Photo labs, sign shops, and service bureaus seeking a lower-cost wide-format inkjet printer/cutter for producing short runs of outdoor graphics on lower-cost uncoated materials should check out the Solvent Jet II from the Tiara US subsidiary of Lyson, Inc.
Based on the Roland CJ540 printer/cutter, the six-color, variable-droplet Solvent Jet II uses true solvent-based inks to image at resolutions of up to 1440 x 1440 dpi. Images output on the Solvent II may last up to five years outdoors without noticeable fading.
“For the small and mid-sized graphics producer, the Solvent Jet II provides an affordable window to solvent-ink-based wide-format imaging,” notes Jerry Fitch, operations manager for Tiara US. Tiara calls the machines “a strategic breakthrough” for small shops seeking to provide high-quality outdoor graphics with lower production costs.”
The 54-in. model will list for $39,000 including RIP. Pricing for the 74-in. model has yet to be determined. The RIP includes profiles for Lyson's Pentachrome inks, which come standard in the Tiara Solvent II printer. The Pentachome inkset adds red and blue inks to the CMYK process colors to make it easier to hit popular spot colors including reflex blue and Coca-Cola red. (Tiara US: www.tiara-usa.com)