Q: How is the iColor 650 different from other Transfer Printers?
A: The UniNet iColor 650 is set up to be used in multiple ways including as a transfer printer, a traditional office laser printer, and a color+white document printer. UniNet has multiple patents allowing for this. The iColor 650 ships with the cyan, magenta, yellow, and white toners plus a black toner cartridge that can be interchanged with the white as needed. Thus, if you want to print regular color documents, you’d simply swap the white toner for the black and print just as you would with any other color laser printer. Plus, if you want to print white graphics and text on dark card stock or colored paper, you could use the three colors plus white toner to accomplish this. You’re basically getting three printers in one with the UniNet iColor 650. These options are not available on the Oki Data Pro8432WT.
In addition, the UniNet iColor 650 works with specialty toners including security toner, fluorescent toner, sublimation toner, and security toner but the Oki Data Pro8432WT does not.
The warranty on the iColor 600 is another distinguishing value. Not only is the warranty term longer (3 years instead of just 2 on the Oki Data Pro8432WT), it includes one free fuser replacement during the term whereas the fuser is not covered on the Oki Data Pro8432WT.
Q: What about cost of ownership? Is one cheaper than the other in the long run?
A: Here again, the UniNet iColor 650 has the advantage. One area in particular has to do with toner page yields. For example, the white toner cartridge on the UniNet iColor 650 yields 10,000 pages while the white toner cartridge on the Oki Data Pro8432WT yields just 4,500 pages. Moreover, the UniNet iColor 650 comes with RIP software which adds a lot of extra controls, one of which reduces the amount of white toner used per image by up to 50 percent. That results in both cost savings and softer, more durable garments because the white layer is not nearly as thick.
Q: Won’t that affect the color quality of the printed image?
A: Since the UniNet iColor 650 uses UniNet’s Absolute White Toner and RIP software, it’s not a problem. This toner is the most opaque on the market. White toner overprinting is not needed in areas of the image that have a density of 70 percent or more. The RIP software detects that, conserving white toner as a result. In contrast, when white overprinting is turned on, the Oki Data Pro8432WT produces a white overprint at 300 percent for the entire image regardless of whether it’s needed or not. The end result is an image that has a heavier feeling on the shirt and is considerably more expensive to produce.
