fi nd some redeeming feature in the slow, ink gulping brands: they do have a better dithering pattern; they can take thick media that absolutely won’t feed through an HP. So we do work hard at fi nding the benefi -cial features even of printers are otherwise get the most critique from our readers. Over one million people will read the FLAAR Information Network in the next 12 months; 480,000 people will be exposed to our reports on wide format printers from combined total of our three sites on these themes. You can be assured that we hear plenty of comments from our readers about which printers function, and which printers fail to achieve what their advertising hype so loudly claims.


58Pag.

An evaluation is a professional service, and at FLAAR is based on more than 11 years of experience. An evaluation of a printer, an ink, a software, laminator, cutter or whatever part of the digital printing workfl ow is intended to provide feedback to all sides. The manufacturers appreciate learning from FLAAR what features of their printers need improvement. In probably half the manufacturers FLAAR has dealt with, people inside the company did not, themselves, want to tell their boss that their pet printer was a dog. So printer, software, and component manufacturers have learned that investing in a FLAAR evaluation of their product provides them with useful return on investment. Of course if a printer manufacturer wants only a slick Success Story, or what we call a “suck up review” that simply panders to the manufacturer, obvi-ously FLAAR is not a good place to dare to ask for such a review. In several instances it was FLAAR Reports that allowed a company to either improve their printer, or drop it and start from scratch and design a new and better one.

And naturally end-users like the opportunity to learn about various printers from a single source that covers the entire range from UV through latex through all fl avors of solvent.

We have also learned that distributors often prefer to accept for distribution a printer or other product on which a FLAAR Report already ex-ists.

We turn down offers of funding every year. These offers come from PO Box enterprises or products with no clearly visible point of manufac-ture. Usually the company making the offer presumes they can buy advertising space just by paying money. But that is not what our readers want, so we politely do not accept such offers of money.

Contributions, grants, sponsorships, and funding for surveys, studies and research is, however, open to a company who has an accepted standing in the industry. It is helpful if the company has a visible presence at leading trade shows and can provide references from both end users and from within the industry. Where possible we prefer to visit the company in person or at least check them out at a trade show. Obvi-ously the product needs to have a proven track record too. Competing companies are equally encouraged to support the FLAAR system. We feel that readers deserve to have access to competing information. Competition is the cornerstone of American individualism and technologi-cal advancement.

FLAAR also covers its costs of maintaining the immense system of 8 web sites in three languages and its facilities in part by serving as a consultant such as assisting inkjet manufacturers learn more about the pros and cons of their own printers as well as how to improve their next generation of printers. It is especially useful to all concerned when manufacturers learn of trends (what applications are popular and for what reasons). For example, manufacturers need to know whether to continue designing software for Mac users, or concentrate software for PC users. So the survey form that you fi ll out is helpful to gather statistics. You benefi t from this in two ways: fi rst, you get the FLAAR reports in exchange for your survey form. Second, your comments bring (hopefully) change and improvement in the next generation of printers. When we do survey statistics, then the names, addresses, and telephone numbers are removed completely. A survey wants only aggregate num-bers, not individuals. However, if you ask about a specifi c brand of printer, and do not opt out, we forward your request to a pertinent sponsor so you can obtain follow-up from that brand, since we ourselves do not have enough personnel to respond to each reader by telephone. But we do not provide your personal information to outsiders and our survey form has an opt out check-off box which we honor.

FLAAR also serves as consultants to Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller companies and individuals who seek help on which printers to consider when they need digital imaging hardware and software.

A modest portion of our income comes from our readers who purchase the FLAAR series. All income helps continue our tradition of indepen-dent evaluations and reviews of inkjet printers, RIPs, media, and inks.


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You can fi nd these and more reports at: www.wide-format-printers.NET

These are some of the most

Recent FLAAR Reports (2007-2010)

Introduction to UV Curable Inkjet Flatbed Printers

Most recent UV Printers


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UV Printers Manufactured in China, Korea and Taiwan

You can fi nd these and more reports at: www.wide-format-printers.NET

These are some of the most

Recent FLAAR Reports (2007-2010)

Comments on UV Inkjet Printers at Major Trade Shows 2007-2009

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