[nectar54]

Just wondering if you could leave a large format printer idle for a few months at a time as I would only need to use it when I had to create artwork (5-6 times a year)

Getting positives printed at A1 size is very expensive and ive seen used Epson & canon 24" printers go for £100-300 on ebay.

Would I realistically be able to maintain one only using it 5 or 6 times a year?

How much and how often do you have to print in order to keep the heads from blocking?

 

[webtrekker]

It's not just a question of the heads blocking, you also need to be looking at the shelf life of the inks you intend to use.

Heads can be kept unblocked by keeping the printer on permanent standby and doing a nozzle check or test print at least once a week.

 

[nectar54]

It's not just a question of the heads blocking, you also need to be looking at the shelf life of the inks you intend to use.

Heads can be kept unblocked by keeping the printer on permanent standby and doing a nozzle check or test print at least once a week.

i would most definitely be using third party refillable ink cartridges. This printer only need to do screenprint positives and i might even think about doing all black for the cartridges

How much does it cost in materials to do a nozzle check each week approx?

Its hard enough to justify doing this as a hobby already let alone maintaining a huge printer every week.

 

[STPG Press]

It seems like you've got the deck stacked against you.

You're really asking for something that doesn't exist. If it did, it would be the most popular WF printer on the market. There are thousands upon thousands of us that would be first in line to buy one.

Saying that, you are introducing even more challenges into the equation by using 3rd party inks; worrying about the cost to run a nozzle check / head cleaning. Don't get me wrong, those are costs that are important, but if it's such a factor, then that alone should probably drive you away. If you have to replace the heads, that will be the single biggest maintenance cost you can encounter so in relative terms, those nozzle checks and head cleanings are irrelevant.

It's hard when it's a hobby. It's harder when it's a small business but still have to calculate the true cost of ownership.

To answer your other question; if you print a little bit every couple of days, you'll be fine. Go a week and you'll have to do a nozzle check. Go a month and you'll be doing multiple head cleanings. Do go over a month; don't go over a week or two.

Good luck.

 

[LancerFlorida]

Consider decommissioning the printer until it is time to put it to work.Yes, it will be a couple hours work in both directions but you will sleep better at night.

Hoping for a good outcome with a half baked strategy is an exercise of futility OR......find more business for the large format and promote it from Hobby to PROFIT.

 

[nectar54]

It seems like you've got the deck stacked against you.

You're really asking for something that doesn't exist. If it did, it would be the most popular WF printer on the market. There are thousands upon thousands of us that would be first in line to buy one.

Saying that, you are introducing even more challenges into the equation by using 3rd party inks; worrying about the cost to run a nozzle check / head cleaning. Don't get me wrong, those are costs that are important, but if it's such a factor, then that alone should probably drive you away. If you have to replace the heads, that will be the single biggest maintenance cost you can encounter so in relative terms, those nozzle checks and head cleanings are irrelevant.

It's hard when it's a hobby. It's harder when it's a small business but still have to calculate the true cost of ownership.

To answer your other question; if you print a little bit every couple of days, you'll be fine. Go a week and you'll have to do a nozzle check. Go a month and you'll be doing multiple head cleanings. Do go over a month; don't go over a week or two.

Good luck.

thanks, i guess I could print once or twice a week just a random small image (would something a4 size suffice?) but i dont like the thought of just printing for the sake of it, seems like a waste of paper and ink.

 

[nectar54]

Consider decommissioning the printer until it is time to put it to work.Yes, it will be a couple hours work in both directions but you will sleep better at night.

Hoping for a good outcome with a half baked strategy is an exercise of futility OR......find more business for the large format and promote it from Hobby to PROFIT.

i think that wouldnt be realistic but ill certainly research what is involved in decommissioning a printer

Selling a service would be ideal, im not exactly sure what kind of market there is for people needing screenprint positives here in the UK but might be worth a go.

 

[STPG Press]

thanks, i guess I could print once or twice a week just a random small image (would something a4 size suffice?) but i dont like the thought of just printing for the sake of it, seems like a waste of paper and ink.

Yea, just a page. Anything to keep the ink moving and flowing through the heads. But again, I will say that you can print thousands upon thousands of pages before you come to the cost of one print head replacement.

Good luck!

PS. I like the idea of offering a service for print jobs that would keep some positive revenue stream going and keep your consumables fresh.

 

[NoXid]

If you can't find more use for the printer (like printing films for others), then you are probably best served by just paying someone to do one when you need one.

Wait ... hold on now. Do you currently have a printer that you use to print smaller films? If so, decommission it and keep it on a shelf as a backup (flush it with head cleaning fluid, like PiezoFlush), then use the 24" for everything.

 

[nectar54]

If you can't find more use for the printer (like printing films for others), then you are probably best served by just paying someone to do one when you need one.

Wait ... hold on now. Do you currently have a printer that you use to print smaller films? If so, decommission it and keep it on a shelf as a backup (flush it with head cleaning fluid, like PiezoFlush), then use the 24" for everything.

I currently have a canon pro 100 that I use for general household stuff like printing amazon return's / mailing labels and stuff.

I never actually considered using a 24" to do this kind of stuff but it seems you can

maybe I can justify buying one after all