Category: On Test

On Test: Mutoh ValueJet 1638X

Nessan Cleary conducts a test to check whether this printer lives up to its promise to deliver good quality results at a relatively low cost.

The Japanese manufacturer Mutoh has been around since 1953, having started off making drafting machines before moving into wide-format inkjet printers. The mainstay of the Mutoh printer range currently is its solvent series, including the ValueJet 1638X that was launched earlier this year and the focus of this test. 

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On Test: Mimaki JV300

Mimaki launched this solvent printer at the last Fespa Digital show but it’s only recently started appearing in the UK. Here’s how Nessan Cleary found it when he put it to the test. 

Solvent technology still dominates the market for roll-fed wide- format printers, mainly because it’s a proven performer that offers good quality results at a reasonable price. So this month we’ve been testing Mimaki’s latest solvent printer, the JV300. 

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On Test: Jetrix KX7D

The Korean built Jetrix printers appear to offer good value for money, so how did this Jetrix model fare on test? Nessan Cleary reports.

Inktec, which was founded in 1992 in Korea, is best known as an ink manufacturer but has also developed its own range of Jetrix UV flatbed printers. It has a European office, based in Witney, Oxfordshire, which has installed some 35 printers in the last three years. Last year Inktec launched the first of its KX series, which now include the compact KX3, the mid-range KX5 and the much larger KX7, which we’ve tested this month. 

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Ricoh L4160

This month Nessan Cleary tests the latex printer that marks Ricoh’s first foray into wide-format printing.

The market for latex printers has been completely dominated by HP, despite a challenge from Mimaki. Now Ricoh, which supplies the Gen5 heads used by Mimaki, has entered the fray with the L4100 printer, available in 1.3 and 1.6m widths. Ricoh has rebadged Mimaki’s JV400 LX series, and there’s no discernible difference between the two apart from the sales and servicing, with Ricoh targeting its existing customer base of commercial printers and corporate print rooms. 

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Epson SureColor SC-30600

Epson’s first foray into wide-format printing was with a series of aqueous ink printers that established a good reputation for photographic and proofing applications. But Epson was slow to get into display graphics, preferring instead to sell its printheads and inks to other vendors on an OEM basis. However, in recent years Epson has made a determined play for the display print market, with both solvent and dye-sub printers as well as a newly-launched brace of aqueous CAD/ graphics machines.

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22-24 FEB, 2026
Sign & Digital UK

Where?

Hall 6, NEC, Birmingham

Cost?

Free to members of the sign making and digital print trade.

What is it?

Running for more than 35 years, Sign & Digital UK is a central part of the industry’s calendar, providing an annual launch pad for all that is new, and an economic stimulus for the industry. The show gives the opportunity to meet in person, see and compare equipment and kit from the major industry suppliers, and the chance to source new suppliers and gather new ideas to enhance and drive your business forward.

23 FEB, 2026
The Sign Industry Awards

Where?

National Conference Centre, Birmingham.

Cost?

An individual ticket is £289, whereas a table of 10 is £2,800.

What is it?

The Sign Industry Awards, presented by Sign Update and Sign & Digital UK, celebrate excellence in the visual communications sector by honouring past achievements, present innovations, and future advancements. These awards recognise outstanding suppliers, sign makers, and individual traders in sign making, digital printing, and visual communications. With over 35 years of industry service, SDUK and Sign Update ensure that everyone in the industry has a voice, highlighting and rewarding the best in the field.