A flatbed printer allows you to print both larger items and on surfaces other than paper. It is a highly specialized piece of equipment. When looking at flatbed printers, there are some important things to consider before going through with the buying process.
Consideration #1: Print Bed
First, you need to consider how big of a print bed you need. This really depends upon what you are printing. If you are printing logos on thumb drives, you only need a desktop flatbed printer. If you are printing out billboards, you are going to need an industrial-size printer. The sizing varies from desktop to something capable of producing a billboard, so it is essential to know what you want to print to choose the right size print bed for your applications.
Consideration #2: Materials
Second, you are going to need to consider the type of material that you are printing on. Although a high-quality flatbed printer should print on just about any surface, there are units designed to create more optimal results with certain mediums. You need to know the materials you will be working with most often, so you can choose a machine that will work best with the materials you will be using the most often.
Consideration #3: White Ink
Third, you need to consider if you want to print in white ink. With white ink, you can print on white lettering and images on materials that have a darker background. However, not all machines can print out with white ink, as it requires special care to stay fresh. A machine with white ink has to have an agitation process in the machine to keep the ink mixed.
If you know you want to use white ink, you will want to invest in a machine that has the capacity for using it.
Consideration #4: Integration
Finally, you will want to consider how the equipment will integrate with the equipment you already have. Flatbed printers need to connect to software to get their printing instructions and information.
You want to look at how it will work with the software that you use for designing. Are you going to have to learn new software? Does it work with third-party software? Can the software work on your operating system?
When it comes to buying a flatbed printer, you need to know what size print bed you need, what materials you want to work with, if you need white ink, and how it will integrate with the software you already use for your workflow. Knowing these things will help you find a suitable machine for your needs.
For more information about buying a printer, like a grand format flatbed printer, contact a local seller.
Share15 July 2021
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