Hi everyone. I just went to a friend's shop & he got a new 6' infiniti solvent printer. Kinda crappy resolution but overall a cool machine. Any opinions on these machines? Also, I hear some states aren't allowing them because of environmental issues. Is this true?
Thanks, Felix.
Posted by Ted Nesbitt (Member # 3292) on :
Felix; correct me if I'm wrong, but the Infiniti is a 'low-cost' solvent machine from China----I hope your friend is going to get all the support (technical, parts, etc) that one requires with a solvent printer.
Typically, solvent printers offer lower resolution than their Thermal inkjet cousins. Piezo prinheads found in solvent printers are very durable, and must be to contend with solvent inks. They do not however offer fine print capabilities that you will find on an HP or whatever.
The advantage of printing with a solvent ink is the ability to print on anything that is a PVC based product---raw banner, raw vinyl, etc. This brings your cost of production way down, as you do not need specially coated or treated materials to hold the ink.
As for your environmental concerns, I haven't seen much standing in the way of these machines. Granted, solvent printers must be vented properly to the outdoors to give you a safe work environment. The inks and solvents are nasty chemicals. Think of a screen-printing shop----the odors that get ariborne, and what kind of effect they will have on people. That's almost the same as a solvent printer.
