Film Printer - Suggestions on Models, Maintenance, Fixing Issues

[MNTS]

Hoping to get my boss to get the Epson, but I'm battling another person in the office who now wants to give HP a try, and I'm nervous about that. Anybody have any experience using HP for films? The T3270 sounds like it's actually built for it, so I'd really like to give it a try, and it sounds like quite the workhorse. Thanks for the replies everyone!

HP is a no go, different head technology and is not suitable for film positives.

we've been using 4800's a 4880's for about 10 years now. I think we get about 5 years out of them and run into issues when we switch to CTS only and they sit for a while. If printing every day they have been fantastic. You can get them used for very little money on ebay. I bought several and used them for photo printing too. Have a lot of ink cartridges (1,000+) you can have for cost of shipping (on your UPS account).

the trick for film printing is to load all the unused slots with head cleaning solution so the channels don't dry or clog up. Also, you have to run nozzle checks periodically and make sure everything is working. You only need one color to work in order to print the films so if one gets clogged just switch to a different one. We had one printer with only yellow channel being open and printed films with it for years.
With some RIPs you can configure other heads to print at the same time, just set them for 5% ink flow. that will not impact your print quality, but will keep the film positive ink going through those nozzles to keep them working.

pierre

What cleaning solution do you fill with?

[Maxie]

I have a T3270 with Black ink for film in one cartridge and dye sublimation in the other 4.    Works well with Accurip.
I also have a Douthitt CTS and disagree with my friend Pierre.     You cannot compare a inkjet printer, film or CTS to a wax unit.     During the Corona we've had lock downs for weeks.     I have to log on and print with the Epson and go into the plant to do head cleaning.     The wax I switch off and after a week or two it heats up and prints without any problems.     
Besides that everything they say about CTS is true, saves so much time not having to deal with film, filing film, etc.    I don't think you save anything on the cost of the film because of the cost of running a wax unit.
We have a lot of reorders and with the CTS it is so easy.    You just drag the file across to the CTS and off you go.
Pierre gets great results with the 4880, I think most of us get much better results with the CTS.      One thing I love is not having anymore pin holes.
I took a long time to switch to CTS, I'm sorry I didn't make the move sooner.   

[blue moon]

I have a T3270 with Black ink for film in one cartridge and dye sublimation in the other 4.    Works well with Accurip.
I also have a Douthitt CTS and disagree with my friend Pierre.     You cannot compare a inkjet printer, film or CTS to a wax unit.     During the Corona we've had lock downs for weeks.     I have to log on and print with the Epson and go into the plant to do head cleaning.     The wax I switch off and after a week or two it heats up and prints without any problems.     
Besides that everything they say about CTS is true, saves so much time not having to deal with film, filing film, etc.    I don't think you save anything on the cost of the film because of the cost of running a wax unit.
We have a lot of reorders and with the CTS it is so easy.    You just drag the file across to the CTS and off you go.
Pierre gets great results with the 4880, I think most of us get much better results with the CTS.      One thing I love is not having anymore pin holes.
I took a long time to switch to CTS, I'm sorry I didn't make the move sooner.   

No knocking the advantages of the CTS, you are right Maxie!
It’d just that they are not fire and forget as some would make you believe. I dont think i would take on that expense and headache for 5-10 screens per day.
My views are probably biased a little since we have the older unit and has been down months at a time and we’ve replaced 3-4 heads in 5 years...

Pierre

[StinkyDaddy]

I have a 4000, a 7600 and a 9600. Like Pierre said, cleaning solution in the carts you don't need works really well. I use windex in mine.

[Dottonedan]

Once this Canon Pixma dies I think I'm just going to get the Exile Freestyler. I don't save films anyhow so I might as well make the switch to CTS, even with the lower volume of screens I do, I'm so sick of film printers. The Canon has been okay but like you said, after around 6 months they start acting funky.

most CTS units are just as much headache or even more than the regular wide format printers. You will not be getting much of a return on investment with CTS at low volume.
Film can actually produce better screens than CTS from what I've seen. And while they have some extra steps in productions, it is really not that big of a deal.

pierre

Here’s my current take on that.


I’ve been researching a lot of the different CTS machines  (laser included). I’ve learned a lot about CTS printing, more so focusing in on halftone dots etc more than I had working at M&R. I’m pretty positive now, that a 600 dpi CTS (as most are), is and was, better than film (even if) using higher resolution film output devices. That being either WAX or WET INK.


First, shape of dot or “cleanliness”of the dot edge, is of no concern. Never has (or should have) been. We’ve all been wrapped up (me included) with the idea that we need crisp clean dots (and some elitist even demand an imaginary "vector looking”CTS dots under a loupe). There are none. We think this is a must, to make a good stencil. What you really need, is A, Direct contact (no film) and B, a solid output, that reaches a level of D max solid enough to burn a correct/accurate stencil of 3.4. All CTS machines provide both...and provides direct contact. This direct contact is really what outweighs ant positive benefits and “prettier”looking dots/edges.    Imagesetter film used to be in the area of 3.8 Dmax. CTS wax or wet ink produce a Dmax average of about 3.4-3.7 with 4.0 being totally solid. Inkjet film has a Dmax of about 3.0-3.4 and Film is a DMin of around .07 at best. Then, add glass (needed with film) into the factor and you compound that, not to mention the UV percentage that gets blocked by glass needed that is taking away from the exposure process. Lastly, add in the (good or poor) vacuum factor required for good contact.


Add to that, you have the factor of a better life of the art flow and without film and replacing low end printers.  Just my thoughts.