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HP Designjet 10000s solvent inkjet printer

The Seiko ColorPainter 64S was very popular. We did a site-visit case study of one that a colleague had in Guatemala. Then the “100” inch version Seiko printer came out, but we were so busy studying UV-cured printers and we have not yet found any installations of the 104-inch version, so at first did not yet have any recommendation, neither pro nor con, for the HP Designjet 10000s model. Until we can inspect printer in its factory, or visit the demo center, and have a budget for site-visit case studies, we will list the HP 10000s, but not pass any judgment on it. There are already too many other 100-104 inch printers already established (see next paragraph).

But by 2008, and increasingly, I hear references to feeding inadequacies of both the HP 9000s and the HP 10000s. We are gradually updating the FLAAR Reports on these HP lite-solvent printers as a result. At VISCOM Germany, 2008, I overheard an owner of an HP 10000s speak about all the problems: he said it had the same media skew issue for which all these HP solvent printers are infamous. But he said that this wider version had an additional problem not present on the 64” version, namely differential banding. He felt the frame was not rigid enough for a 100+ inch size. So he said there was either banding in the middle or banding near both ends: not not often banding all the way across!

For example of issues with the HP solvent printer offerings, the add-on after-market heater offered by HP was sufficiently inadequate that even a beta-tester for the HP DesignJet 10000s turned it down and bought a heater from Black Body. Most solvent printers don't provide enough post-print dryers, so you usually need an external electrical IF dryer. HP offers an HP Designjet High Speed Dryer, but this may not work adequately. Most printshop owners prefer a Black Body IR Digi Dry infrared dryer from BBC Industries, in Pacific, MO, outside St Louis.

Mild-solvent vs Eco-solvent vs full Solvent-based ink comparisons

The Seiko and HP Designjet 10000s use a mild-solvent ink, also called light solvent or lite-solvent. This is more dependable than eco-solvent used primarily by Roland and by many Mutoh and some Mimaki printers. But mild-solvent and lite-solvent inks require more cleaning and maintenance than eco-solvent inks. Mild-solvent inks are considered less hazardous to the environment and to your health than full-solvent (what most Chinese and Korean printers use, and what almost all grand format (superwide) billboard printers utilize.

HP Designjet 10000s Price and Cost Comparisons with other 104-inch solvent printers

The 100-104 inch market is relatively new since 2004-2005 and continues strong during 2006 into 2007. These solvent inkjet printers are extended 64” and 72” printers, what I call “stretch models.” These solvent ink printers are increasingly popular for printing billboards, building wrap, vehicle wrap, vinyl banners.

The marketing intent is to provide franchise sign shops and other print shops an option before they move up to a true superwide (grand format) printer such as the Gandinnovations Jeti 3.3 solvent ink printer. FLAAR offers a site-visit case study of this Gandy solvent ink printer, now being updated based on inspecting three more print shops, one in Greece, one in Turkey, and one in Lisbon.

At FESPA Digital 2008 a few people in the aisles were already talking about the HP latex ink and were guessing that any new HP Scitex printer for latex ink would be in the 100-104 inch range. This is the HP Designjet L65500. But due to its high cost, this HP L65500 printer is not yet widely in use and people ask whether it will print only on HP approved media (which would make the media costly). So until I can undertake a study of a beta test site for the HP latex printer, we are listening and gathering feedback from printshop owners. So far they are skeptical.

Solvent printers 100 inches or over that are available include the following:

Mimaki JV3-250SPF, 100.3 inches, 2.55 meters

Mutoh Osprey, 103 inches, 2.612 meters

Mutoh Spitfire, 102 inches, 2.60 meters

Roland SOLJET Pro II SJ-1000EX, 104 inches

Roland SOLJET Pro II V SJ-1045

Roland AdvancedJet AJ-1000 (new as of February 2006)

Seiko ColorPainter 100S is now replaced by the Seiko ColorPainter H-104S

The Seiko ColorPainter 100S was launched in the US at ISA 2005 trade show.

I first saw this Seiko rebadged as a Blaze Nilejet II printer at the Dubai Mideast trade show, 2006. Blaze rebadged Scitex Vision products for sale in the active Middle East market. This was before Scitex Vision was purchased by Hewlett Packard. The Blaze brand name seems to have disappeared after the acquisition, indeed the entire Internet is silent on its previous existence. Today this is largely an HP Designjet product, albeit still rebranded from Seiko. This was not really a Scitex Vision product, but there is lots of rebranding. For example, the Vutek 260 is a rebranded Mutoh Osprey printer.

Now, since DRUPA 2008, the newest 100-104 inch printer is the Seiko ColorPainter H-104S. The internal politics of Seiko (owned by Epson) and HP over the last three years could be turned into a book, a major movie, or any other kind of business analysis. But FLAAR does not wish to be involved in all the industry politics; we just look for the best printers, and the Seiko H-104S reveals considerable potential. But it is a new printer, still being finished, and we can't issue any recommendation until we have a chance to inspect it in a demo room, test the H104S, and then see how it performs in a printshop.

Most recently updated January 12, 2009.

First posted November 27, 2006. Updated May 29, 2008, August 14, 2008, Nov. 3, 2008 after speaking with the owner of the HP 10000s.