So we're 90 days in, over 12 events, and a few tests I tried to see if it would survive or not and it has!
It's no surprise by now I am a fan of this printer. Now that we've learned the differences and adjusted to the inkjet versus dye sublimation printers my attendants fight over being able to use the booth with this printer.
I've put it through 3 rigorous tests:
Test 1: Heavy Printing - I've taken this printer to our busiest events to see how it hold up printing constantly throughout an evening and I can say that it's passed this one - we blew through over 500 prints at one event and it didn't miss a beat.
Test 2: Water on prints - we've taken prints directly from the printer and poured soda water directly on the print and rubbed and rubbed and no ink smears. I was concerned this would be an issue as, when the strips first come out, they have a bit of a tackiness feel to them. This goes away rather quickly but I was nervous that the ink was wet and would smudge.
Test 3: Temperature - this is where I was most impressed - here in Ohio it dipped into the low teens for a short period of time - I left the printer (with paper and ink installed) in the shed for 10 days. I took it inside 24 hours prior to an event to warm up (which I do with all my printers). The next day, set up and fired up. The first print was a little streaked but after that - perfection. I expected the cold to affect the ink - either clog the cartridge or simply break down with the extreme cold - I'm glad to say it performed just fine.
Now that we've been running this for a period of time and had an opportunity to use it in different circumstances I have no problem backing up this printer. They did swap printers out after they received feedback from the field and realized there were a few bugs to be worked out. Haven't had any issues since receiving the new printer.
The Pros:
Super light - feels like there's nothing to it.
A lot of media options - I like being able to use the adhesive media with memory books and then being able to switch to standard paper for other events. They also offer magnetic and metallic media. I haven't had the opportunity to test - but more upselling options.
More application - being able to print longer prints allow you to make your own signs if you like or brand your booth easily since you can print virtually any length you like.
Less waste - You can print a single 2x6 strip if you like so no more being stuck with even numbers and a stack of extras at the end of the night.
No ribbon breaks - there's no ribbon so nothing to break and tape.
There are some cons though - but mostly personal preference and not really performance related.
Being inkjet - usage is affected by the print. Using a black template will burn through more ink that a white template so you will need to keep an eye on ink levels. We've found 3 ink cartridges generally gets us through 3 rolls of media (500 prints per roll).
More expensive - it is a few pennies more per print on the average when you take a per print cost over time. You can purchase larger quantities of supplies at once to reduce the cost - but it still runs a few pennies more per print.
Driver not build into Darkroom Booth - this really only affects you if you're a DNP user and used to Darkroom automatically setting the printer for print size. If you use a printer like the Hiti - it's the same process where you must specify the print size and change in the driver whenever the print size will be different (4x6 print versus 2x6 strip)
Overall, the IP60 is a contender in the photo booth world. Don't expect to buy it and simply use as a typical dye sublimation printer - there is a small learning curve. Be prepared to feel like you need to handle it with kid gloves as it's not the 40 pound tank we're used to - although we've been tossing it around for 3 months now and it's running just as good as day 1. You wont be disappointed once you get used to this printer.
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