Is the EPSON SureColor F2000 Standard CMYK Unit Too Expensive?

With the "Big E" launching their new SureColor F2000 direct-to-garment (DTG) printers earlier this year many in the industry have questioned whether the standard CMYK unit price at $19,995 is a reasonable price. Of course the answer to that question is, "depends." 

Depends

There are a large number of competitive standard CMYK DTG printers in the market. The reliability of these newer units is much higher than users have experienced in the past with other DTG units. The competition is really tight in this market space and for sure the price level is much less than EPSON's $19,995 price.  

Of course there is no doubt first time entrants / users into this market space will pay the added cost for the support and reliability of the "Big E's" Standard DTG unit. If a user has been in the market for some time it is highly likely this user will opt for other less expensive units with less expensive ink. This makes sense. 

GO UNO: a $2,195 Alternative

There is a viable alternative to the "Big E" F2000 Standard CMYK unit. 

Graphics One launched the GO UNO LED Professional Transfer Printer several years ago into the t-shirt transfer market. The UNO has quickly become the most cost effective solution for imaging of garments and t-shirts. The reason? Check out these specifications:

• First Tabloid Color Printer Specifically Made for Transfers for T-shirts and Garments

• Very Easy to Use--Just Like Desktop Printer

• Prints An Image Every Two Seconds

• Virtually No Maintenance--Leave Unit for Several Months and It Works Right Away

• Denser Imaging than Traditional LED Printer - A Perfect Match for Transfers

• Engineered Specifically for Use with GO's UNO Transfer Paper

• Full Transfer and Tabloid Printing—GO Extended Edge Technology Allows for Three More Inches of Printing On Bottom

• GO eColor Transfer Technology; UNO Color Toners Enhanced for Transfer - Sharp Detail and Rich, Dramatic Color

• 1200 x 600 dpi Resolution for Crisp, Clear Output

• Media Handling from 3” x 5” to 11.6” x 52” Transfers and Banners—The Only Tabloid Printer to Handle Sheets of that Length

• Fast Print Speeds: Color Output at up to 30 ppm; Monochrome at up to 32 ppm

• 1 Year Limited Warranty on Printer; 5 Year Limited Warranty on LED Array

EPSON F2000 vs GO UNO Operational Costs

Seems that EPSON has now published North American list pricing for the F2000 Ink and other consumables. The initial indication is the 600 ml ink cartridges are priced $229.50 each (CMYKW). The EPSON Pre-treatment solution has a list price of $679.95 and comes in a 20 liter bottle (mixed 1-1) for a total of 40 liters. A white ink cleaning cartridge is $19.95 and the special Print Head Cleaning Kit is $94.95 and must be used every 1000 images.

How does the list pricing for the GO UNO toner cartridges compare? The GO UNO consumable prices are below (please remember there are no extraneous maintenance costs):

GO UNO--Black $150 CMY $195

On a per copy basis the GO UNO offers much lower costs. 

How Does the UNO Compare to the F2000?

If you seek ease-of-use, low operational cost, speed,  image versatility and the much lower price of $2,195 vs $19,995, then there is no doubt the GO UNO is the preferred choice. (By the way, the F2000 is not shipping yet, so there is no competition.)

For added information on the GO UNO please click: GO UNO Info

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Fruit of the Loom, OKI and Graphics One Give Away GO UNO T-shirt System at ISS

The response during the ISS Long Beach show held in January, 2014 for the Fruit of the Loom, OKI Data and Graphics One give away was a resounding success. Hundreds of attendees visited the Fruit of the Loom and Graphics One booths to see and hear about Fruit of the Loom's sports apparel and to also see and hear about the GO UNO T-shirt system. Indira Mehta of Crazy Design in Chatsworth, California was the winner of the GO T-shirt system which included t-shirts from Fruit of the Loom, GO UNO LED transfer printer for garments, Metalnox Heat Press, GO UNO paper and a variety of add-on products. Additionally, all of the LED transfer printers offered by GO are developed and manufactured by OKI Data, including the GO UNO.

As Indira said, "I am delighted to have won such a professional system. It will go to great use in our Crazy Design studio."

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Direct-to-Garmet or LED Transfer Printer

In the first of our discussions of whether direct-to-garment / D2 printers and GO/OKI LED printers are competitive, below you will find an overview of what the GO / OKI LED transfer solutions offer:

• Three Printers--UNO, 711WT and 920WT
• Printers for Specific Applications--The UNO is perfect for CMYK light and white imaging, whereas the OKI 711WT is a letter size printer for imaging on dark and blacks and the pro920WT is the best 11"x17" transfer printer for imaging darks and blacks.  
• Low Cost—The cost of entry starts at $2,195 and a full system can be had for as little as $2,995. Additionally the OKI 711WT lists for $3,395 and the pro920WT is $7,495. 
• Full Color and White—Solution offers the ability to print on light, dark and black garments in full color including white
•  Low Operating Costs—CMYK toner with paper averages $.50 and CMYW $1.50 for letter sized images
• Easy-to-use—Just like using a desktop printer so little training needed
• High Speed—Images at up to one transfer sheet every two seconds
• Full Complement of Transfer Material—Transfer materials are available for so many applications beyond just garment decoration
• No Complicated Maintenance—All that is needed is to flip the on-off switch
• Onsite Warranty—One year onsite warranty on printers with second year optiona

Over the next few weeks we will discuss the specific differences between GO and OKI's solutions and how they compare to direct-to-garment printers from manufacturers such as Anajet and Brother.

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