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Mimaki JV5-130S and Mimaki JV5-160S solvent printers slowly improve
Now that Hewlett-Packard has launched their HP Designjet 9000s and has announced the HP Designjet 8000s, this has sent a shock wave through the entire world of printers for outdoor graphics, outdoor signage that can produce durable outdoor banners.
Roland countered by showing their AdvancedJet AJ-1000. Mutoh has already revealed the Mutoh Osprey and Mutoh Spitfire last year.
Mimaki was the only company left that had not shown a new solvent inkjet printer to compete with the two new HP printers. This was changed when, at IPEX ’06 and ISA ‘06, Mimaki showed their JV5-130S and Mimaki JV5-160S
Mimaki makes great printers and had a real sales breakthrough with their JV3 several years ago. But then the Seiko, ColorSpan 72SI, Korean, and Chinese printers appeared. Thus we look forward to the Mimaki JV5-130S and JV5-160S.
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First impressions of the Mimaki JV5-130S and JV5-160S
My personal first impression of the Mimaki JV5-130S and JV5-160S was favorable but from the beginning this printer was clouded with comments about the ink not drying fast enough.
My overall concept of Mimaki has been favorable for years in part because I have experienced Mimaki quality directly with their JV4 water-based printer. Plus Mimaki was the one company honest enough to have realized that the first generation of eco-solvent inks (circa 2001-2003) were inadequate and downright unacceptable. It was not until the third generation eco-solvent inks, that was much acceptable, that Mimaki offered these inks in a comprehensive manner in the US .
But regrettably, the feedback from industry and from end-users has not been very positive on the JV5-130S and JV5-160S. I need to do some site-visit case studies, but the State of Ohio had a 3-million dollar deficit for our university alone, so there is no university funding whatsoever for reviews of wide-format inkjet printers. As a result, all travel to visit printshops has to be funded from other sources.
But the comments that come in on a regular basis suggest that caution should be used.
In 2007 Mimaki launched stretch models (actually they are strengthened stretch models), the Mimaki JV5-260S and Mimaki JV5-320S. They were prototypes, not yet finished products, as is the tradition at a trade show.
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Here is the Mimaki JV5 solvent, at a Sign Madrid trade show. |
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Most recently updated August 22, 2007.
First posted February 14, 2006. Previously updated March 24, 2006, April 6, 2006.
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| Kwangko Sprin |
Eco-Solvent Printers |
| Gerber Jetster |
| Kimoto Philyrassystem |
| Mutoh Phoenix |
| Mild-Solvent
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| Bio-Solvent
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| Latex Water-Based Ink replaces Solvent ink |
Interesting inks & |
| 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) |
Epson 4880 |
Epson 7880 |
Epson 9880 |
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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