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ColorSpan 5440uv, 5445uv, 5460uv, 5465uv:
Revised comments on the four hybrid UV printers: flatbed and roll-to-roll
A year ago FLAAR had a unique opportunity to inspect a pre-production model of the ColorSpan 5440uv, 5445uv, 5460uv, 5465uv-cured printers.
Shortly after we have finished our initial evaluation review. The FLAAR Reports on the 5440uv, 5445uv, 5460uv, 5465uv. Now, in 2008, since about 300 of these printers are out in printshops, there is reliable information on the ups and downs of this printer.
Our first step is to try to make a list of the issues as reported by end-users, and to estimate which problems are mechanical, which are from ink chemistry, and which are from the reality of dealing with a complex technology. Several printshops have reported issues with media feed and with ink delivery. A new and larger ink pump got rid of most of the ink problems, but the media feed issues are something I hear about even more.
I am checking with the manufacturer to get their list of what issues the printer is facing. They are more up front and specific with FLAAR because they realize we will learn soon enough what works, and what does not work, on a printer. So for 2008, especially now that these printers have been taken over by HP, we will be revising our reports (as soon as DRUPA ‘08 finished, so we can inspect them in their HP environment).
But clearly there were issues with media feeding; we have heard from end-users and ColorSpan has acknowledged the glitches and is designing retrofits.
The ColorSpan 5440uv, 5445uv, 5460uv, 5465uv can print on CoroPlast, MDO board, Sintra, Styrene, banner, mesh and other signage materials
These are hybrid UV printers that are intended to handle flatbed and roll-fed materials all in the same printer. Of course this is the very core of the situation: no printer, not even a million dollar one, can handle every material size, shape, and weight perfectly (so far the L&P Virtu HD8 and Spuhl RS 25, RS 35 come the closest to ability to handle diverse materials, but these are $350,000 printers).
Already in 2006 FLAAR became the de-facto international resource on UV-curable wide format inkjet printers. For 2007 we are proud to be absolutely the first choice for educational material on UV printers, and for 2008 we are expanding our coverage primarily through feedback from end-users. We appreciate it when end-users appraise us of the issues they face with their printers. Naturally we like to receive good news as well, but what is more realistic is a list of the issues and downsides of an ink chemistry and the mechanical insides of a printer.
Concordance of new printer designations
ColorSpan 5440uv is now HP Designjet H35100
ColorSpan 5460uv is now HP Designjet H35500
ColorSpan 5445uv is now HP Designjet H45100
ColorSpan 5465uv is now HP Designjet H45500
ColorSpan 9840uv is now the HP Scitex FB910
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Most recently updated April 8, 2008.
First posted Feb 12, 2007, Updated Feb 6, 2008.
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Dilli NeoPlus |
| HP Scitex XP5100 and HP Scitex XP5300 |
| HP Scitex XP2100 and HP Scitex XP2700 |
| HP Scitex FB6100 |
| L&P Spuhl RS |
| Sun FastJet |
| RIP Software |
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| Caldera RIP software |
Interesting inks & Alternative Inks |
HP latex ink |
UV-Curable ink, OEM (in preparation) |
UV-Curable, third-party ink |
| Encres Dubuit (others in preparation) |
Fine Art Photography Giclee & Proofing (on other FLAAR sites)
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Epson 4880 |
Epson 7880 |
Epson 9880 |
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Most of our updates for 2008 onward are in FLAAR Reports in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. It is more efficient for us to make new information available in PDF format. So if the web page itself is not updated, check out www.wide-format-printers.NET to see if the printer, RIP, or other subject is covered in an update in a PDF download.
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