CTS Owners - Do you have a backup inkjet printer?

[merchmonster]

Epson 4800 hasn't been touched for 4 months since we got our i-image installed. Thinking about selling it but wanted to get a second opinion from the forum. If you do have a backup printer, have you used it since you've owned your CTS?

[Frog]

Unless you need the $ or don't have the room, when has it ever not been a good idea to have the peace of mind of redundancy?

[brandon]

Keep it. We run one piece of film about every two weeks to keep it moving. When your CTS does go down or you have to do maintenance or whatever then you are not up the creek without a paddle.

[Colin]

One year later and we still have our 4880 sitting in its same spot. 

[dirkdiggler]

We kept it for a year, never used it.  Never did setup vaccuum on starlight and took out glass, so film is no good to us no matter what happens.  I say get what money you can for it, but it is a gamble.

[Dottonedan]

I've been thinking about this also. Our shop started out with the I-Image STE 3hd.  I know it's just good to have one "just in case", but we never had one to start With. Buying a film printing (just in case), doesn't set well either.  Then I thought about it.  If our I-Image went down, I would be the one working on it and we would not have a tech come in for anything. So, the most we would be down, is whatever length of time it would be to resolve whatever issue there is. That can be 30 min, and hour, or even 6 hrs. The worst would be having to wait next day for a part.

so I asked what would we do if we were down for 1 whole day?   We have no film printer. Never did. We do have a super large format color paper printer that could print film but by the time I figure out the setup, our part would be in and we may never need film again. So in the long run, worse case scenario, is that I drive some protected screens in a black trash bag to the next printer and pay them to burn screens for us for that one day.  So we plan on doing that.

[ffokazak]

we have a 1430... For a backup.  I loath epson printers, but that 1430 has been amazing that when we need it, the nozzles are clear. Im talking 6-12 months of sitting idle, and it fired right up. And we use cheap knock off ink... Still doesn't make me want to go back to film haha

I used it last Friday actually. Not because the I image was down, but because we got paid to do on site screen printing, and I needed 20x24 frames. My I image doesn't have a pusher frame for that size so we had to go with the film.  I didn't even use accurip ( Or any rip) and just printed out on the high quality glossy setting, and it worked. Even though you could see right through the blacks on the film haha

So I agree with Dan, a little bit... it doesn't make sense to spend a few K on a backup you may never use. I think I paid 150$ for the 1430... so that may be something to consider as well.

 

[GraphicDisorder]

Nope do not have one.

[GKitson]

Nope nno Epson back up, we have a Mark Diehl, MUCH BETTER than an Epson

[Doug S]

Not one here.  I guess not being a high volume shop I can work the schedule around a little until I get another CTS should this one bite the dust.

[blue moon]

we have one and use it about once a week just to keep it working. It comes in handy for oversized prints and odd locations. Our CTS is down now, gotta put in a new head. Without a backup it would have been a nightmare. This way it was no big deal.
Even more, the original film printer actually died and we had to set up the backup. So we had a backup for a backup! Most of the jobs are on tight schedule and it would be pretty rough to be down for a day. we have a standby backup compressor (kicks in automatically with low pressure), backup dryer, two backup exposure systems, heat presses and even a spare automatic press. 'must be the boy scout and military training rubbing off. . .

pierre

[Homer]

I have a back up 4800 and a 1400 that I use daily for paperwork but can rip film, no problem. I have the starlight set up w/o glass, and it's sort of hung on the wall so it won't do film, but we have a back up exposure unit with glass hooked up ready to go. Have you ever been down and in a cold sweat panic? Yeah that's why I have a back up for my back ups. The peace of mind is more important than the 300 bucks I'll get for the printers.

[DannyGruninger]

Nope nno Epson back up, we have a Mark Diehl, MUCH BETTER than an Epson

LOL same here.... We have backup film but a call to mark is much easier and usually gets us back up and going.

[mk162]

We don't have a backup here.  We should, but I don't.  We have an Epson service center about 20 minutes up the road.  They can't always come out the day we need them, but we try and stay on top of the maintenance and error codes.  We recently had the chip readers replaced.  We were getting a ton of empty or no carts errors.  Fixed it.

We did the heads last year I think, or 2 years ago.  It wasn't that long ago i know that.  One of the few nice things about the Epson based units is the amount of info out there regarding repairs.

[merchmonster]

Thanks for all the replies. Just to close the loop I sold it - been watching too many episodes of the profit where Marcus goes and liquidates junk from peoples shops to raise capital.