A Photo printed by one of Roland ’s TrueVIS series printers.
Outdoor Durable:
A Look at Today’s
Solvent Printers
Solvent printers may be a mature technology, but that doesn’t mean innovation has halted.
Manufacturers in this category continue making strides to improve effi ciencies.
By Jeffrey Steele
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But when it comes to the very
mature technology of solvent printing, a number of newer features and
benefi ts are enabling print service providers to become more effi cient, while
turning out higher-quality work in faster times. Th e result is the ability to
tap new markets and new profi ts.
According to David Conrad, Director
of Sales and Marketing for Mutoh
America in Phoenix, Arizona, solvent
printer sales have been steady in recent
years.
“With the advent of UV-LED and
the migration of dye sublimation and
textile printing applications, we’ve seen
eco-solvent printing trends remain
strong in their traditional sign, display,
and wrap spaces,” he said.
Top trends include the steadily growing
demands by PSPs for reliable, easyto
use printers with excellent image
quality and productivity, at aff ordable
prices. Working to meet that demand is
Irvine, California-based Roland DGA,
whose TrueVIS series of eco-solvent
large-format printer/cutters meets this
criteria, said Daniel Valade, the company’s
Product Manager for color products
and cutters.
“Customers are also looking for
printers that are more effi cient so they
can achieve maximum productivity,”
he added. “Features like faster print
speeds, integrated contour cutting and
automatic ink switching systems allow
for uninterrupted and unattended
printing, taking productivity and convenience
to a whole new level.”
As he views solvent printers as a category,
Michael Maxwell, Senior Manager
of Sales, Promotions, Events, and Applications
for Suwanee, Georgia-based
Mimaki USA, sees a highly mature
product that continues to evolve for
the better. Maxwell continued: “Th ey’re
a widely-used technology, with a lot
of cross compatibility with media.
Commercial print service providers are
20 Wide-Format & Signage April 2018 PrintingNewscom
/PrintingNews.com