About this guide
An eco solvent printer is a flex printing machine for vinyl, banners, and rolls. Eco solvent ink bonds into eco solvent vinyl, so the print can still stretch. A UV printer machine dries at once. A UV flatbed printer and a UV DTF printer are for boards, acrylic, and film that cannot wait.
In this guide
- Eco solvent printer and UV printer do different work
- What slows a print shop down
- How to choose the right printing machine
- Flex printing machine for banners
- UV flatbed and UV DTF printer
- Jobs that are not a flex printer
- Quick Comparison
- Which One Should You Follow?
1. Eco solvent printer and UV printer do different work
What it is
An eco solvent printer earns money on flex, vinyl, one-way vision, and rolled banners.
Points to check
- A UV printer earns money when the board is hard, or when the customer will not wait for the print to dry.
- If most bills are flex banners, start with an eco solvent printer and local ink.
- If customers keep asking for acrylic, sunboard, and phone-case film, look at a UV printer.
2. What slows a print shop down
What it is
The printhead decides which ink you can use. An XP600 and an i3200 are not the same spare.
Points to check
- A cheap litre of the wrong ink is how nozzles die before a Saturday delivery.
- The printer that makes money is the one whose ink, printhead, and material already match.
- Price one real job on both machines before you compare the machine price.
3. How to choose the right printing machine
What it is
Sort last month’s bills into flexible outdoor work, hard boards, and small hard goods.
Points to check
- The biggest pile should get the first machine.
- A second machine can wait until that work is steady and profitable.
- Count board or film, ink, labour, reprints, and drying time. The cheaper sticker price is rarely the cheaper month.
4. Flex printing machine for banners
What it is
A flex printing machine for banner printing is usually an eco solvent printer on vinyl and flex.
Points to check
- Keep money aside for air flow, a drying rack, and ink matched to the XP600 or i3200 printhead.
- KingJet eco solvent machines include the KJ-3204S XP600 series.
- Stay with the ink your printhead is built for. Sale ads mix solvent, eco solvent, and latex.
5. UV flatbed and UV DTF printer
What it is
A UV printing machine, including a UV flatbed printer, is for acrylic, sunboard, and prints you can pick up at once.
Points to check
- A UV printer needs lamps and the habit of keeping ink moving.
- A UV DTF printer prints film, then you stick it on a hard item.
- That is often the right UV DTF printer for a small shop that cannot hold every phone case on the bed. KingJet lists the UVDTF-310 for this work.
6. Jobs that are not a flex printer
What it is
T-shirt printing, sublimation, ceramic printing, and glass printing are different businesses.
Points to check
- A ceramic printer is not a flex printing machine with a new setting.
- A laminator is the finishing step after eco solvent vinyl. It does not replace the printer.
- Add a laminating machine only for jobs that need a laminate.
T-shirt printing, sublimation, ceramic printing, and glass printing are different businesses.
Quick Comparison
At a glance — the points in this guide, in the same order as the sections above.
| Point | What to check |
|---|---|
| Eco solvent printer and UV printer do different work | An eco solvent printer earns money on flex, vinyl, one-way vision, and rolled banners. |
| What slows a print shop down | The printhead decides which ink you can use. An XP600 and an i3200 are not the same spare. |
| How to choose the right printing machine | Sort last month’s bills into flexible outdoor work, hard boards, and small hard goods. |
| Flex printing machine for banners | A flex printing machine for banner printing is usually an eco solvent printer on vinyl and flex. |
| UV flatbed and UV DTF printer | A UV printing machine, including a UV flatbed printer, is for acrylic, sunboard, and prints you can pick up at once. |
| Jobs that are not a flex printer | T-shirt printing, sublimation, ceramic printing, and glass printing are different businesses. |
Which One Should You Follow?
Eco solvent printer or UV printer for flex printing
Eco solvent printer and UV printer do different work
→ Flex and UV
A UV printer earns money when the board is hard, or when the customer will not wait for the print to dry.
What slows a print shop down
→ Flex and UV
A cheap litre of the wrong ink is how nozzles die before a Saturday delivery.
How to choose the right printing machine
→ Flex and UV
The biggest pile should get the first machine.
Flex printing machine for banners
→ Flex and UV
Keep money aside for air flow, a drying rack, and ink matched to the XP600 or i3200 printhead.
UV flatbed and UV DTF printer
→ Flex and UV
A UV printer needs lamps and the habit of keeping ink moving.
Jobs that are not a flex printer
→ Flex and UV
A ceramic printer is not a flex printing machine with a new setting.