The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Artwork => Topic started by: deezdrama on March 13, 2019, 10:52:41 pm
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Been a few years since Ive been on here after building my 4 player mame machine.
My ol lady has been getting into vinyl , we just bought a 36" uscutter and heat press and bought her a epson workforce 7710 to do sublimation transfer prints.
All this has me wanting to get back into building some mini cabs that friends have been wanting. The thing that has stopped me is the cost of having vinyl printed.
Now I know having vinyl printed is WAY cheaper than a legit commercial grade large format solvent ink printer but just looking for decent results using an inkjet .
Has anyone used a cheaper large format inkjet like https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1392623-REG/hp_designjet_t120_24_large_format.html
to do any cabinet artwork?
I was thinking about buying the above printer and using a continuous ink tank system with pigment ink and printing bartop cabinet artwork on printable adhesive backed vinyl and then possibly buying a cold roll to cold roll laminate....
Just wondering if anyone has tried something similar, used pigment with an inkjet on printable vinyl?
If so....how were the results?
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Just buy your artwork. It will look better, and you won't have to buy 2 grand in equipment to get substandard results.
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If you want to print large surfaces of vinyl i would really recommend a solvent printer.
The quality of a inktjet printer is nowhere near the quality of a solvent printer.
In my opinion the quality isn't even "decent" when printing large surfaces.
Also the quality of the ink isn't that good. Original solvent ink is about 1 year uv-resistant.
If you use polymer vinyl even up to 3 years.
If you are really interested in starting to print your own vinyl, i would recommend in the base models of Roland.
The Roland SP-300i is a entry model of the wide format printers from roland.
This printer has a maximum print area of around 0,7 meters. the price is used "only" around € 4.000-5.000.
The bigger entry model of roland the SP-540i has a print area of around 1,3 meters, the price is used around € 8.000-10.000
A laminator is also around €2.000.
Keep in mind these printers are made to use 8 hours a day. They need more maintenance when not used.
I currently own a roland SP-300i bought one new 5 years ago. The printing quality is of commercial grade.
I am looking to buy a Roland VG-540A and a TexJet shortee to expand the business.
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Of course it is possible, sign shops do it all day long..You will need to also add P/s and Ai, commercial version unless you want the watermarks (and a scanner) ....The reason being that plotter will off considerably at that size on your file if you use freeware for your conversion, That is of course you can get the tracking decent on that machine...Good luck.
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Thanks for the replies guys!
I still have photoshop and illustrator installed on my old computer rig that i will be using for the ol ladies sublimation and vinyl cutter... so im good there.
Ive seen the roland suggested several times in my research and would consider the investment if i make anymore full size cabs or decided to print artwork /signs/banners for people....
But for now just would like to print some decent quality small bartop arcade side,panel,marque art.
So smaller bartop prints with pigment off something like the hp t120 would look pretty bad?
Any estimates how long they would hold up indoors with cold roll laminate?
Im just starting into this as a sidejob/hobby doing vinyl decals,shirts,sublimation, and airbrushing..... so starting with moderate lower end stuff.... dont want to invest over 1k in a printer yet untill i know its something i want to pursue for sure.
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For less than 1k in equipment your prints are going to suck. Just buy the artwork. You will never turn a profit with what you are suggesting.
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For less than 1k in equipment your prints are going to suck. Just buy the artwork. You will never turn a profit with what you are suggesting.
Mikes point becomes even more valid when you factor in copyrights...So unless your a pirate or something, you will need a pile of legitimate work too, to justify the cost and maintenance involved.
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what about all these large format printers from aliexpress and alibaba? anyone have any experience with any of those?
not looking to run arcade artwork business but "poster" business kinda sounds good(I will focus on video game stuff only, not tryna have mickey mouse with a baseball bat at my door)
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what about all these large format printers from aliexpress and alibaba? anyone have any experience with any of those?
not looking to run arcade artwork business but "poster" business kinda sounds good(I will focus on video game stuff only, not tryna have mickey mouse with a baseball bat at my door)
Well the main problem with those printers will probably be the support. I use my roland printer almost every day, when i have a problem i can't wait to have it fixed.
When a part is broken there will be someone from tech support the same day to replace the part. I guess with a printer from aliexpress you probably have to wait weeks to get a replacement part.
And with such a big difference in price i think the print quality will also be a lot different compared to the roland, HP or epson wide format printers.
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thanks for the info. do you recommend any name brand wide printer under 500ish?