JULY 2004FLAAR ReportsS E R I E S f o r p r i n t i n g w i t h S o l v e n t I n k s

Mimaki JV3

Evaluation of Solvent Ink Printer

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Contents

Introduction 1

Brand name, model 2

Size, shape, technology, mechanical 2

Specifications: Printhead 3

Construction (Build Quality) 6

Tech support 7

Cleaning, maintenance 7

Inks 8

Media 11

Image Quality Analysis 13

RIP, driver, color management 13

Price 13

General or Miscellaneous 14

Comments 15 Bibliography 16

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 Sheila Irving, sirving@bgnet.bgsu.edu. Substantial discounts are available for licensing to distribute within your company. The advantage of a 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 outside your company, including in other languages.

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

Caption for front cover photograph: Mimaki JV3-160SP solvent printer at Drupa 2004 trade show

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Mimaki JV3

FLAAR Fast Facts

Evaluation of Solvent Ink Printer

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Mimaki JV3 printer at SGIA 2003 trade show

Mimaki JV3

Evaluation of Solvent Ink Printer

Introduction

Mimaki has made a name for itself for high quality engineering of vinyl cutters and inkjet printers. Several years ago Mimaki bravely introduced a novelty, a solvent ink printer at under $35,000. Even though Mimaki has a low advertising budget compared with Roland, the Mimaki JV3 because an instant best-seller.

Since we have a Mimaki JV4 and a Mimaki textile printer, we felt that we should extend our coverage to Mimaki’s popular solvent ink printer.

This Report is a first look. Our traditions stipulate that as soon as possible a first look should be fol-lowed by a site-visit case study. But due to the time involved and expense, we are starting off with a first-look format.

“The Mimaki JV platform has been successful for several years. Here is an example at the ISA 2002 trade show. We also

have a JV4 at our university lab.”

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Mimaki JV3-160SP printer at ISA 2002 trade show

Brand name, model:

Mimaki JV3. It comes in several models:

� JV3-250SP, Baby Grand, 98 inches wide, $49,995 on the Internet.� JV3-160SP, 63 inches, with a mild-solvent ink, under $30,000 on the Internet

We would not advise buying low bid on the Internet because you need capable tech support from a dealer. Low-bid pricing does not include realistic support.

The JV3 itself is “under $30,000” but beware this may be without ink. Remember that the ink that comes with the machine, over 50% of it is used up during the installation. So if you don’t get ink with your printer you need to buy two complete sets to get started, since the first set will run out in a week or so if you print a lot. The second set will last longer.

When was this model first introduced?

December 5, 2002. The Mimaki JV3 has gone on to become the most popular and best selling sol-vent ink printer of its size class. It has sold several thousand printers. Thus Mimaki has moved more printers in 3 years than Arizona has sold since 1995.

The “Baby Grand” was introduced either in late 2003 or early 2004. Roland now has a grand format width but it is eco-solvent inks.

Size, shape, technology, mechanical

Is this printer made originally as a solvent ink printer, or is it retrofitted with solvent ink? If retrofitted, what was the original brand? What other printers are the same chassis?

It would be fair to assume that the JV3 (sol-vent) and JV4 (aqueous-based) printers share a common design and some compo-nents. We will check on whether they share essentially the same chassis (probably do). Hence the question will remain open as to whether the JV3 should be considered a ret-rofitted printer. The lack of a post-heater (a heater to dry the solvent ink) would suggest that the JV3 is to some degree retrofitted onto the JV4 chassis.

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sIs the width enough for target applications?

The JV3 is an appropriate mid-range width for a solvent ink printer. Media any wider than 63 inches is hard to handle with one person. 72-inch media may require two people to handle without getting it damaged with dings.

Specifications: Printhead

What printheads are used? Xaar, Spectra, Hitachi, Epson, or other?

I am assuming the printheads are Epson. With about 3,000 JV3 printers in use there should be a means to find out how these printheads are holding up to the erosive nature of solvents in the ink.

Is the brand and model of printhead identified in the specifications?

Most printer manufacturers do not identify the make or model of the printheads they use in the specs. However if asked, in most cases they identify the heads to FLAAR since we can find out easy enough on our own. Mimaki readily identified the heads as from Epson, probably the same generation head as used in the JV4.

How many printheads per color? How many nozzles per printhead? How many nozzles per color?

The model 160SP has four printheads. That results in two colors per printhead. The model 160S seems to have only two heads, and thus must be rather slow compared to competing printers.

The spec sheet for the JV3-160SP indicates 360 nozzles per color in 4-color mode or 180 nozzles per color in 6-color mode.

What is the true dpi of this printhead? How is this dpi calculated? How do you calculate perceived dpi that you use instead of true dpi?

Max dpi is listed as 1440. Actual dpi is stated to be 360. If you achieve 360 actual drops per linear inch in one-pass uni-directional, then that would have to be acceptable as the true dpi. But there is no specific explanation on any manufacturer’s web site how the dpi is calculated. Epson thus gets away with hyping imaginary dpi such as 2880 and even the ludicrous 5760 dpi. Epson does not admit its printhead dpi is probably 360; the previous generation had a dpi considered to be 180 (Epson claimed 1440 dpi for that one; in distinction, for essentially the same printhead, Agfa only claimed 720 dpi).

Close look at Roland, one of many printers using Epson printheads

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Notice the work-around to use Epson cartridges instead of true bulk ink

So far Canon comes the closest to patiently explaining the nozzles per color and other details of their printhead. They can afford to reveal the details of their printhead since it is the best thermal head that exists, significantly better than any Lexmark head used in any Encad printer. The Canon head is also faster, has more nozzles, and in some ways is more sophisticated than even the HP printheads, especially since HP is still using an older generation printhead in its DesignJet 5500.

For piezo printer companies, Roland is the first one that even starts to show the details of its print-heads. But they do not explain precisely how dpi is calculated.

What is the drop size? Is this listed in the published specs?

Mimaki does not list any droplet size in their basic specification sheet.

How long do your printheads really last? Do you have that written in a warranty? If your longevity specs are in drops, please translate that into liters of ink or square footage of media.

Most printer manufacturers who use piezo printheads do not indicate how long their printheads last. Roland tried to perpetrate the myth that its Epson printheads were permanent. But several end users told FLAAR that their Epson heads in Roland printers wore out on a regular basis, if you attempt to use the printer all day all month, so this myth was exploded. Unfortunately there is no Pulitzer Prize for reporting in the inkjet industry.

Using the same Epson printheads with solvent ink introduces a host of other problems. None of these are addressed in the ads of Mimaki, Mutoh, or Roland. But there are reports on the Internet that suggest an Epson printhead lasts only 6 months if used with solvent inks. At an average replacement cost of $1500 per head, multiplied by the number of heads in your printer, and multiple by twice a year, now you see why these printers cost $30K and not $54K. The heads used in a $54K printer are longer lasting (those heads alone cost between $1500 for a Hitachi to perhaps $3,000 per head for a Spectra). We don’t yet have longevity figures for the Seiko (Xaar variant) heads used in the ColorPainter 64S. Xaar heads by themselves have poor longevity, but variations tend to be much more long lasting.

We will persevere until we learn the true longevity average of Epson printheads when used with solvent ink. It is amazing the amount of information that is not readily disclosed. A 6-month head is no reason not to buy a Mimaki; besides the printheads may last longer. But failure to disclose this fact in writing is sad.

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Mimaki JV3-160SP solvent printer at Drupa 2004 trade show

If piezo heads fail, who is responsible for paying for replacement heads?

If the printer is under warranty, the warranty covers the cost of the printhead replacement.

What does each printhead cost to replace? Distinguish price for the printhead and also price for the service technician to come and do the installation if it is not user-replaceable?

The price per head was stated to be a very low $300. Average replacement cost was listed as $500. The figures we are getting from Roland and Epson users is about $2,000 (head plus technician). So we will have to go back and get more specific calculations from Mimaki. $500 appears too low.

How often can you expect head strikes? What causes them?

Seldom see head strikes on vinyl. Banner material is more susceptible. Head strikes tend to be when heat is too high; the material rises up in ripples and the top part hits the heads. As people are more informed they have fewer headstrikes. So a headstrike is an end-user situation, not usually a flaw of the printer itself. The only headstrike that is the fault of the printer is if there are no edge guards to keep the sides of the media flat. With no edge guards canvas and some other media can curl up and cause a headstrike. Some headstrikes can damage the heads.

Mimaki has edge guards.

Connectivity? Parallel, serial, SCSI, USB, FireWire?

Connection is via IEEE 1284 or IEEE 1994 (FireWire is Apple’s name for IEEE-1394).

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

RIP software would be extra cost. Some other printers include a lite version of a RIP, but that is usu-ally a loss-leader (or more politely put, bait and switch, since some lite RIPs, like Roland’s offering for many years, up to 2003, were inadequate).

You are better off not being lured by a “free” RIP that is not adequate. You get more value by buying a full-strength RIP, and the brand you prefer (not the brand the manufacturer has a deal with). Thus we support the Mimaki policy of leaving the brand of RIP up to the individual buyer. Besides, most end users already have a RIP.

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s Construction (Build Quality)

What about solid-ness of construction of the printer?

Mimaki printers tend to be better than average in terms of design and construction.

What about heater or dryer? Is there a pre-heater and post-heater both, or just one? Is there a printer under the platen? Where are the heaters located? Is heater on top of, or under, the media?

The Mimaki has only a pre-heater and a platen heater. There is no post-heater.

Can you turn them on and off? Can you vary their temperature?

Yes, you can vary the temperature and can turn them off and on. You need variable heating controls because if there is too much heat it can buckle film materials.

What about fans?

A bank of fans takes the place of a post heater. It would be essential to do tests to document whether fans are as effective as a post-heater. After-market heaters can be purchased but they, by necessity, tend to heat from the front. Again a test is called for to see whether heating from the front (from the top of the media) is as effective as heating from the rear (underside) of the media.

Are any systematic mechanical problems documented? For example, consistent complaints. If you asked outside industry experts would they reply, “ah, yes, Printer XYZ is known for potential XYZ glitches.”

Mimaki politely declined to answer this question. At this point I decided it was not worthwhile continu-ing the interview. But I had already gathered all the information that is included in this report and I have other sources of information too. Besides, I can find out by asking end users, just that they tend to be very graphic, and I prefer to spare readers their litany of grief and headaches.

Electrical needs: 110 or 220?

Power supply is either 110 or 220, but there is a cryptic note: “switching heater voltage required.” It does not specify anything more. I will have to find out what this means and update this report.

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Tech support

What is setup of the printer like? Can I do it myself? Does your cost include sending a person to set it up for me? A person always comes and sets up the printer for the client.

Where are spare parts warehoused?

Atlanta and Los Angeles.

Is training necessary? classroom training available? Is factory training available?

Only on-site customer training is provided on installation.

What on-line training is available?

None.

Are dealers national (most companies) or regional (Roland allows a dealer to operate only within a limited regional area)? Do I have any choice in dealers? (How many dealers actually exist in my country?

Dealers are both national and regional.

Cleaning, maintenance

How is head cleaning accomplished? Vacuum (suck), spray/purge & wipe, manual, auto-matic, other? Can you take the heads out and clean them individually?

Cleaning is evidently vacuum-suck but then a wipe. Evidently there is also a spray/purge and wipe routine too.

You can’t take the heads out manually and clean them.

Mimaki JV3-160SP solvent printer at PMA 2004 trade show

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How hard is it to cap the system and turn it off, for overnight, over weekend, while you go on vacation? Is there a capping station?

There is an automatic capping system

Upon start up, do you have to swab the heads? How long does this take? How messy is it? What cleaning materials are recommended? What is not recommended?

Turn it on; run 2-inch test prints; do a nozzle wash only if the test print looked bad.

Does this printer stay on the entire time once it is turned on? How often does it expend ink to clean its heads?

There is a master ON switch with sleep mode. Every 55 minutes there is a cleaning activity, using primarily cleaning fluid but also some ink. Most eco-solvent printers lack this cleaning routine.

What happens if the heads clog due to lack of maintenance, say over a 3-day weekend or a holiday period?

By keeping the printer plugged in, the every-55-minute cleaning event should keep the printer nozzles in good condition over a vacation period.

Inks

How many kinds of ink are available? What kind of ink is this? Compare it with the ink for a Vutek, what are similarities and differences?

Mimaki offers its regular solvent ink and now a new mild-solvent ink, “Mild Solvent 2.” Since no company really admits what is in its ink it is a challenge to compare them. But several people have indicated that Mimaki’s regular ink is not as strong as the ink in the ColorSpan 72s or Mutoh Toucan. This can have benefits (a percent less VOCs, a tad less noxious odor, slower dissolving of plumbing parts of the ink lines). But downside is equal: correspondingly less bite into raw vinyl. The new mild solvent ink would suggest less cyclohexanon but correspondingly less adhesion, scratch resistance problems, resistance to cleaning solutions (car wash if you do vehicle graphics), and so on.

Every change in ink chemistry has benefits and downsides.

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What are the ingredients in the ink(s)? Is there Cyclohexanon? Is this a lite-solvent or eco-solvent? What is the chemical composition of the ink?

Yes, there is Cyclohexanon in the regular solvent ink. I do not know about the mild-solvent that Mimaki now offers since this is too new. We could not yet find any reseller that knew about the Mimaki mild solvent either.

Does ink come in cartridges or bulk?

In comes in 220 and 440 ml cartridges.

What kind of protective devices are on the ink system to keep you from using after-market ink?

The Mimaki JV4 allows you to use a wide variety of inks. I do not know if the JV3 is as flexible about allowing use of after-market inks.

What is ink cost per liter (not per cartridge, but per liter)?

Ink costs $73 for 220 milliliter on the Internet. Milliliter is one one-thousandth of a liter (or of a quart, more or less).

1 Figures on ink costs vary from honest to dishonest and everything in between. The only way to get factual ink costs is to run benchmark tests in a neutral and independent institute. Due to the expenses involved, this is traditionally done as sponsored research.2 Most resellers want you to telephone so they don’t list the cost of the ink. Some PO Box type of resellers use bait and switch. So we never know whether the prices stated are real. The only prices we believe are those listed by reputable companies that we know personally such as Scarab Graphics, www.ScarabGraphics.com. ScarabGraphics offers Mimaki ink for $68, but we do not know if this is the official ink or after-market ink. You can ask them.3 It is surprising how hard it is to get ink prices. Manufacturers don’t always sell the ink, so no prices on their sites. Some resellers are coy and want you to telephone. So we have a lot more work ahead to get the prices. One thing, however, is that if you ask a competitor, or read their “selling against” literature, the ink prices they quote for their competition are usually the highest list price, is sometimes out of date, and you can usually get slightly better prices on the Internet. We will correct any prices in this chart as we are able to obtain better information.

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Ink type Colors Cost per cartridge

Cost per liter

Ink cost per sq foot1

Ink and media cost

ColorSpan 72s Full solvent CMYK 2-liter containers

$124.50 0.14

Encad VinylJetWater-based,

interacts with IR CMYK400 ml, $120

ink plus head is $186

$ 300

Mimaki JV3Full solvent 4 or 6 $ 73 per 220

ml, price on Internet2

$ 332

Mutoh ToucanFull solvent 4 or 6,

depends on model

$ 390 per gallon (roughly

4 liters)

$ 1223

Mutoh Falcon II Outdoor

Eco-solvent plus $ 75, 220 ml $ 340 .30 to .50

Mutoh Junior Eco-solvent plus 4 $ 75, 220 ml $ 340

Roland VersaCAMM

Called Sol ink but allegedly is identical to Eco-solvent plus

4We guess $ 75

per 220 ml

Roland SolJet Pro II EX

Called Sol ink but allegedly is identical to Eco-solvent plus

6We guess $ 75

per 220 ml$ 340 $ 0.36

and up$ 0.65

Seiko ColorPainter 64S

Less aggressive than full-solvent but more strength than eco-

solvent

CMYK + light cyan and light magenta

1 liter cartridges $299

$299

SolventJET (Splash of Color)

Lyson solvent ink CMYK + red and blue

$89 per 220 ml $ 199 $ 0.28

Tiara Opal II (ScarabGraphics)

Lyson solvent ink, Lactate solvent

Dual CMYK $155 per 1 liter bottle

$ 155

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sHow many colors?

Either dual CMYK or 6-colors. There are eight ink lines.

Is output splotchy? What about banding? What causes the banding?

I was so busy asking questions I neglected to scrutinize the output. We will update this at SGIA trade show.

Can you hot-swap ink?

Yes, you can add fresh ink, but not on the fly. The printer will stop.

What ink-out alarm system exists?

Not really.

Is the printer enclosed? How is the enclosure vented?

A connection for a vent is part of the system, but you have to buy your own exhaust or purification system.

Media

Media core diameter? Options for other core diameters?

The Mimaki offers support for 3-inch as well as the usual 2-inch core diameters.

Front loading, back loading? Paper path?

Back loading. I assume the paper path is straight.

Are edge guards present? Is there a vacuum system?

Yes, edge guards are present but we do not have information on whether the platen has a vacuum system to hold the media flat during printing.

Is a take-up system present? Standard reel or special?? Can media dry fast enough?

The take-up reel is synchronized with the printing system.

Vutek solvent ink printer at Orlando trade show

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sPrecisely how many kinds and types of substrates will work in this printer? And rate them by “work perfectly” through a continuum to “function but not flawlessly.” Will this ink print on everything that a Vutek will?

This is the crucial list that no one offers. It will take us time and resources, but the answer to this question is the key to the continued success of mild-solvent printers.

What are preferred applications to print with this machine?

Mimaki itself lists vinyl, backlit, papers, banners, films. But as I was walking down the aisle, in another booth, I heard a person saying specifically, “backlit with solvent ink Mimaki is not ideal; not enough ink density.”

We asked others and were told that in general (not specifically Mimaki), solvent ink is not as good for backlit as are other kinds of ink. But since most clients either can’t tell the difference or do not have high standards, obviously plenty of sign shops do okay printing backlit with a solvent ink printer such as the Mimaki JV3. You may have to set the saturation level higher for backlit.

When we asked the question again the answer was: “whether or not the saturation is good enough depends on the color. You may have to print two and mount them back to back.”

Is printhead height adjustment available? Manual? Automatic? How much?

You can manually adjust head height 3 mm.

What thickness media is accepted?

Media thickness is not indicated in the regular spec sheet.

Is there self-detection of media width?

Yes.

Is there a reliable counter of media length remaining?

It counts the media used if you tell it the original length when you started.

Is there manual feed capability of sheets (sheet feed)?

Yes.Do you get roller marks on some media? Which media? How bad are the marks?

Since the feeding system and height are adjustable the person we interviewed did not feel that roller marks would be an issue.

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s Image Quality Analysis

We will have to do an image quality analysis at another trade show. But in general Mimaki printers produce high quality output.

RIP, driver, color management

Is a RIP included?

A mini-RIP printer driver is included. I am guessing it is just for a PC and not for a Mac.

How many other RIPs work with this model of printer?

It is probable that most major RIPs work with this printer. We would recommend Wasatch but others are also available.

Price

What is the price, and what do you get for this price? Compare the price, and what you get, with the nearest competitors?

What do you GetIs installation cost included

Is ink included Is a RIP included Is training an extra expense?

MimakiMutohRolandTiara Opal II

We have not forgotten to fill in the chart. This is deliberately left blank. You will get a better deal if you fill in the blanks yourself.

When you are all excited about your new printer it is easy to overlook some key factors in the final price you will have to pay. Many of these items will NOT be on the initial invoice, but you will still have to pay these costs. You will probably get a separate invoice later on.

Installation and training are two crucial items.

We have seen at least one company that apparently does not include ink with the printer.

And a RIP can be a three-thousand dollar surprise.

But the biggest expense may be replacing the printheads if solvent ink causes their premature demise. So just because an Epson head is “permanent” with regular ink, this does not mean it lasts even 2 years with solvent ink and heavy production usage.

At or under $30,000, I can’t think of any other solidly made solvent ink printer at this price. We do not yet recommend mainland Chinese or other Asian printers for users in the US or Europe (the quality is not what you expect).

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Mimaki JV3 printer at SGIA 2003 trade show

D.G.I. has been successful selling its Korean-made printers throughout Latin America; there are more than 46 D.G.I. printers within 20 km of our university here in Guatemala. But few places in the US would buy this brand.

This does not mean D.G.I. is bad, and certainly does not imply that Mimaki JV3 is flawless: it has no post-heater, for example.

The main competition, other than eco-solvent ink machines (which have all the issues of poor adhesion, tend to require lamination) would be the SolventJet and the ColorSpan 72s. I am guessing the ColorSpan would be faster and is an industrial strength printer with full-strength solvents. I say full-strength in every respect because Hitachi heads are potentially more robust than Epson heads.

General or Miscellaneous

Can this printer be left to run overnight or otherwise unattended?

The ad specs indicate “An automatic take-up device is included as standard equipment. The combination of adjustable media tension and the …automatic drying fan allow for round-the-clock operation.” Our natural instinct would be to ask end-users whether they really do unattended printing overnight.

But be careful in humid weather. The sheet weight of 200-feet of wet media could be too much weight on the take-up reel.

Please look at the ad claims for this printer in magazines and on the internet. What aspects of these ads will a buyer of that model soon find out are perhaps slightly exaggerated? In some ads it seems to be the goal to list as outstanding features precisely where the printer is weak. After all, once we buy your printer we are going to find out about these discrepancies relatively quickly.

Mimaki is an honest company and its ads are not as misleading as are ads from Roland (that claim it does great with blue and red when in some cases those colors are close to impossible to reproduce). Mimaki is more honest than Encad, who promises instant profit if you buy an Encad printer.

No printer is perfect, and the very nature of advertising is to entice you to make a decision based on an ideal, not based on the true facts at hand. Besides, advertising only selects the good features, and ignores the downsides. But I have yet to see a Mimaki ad which is blatantly misleading.

Mimaki is one of the few solvent ink printer manufacturers that even minimally warns people, “Post effects of organic solvents on people, warnings, etc…. Install proper ventilation.”

It would be helpful if this level of full disclosure would include more information on the ink and to what degree it is “mild” or “full strength.”

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How many of your printer of this model are in use in the USA? Not how many are in dealer show-rooms, not how many have been “sold” on paper, but how many are functioning in actual use printing signs, posters, banners, textiles, or whatever in commercial establishments.

Mimaki has sold several thousand units, making it the best selling solvent ink printer over 50 inches. I suspect the JV3 outsells most other solvent ink printers put together.

The advantage for the end user is that you can more easily find someone near you that has one. Never, ever, buy a printer unless you can talk to printer operators and shop owners about the pros and cons of a printer. And don’t use the manufacturer’s Success Stories. That is just an advertising ploy; usually such places are demo centers for the products. They tell you all the good things about the printer but don’t admit the weak points. And a Success Story never tells you anything good about competing printers.

What will the resale value of your printer be in three to five years? Will either the brand name or model specifications cause a knowing buyer three years from now to shy away from your printer or cause a knowing buyer to only want to pay a very low price as compared to the other printers our company is considering?

Resale value will be good in the next few years because the Mimaki is a known brand name. How-ever if more states follow the lead of California and the European Union, and begin to ban solvent ink printers, or force you to add expensive exhaust systems, then the value of a used solvent ink printer will not hold up.

Please add your own suggestions

If you know of any questions we neglected to ask, or any aspect of the printer that we overlooked, please let us know.

Comments

Because it was not practical to finish the interview, so there are many questions in our standard format that we will need to ask at a future date. It is easier if we can obtain the facts directly from the manufacturer, but when they balk, we can go to end-users.

Besides, the competition is eager to provide a whole list of what every other printer has a few head-aches with. So when the questions we ask are not answered the first time, we simply go elsewhere, and keep asking around until we are satisfied that we know the whole story. I fail to understand why managers don’t realize that telling us up front is by far the best way to handle this situation.

So far Mutoh has the best record of answering all the questions without hesitation.

As a result of the booth attendant not being able to answer all the questions (he was willing, but the manager was surprised that I dared ask what features of the printer needed improvement). Of course we will learn this immediately when we start asking end users, but now we can’t issue any recommendation on the Mimaki until we learn the full situation.

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Proprietary rights notice © Copyright 2004, July 2004.

Please realize that all reports are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. The reader software is free from www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.PDF files are intended to be read on your computer monitor. Naturally you can print them if you wish, but if the photographic images within the reports were high enough dpi for a 1200 dpi laser printer it would not be possible to download them. So the images are intended to be at monitor resolution, naturally in full color. FLAAR itself makes the files available only in PDF format because that is the international standard. We have no mechanism to print them out and mail them. Obviously if you have downloading problems we will try to help, but please realize that we assume you have a 56K modem (or better) and capabilities to handle a basic PDF file.

We got the complete results on the Mutoh Falcon Outdoor II, and on the (Roland / Splash of Color) SolventJet, so we can issue our results on these printers (in their separate FLAAR Reports).

If you are itching for further info on the Mimaki solvent ink printers, there is a dealer we recommend, Scarab Graphics: contact ken@scarabgraphics.com.

Bibliography

It is virtually unexpected to find a report on the Internet that lists the things that a printer is weak at. 99% of what is on the Internet is merely a regurgitation of official PR releases, advertising slogans, or other situations where people are desperately trying to sell you one brand or another.

FLAAR does not sell printers. And we are not desperate either. We can afford to tell the truth.

What printer manufacturers don’t realize is that if their printer is really good, an honest report (includ-ing the pros and cons too) will result in selling far more printers than by increasing their advertising budget. More people read FLAAR reports than read all trade magazines put together.

As a university professor I prefer to write reports based on consulting other comparable research results. Of course no one else has time or a budget to research inkjet printers, and especially not to develop, and then apply, a standardized evaluation format. So in this First-Look format of the FLAAR Reports, we don’t yet have a list of other people’s articles to cite. Frankly we don’t yet know any.

But surely someone has written on this printer. If you know any articles, reports, or anecdotes about the Mimaki solvent ink printers please let us know at FLAARtest@aol.com.