Printers printers printers

[gazfocus]

So… I switched to using sawgrass printers for our mugs and coasters about 3 years ago after constantly having to replace ecotanks because we were wearing them out every 6 months and then the hassle of having to get icc profiles made, etc and since then we have discovered the huge benefit of printing on mug sheets (something the Epsons couldn’t do as they can’t feed slim sheets straight for toffee).

Anyway, while I’ve never been overly happy with the colours on the sg500, we’ve stuck with them and they’ve been fine. We’ve printed about 140,000 mugs on our mug printer and close to 27,000 coasters on the one we use for coasters.

Now, I got into work today and went to print coasters…designed we’ve printed almost every day, and the colours are much darker as if there’s too much red in everything. Pinks are coming out almost red, blues are coming out purple, light purples coming out dark purple, etc.

I’ve checked all our settings and nothing has changed that I can see. I’ve tried downloading sawgrasses new print utility and getting slightly brighter prints but still completely wrong colours (plus it’s a horrible system to use for bulk printing), I’ve even tried making my own icc profile with my xrite but that’s not improved things either.

I’m left with EITHER it’s a bad magenta cartridge as I swapped that this morning before I printed anything as it came up to change it, or there’s something changed without my input.

Anyway, it’s got me thinking that I’m done with sawgrass but I need a printer that can feed thin sheets (90mm ish wide). Am I better looking at an Epson photo printer thinking they print 6x4’s etc, or am I chasing something that doesn’t exist?

If anyone has any suggestions as to what I could try to sort my sawgrass out, or suggestions for a good replacement printer, please do post on here.

Thanks in advance

[Justin]

We used to run a couple of A4 Epsons solely for mug sheet sized paper. Never had any feed issues but as they were 4 colour I was never happy with the output. Reverted back to my trusty 1500W's and I have one happily churning out mug sheets as I sit typing this

[GoonerGary]

I gave up on mug sheets because my 120 gsm paper was always curling and catching on my L805s. So even a spec of black ink was finding its way onto the edge of a mug. Always having to keep a close eye on the straighness too.
I do have an almost retired 1500 sitting here. What mug paper are you using Justin?

[Justin]

We're using the Versa pre-cut paper. I did have an issue with the edge catching at the start so we use the slightly taller paper, that way if it does catch it doesn't print onto the mug.....the top 10mm or so sticking out above the mug.

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[GoonerGary]

So you are feeding the paper in horizontally too. That might help with alignment.

[Justin]

Yes, it only works horizontally.