Frequently Asked Questions

Some hints & tips, frequently asked questions, ... gathered on this web page. If you cannot find your question listed here, please fill out our contact form so that we may respond to you personally.

Is there a Mutoh reseller in my country ?
Mutoh Belgium distributes its products all over Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Mutoh products are exclusively distributed by Mutoh Authorised Resellers. All authorised resellers are extensively trained for sales and after-sales support by the Belgian headquarters. Region dependent, Mutoh Authorised Resellers promote and service the Mutoh product directly or through their network of Mutoh dealers.
For detailed information on your nearest Mutoh authorised reseller, please contact Mutoh Belgium directly.

Where can I see Mutoh equipment on local shows ?
Mutoh is participating directly to a number of international shows. Our authorized resellers are also participating to all major shows in the different countries Mutoh represents. To view a list of these shows, click here.

Where can I attend a demonstration of a Mutoh product ?
To attend a demonstration of a Mutoh product, please fill out our Contact form. Your requests will be forwarded to the Mutoh distributor nearest to you. The respective distributor will invite you for a demonstration and will help you to make the right choice, i.e. the product which best fits your needs. Click here and fill out our Contact form.

How to get the most recent information about new Mutoh products, new media, inks, …
By subscribing to Mutoh’s E-newsletter, Mutoh will keep you up-to-date with the latest information on Mutoh, our new products, our new media, our show participation, our special offers and much more. Click here and fill out our Free Registration Form and select YES on “I want to receive Mutoh's E-newsletter”.

What is meant by“outdoor durability” ?
Four main factors are responsible for the degradation of the colours of your printed images, namely : radiation, moisture, temperature and air pollution. The higher the resistance of the printed output to this degradation, the better the outdoor durability. Mutoh offers different ink types which will offer the outdoor durability required for your specific application.

How is media tested by Mutoh ?
For media, Mutoh has a twofold approach. In the first place, Mutoh is permanently in contact with the leading media manufacturers to define and fine-tune their media in combination with the Mutoh printers. Secondly, for the first-time users or users who do not want to go through the hassle of searching, testing and profiling media, Mutoh provides an own range of specially developed media for the Mutoh printers. Please refer to the section “Media Range”.

What is true solvent ink ?
True solvent ink (as used in the Mutoh Osprey) contains solvent chemicals that easily penetrate the media, giving you the possibility to print onto a wide range of low-cost uncoated media. Mutoh Osprey solvent inks are particularly suited for long-term outdoor heavy-duty applications.

Should I use an air filter / air purification system when using a Mutoh true solvent printer ?
An air purification system is recommended. Mutoh’s APS Quatro will take care of unpleasant and annoying smells and will bring solvent levels in the working area far below the accepted safety levels. Please refer to the “APS Quatro technical data sheet”.

Can I wind prints immediately when printing at high speed on a (Eco) solvent (Ultra) printer ?
Yes. Winding the printed media immediately is no problem. Moreover, when using a front winding system onto a solvent printer in combination with slow drying media, when applying a lot of ink and/or when printing at high speed, Mutoh's Infra Red Dryer will immediately dry your printed media before it is being rolled up, without losing colour gamut. Please refer to the section “Peripherals”.

Which true solvent printer will be the best to fit my needs ?
Mutoh’s solvent printers, ready for high-volume production of prints, are extremely suitable for heavy-duty outdoor applications. To find the Mutoh solvent printer that will fit your needs, please fill out our Contact form. Your requests will be forwarded to the Mutoh distributor nearest to you. The respective distributor will help you to make the right choice and provide you full return on investment & cost figures per square meter printed. Click here and fill out our Contact form.

What is Eco-Solvent Ultra ink ?
The Eco-Solvent Ultra inks are Mutoh’s third generation of Eco-Solvent inks. First of all, Eco-Solvent Ultra inks offer users the possibility to print directly onto a selection of low-cost standard available uncoated PVC and scrim banner media. Secondly, Mutoh’s Eco-Solvent Ultra ink is a solvent-based ink, however, Eco-Solvent Ultra is an ink not spreading any harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in the working environment. Please refer to the section Eco Printers.

What is the durability of prints made with Eco-Solvent Ultra ink ?
Tests with Mutoh’s Eco-Solvent Ultra inks have indicated an outdoor durability up to 3 years, without lamination. For fleet, floor graphics or other applications where prints are exposed to intensive mechanical stress or abrasion, lamination is required.

Should I use an air filter / air purification system when using Eco-Solvent Ultra ink ?
You do not have to invest in an air filter. No harmful VOCs will be spread in the working environment when if printing with the Eco-Solvent Ultra ink. Eco-Solvent Ultra inks offer signmakers the benefits of solvent inks, yet making it possible to use the printers in a regular office environment.

Which media should I use for Eco-Solvent Ultra inks ?
Mutoh provides an own range of specially (coated & uncoated) developed media for the Eco-Solvent Ultra printers. Moreover, the Eco-Solvent Ultra inks have been tested for compatibility with leading media brands. A list of compatible media is available. Please refer to the section “Media range”.

Which Eco-Solvent printer will best fit my needs ?
The Mutoh Eco-Solvent Ultra printers ranges from the ValueJet 1204 4-colour printer for small volumes up to the Blizzard Eco 90" eight channel production-oriented printer. Eco-Solvent Ultra printers are already profitable for print volume between 500 - 3000 m² / year. To find the Mutoh Rockhopper/ValueJet that will fit your needs, please fill out our Contact form. Your requests will be forwarded to the Mutoh distributor nearest to you. The respective distributor will help you to make the right choice and provide you full return on investment & cost figures per square meter printed. Click here and fill out our Contact form.

Is there a difference between sublimation, transfer and disperse inks ?
Only the name is different. They all refer to a technical part of transfer printing. Disperse inks refer to the insoluble colour particles which spread themselves (disperse) in the fabric. Transfer inks refer to the transfer process after printing. Sublimation inks refer to the sublimation (solid to gas transition) of the colour particles during the transfer.

Which printing possibilities does the Mutoh Viper offer ?
It is possible to print via transfer (paper) or directly onto polyester when using the Viper series printer. During development of the Viper series printer, Mutoh focused onto transfer printing, nevertheless direct printing is also possible. During transfer printing, specially developed transfer paper is loaded into the unit. A mirror image is printed onto the transfer paper. The transfer paper is placed with the ink side against the polyester material in the press-unit or calender. During the transfer process, ink will migrate from the transfer paper into the polyester fibres. Only the side against the ink side will be printed /coloured. In some cases, it is also possible to see the print on both sides. When printing directly onto polyester material, please make sure that the polyester material has a closed structure and that the material is not stretchy. After fixation, the image can be seen at both sides of the material.

Can I only print onto polyester materials with the Mutoh Viper ?
Yes, you can only print directly or via specially developed transfer paper onto polyester materials with disperse inks (*). This is due to a property of the ink, not a limitation of the printer. The digital ink is specially developed in function of the fabric you will print on. In this case, disperse ink can only be used onto polyester materials. In case you want to print onto another fabric, another ink type is required. Moreover, you also need another printer, i.e. Mutoh’s Viper TX direct textile printer, which is able to print directly onto non-stretch textile with open or closed structure.

(*) = Theoretically you can also print on polyamide materials, but in digital printing this is not done. The colour particles will transfer out of the polyamide materials when temperature is high (bad authenticity).

In which objects can I find polyester material ?
Polyester has become an all-round material for textile applications. You can find polyester in cloth textile applications, interior textile applications and technical textile applications. Practically it means you can find polyester in applications such as apparel (blouses, costumes, dresses, rain coats, t-shirts, sportswear, …), personalized interior (curtains, sheets, upholstery fabric, …), sport goods (snowboards, helmets, …), promotional products (mugs, mouse pads, clocks, …), banners, flags, medical textile, safety belts, canvas, pennants, prototypes, … Also promotional applications such as tradeshow and exhibition graphics (carpets, customized banners, booth decoration, …), floor graphics, POP displays, posters, … When purchasing polyester materials, make sure it is not treated with optical whiteness! (= A product that makes the fabric look whiter than white.) Polyester materials treated with optical whiteness can become yellow after the transfer process.

Should I always fixate the colours of a digital transfer output ?
In all applications of digital transfer printing, a transfer process of colours is necessary. The colour particles need to go through the transfer process so that the colour particles can “enter” the textile fibres. Otherwise it would be easy to rub or wash the colour particles off. Colours on transfer paper or printed direct onto the fabric will look dull. After transfer, colours will look very vivid. A transfer process is always necessary to see the real colour gamut.

Which step follows after fixation when using disperse colours ?
In theory, no treatment is necessary after fixation of the colour particles when using disperse colours. However, polyester material can only accept an amount of colour particles. In case the ink load was set too high, not all ink particles can migrate into the polyester material. Therefore, in case you want to use the output outdoors, it is recommended to wash the polyester material after fixation so the remaining (not migrated) colour particles are flushed away. Just flush the polyester material with some water (on room temperature; you do not need soap).

Does Mutoh sell a combined Print & Cut unit ?
Mutoh does not sell Hybrid machines that can perform both print and cut operations. Instead, Mutoh offers you a unique concept; a balanced method of working for full-colour sticker and signs production consisting of specially developed software, a Mutoh Kona, SC-PRO or Ultima (contour) cutter, a (Mutoh or not) printer and last but not least a unique workflow controller, namely the CutServer. Please refer to the section “Print & Cut”.

Which benefit do you have by using Mutoh’s print & cut solution compared to a combined P&C unit ?
Mutoh’s dual-device Print & Cut solution bundle can print and cut simultaneously, which a combined print & cut unit can’t. Please refer to the section “Print & Cut”.

What’s the use of Mutoh’s CutServer ?
Mutoh’s CutServer makes it possible to execute multiple contour cutting jobs all together just by one simple click. Just load the preprinted media in the Kona, SC-PRO or Ultima, press the GO key to start the job. The Kona, SC-PRO or Ultima will read the BAR CODE on the pre-printed media and recall the contour cut data from the CutServer which will pick the corresponding job from the hot folder and send it to the Kona, SC-PRO or Ultima cutting plotter. The Kona, SC-PRO or Ultima will start contour-cutting all the jobs on the roll, without any user-intervention! Please refer to the section “Print & Cut”.

Can I use the Kona, SC-PRO or Ultima without the CutServer ?
Of course you can. One of the biggest advantages of our print to cut solution is that you can use the cutter for normal sign-cutting jobs, while the printer is printing. We even recommend to install the driver for the Kona, SC-PRO or Ultima twice. Once via the CutServer, specially for print-to-cut job with barcode, and once as a direct cutter, for normal sign work.

Do I have to buy a Mutoh printer for print and cut applications with the Mutoh Kona, SC-PRO or Ultima ?
No. Mutoh’s Print & Cut solution does not require an investment of a printer if you already have one. Just combine your existing (Mutoh or not) printer (capable of printing onto regular self-adhesive PVC) with a Mutoh Kona, SC-PRO or Ultima (contour) cutter, the specially developed print & cut software and the CutServer. Please refer to the section "Kona", "SC-PRO" or “Ultima”.

Do I really have to print a reference box ?
Yes. The SC-PRo or Ultima uses the preprinted reference box to exactly position, scale and skew the vector data and accurately contour-cuts the stickers.

What software should I use to Print & Cut ?
To find a balanced method of working for full-colour sticker and signs production, Mutoh and its software partners developed a unique print & cut workflow software. Please refer to the section “Software Print & Cut”.

Where can I find drivers for my Printer or Cutter ?
We do not supply system drivers for our products. Instead, Mutoh products are sold either with RIP or Cutting software.  These software offer much better output quality and much more possibilities than simple system drivers. Please refer to the “software section”.

Can I print directly with a Mutoh printer onto textile ?
Yes, with Mutoh’s Viper TX you can print directly onto non-stretch textile with open or closed structure. More information about the Viper TX, click here.

Which ink should I load when printing with the Viper TX Professional ?
The Viper TX Professional prints directly onto textile materials with open or closed structure, such as cotton, cotton/polyester blends, PES flag, nylon, silk, …

The machine offers a full freedom of ink set up : 8 colours (possible mix of process and spot colours for maximum colour gamut), 6 colours, CMYK + CMYK (mixed ink type) and 2x4 CMYK (speed & ink autonomy set-up).

The ink type you need to use depends on the chemical behaviour of the fabric. Moreover, the after-treatment type, which is necessary for all digital textile printing applications, will also depend on the fabric choice.

Mutoh provides Water-Based Disperse Dye ink. To contact your nearest dealer for further detailed application possibilities, click here.

Does my mild solvent printer require daily maintenance ?
Daily user maintenance is inherently linked to the use of mild solvent inks. Therefore, Mutoh developed the Blizzard/Spitfire printer as a “mild-solvent-friendly” machine, i.e. by making it possible to easily access key parts to perform daily maintenance (5 minutes / day). Mutoh also supplies a six months “good shape kit” (containing a detailed explanatory document) together with the machine, which will enable the operator to perform elementary day-to-day maintenance. Moreover, all maintenance actions can be performed outside the production activities. Print jobs on Blizzard/Spitfire do not need to be interrupted by cleaning cycles.

Should I use an air filter / air purification system when using a Mutoh mild solvent printer ?
As it is the case with any mild-solvent printer, Mutoh recommends the use of air ventilation equipment in combination with the mild solvent printer. For users not yet having air ventilation equipment, Mutoh’s optional APS Quatro Mini air purification system will take away unpleasant smells and will bring solvent levels far below the accepted safety levels. Please refer to the “APS Mini technical data sheet”.

What is the difference between Eco-Solvent Plus and Eco-Solvent Ultra ink ?
Eco-Solvent Ultra inks are Mutoh’s third generation of Eco-Solvent inks. They offer the same benefits as Mutoh's Eco-Solvent Plus inks, yet adding several enhancements, such as a wider colour gamut, faster drying time, improved ink fixation, improved scratch resistance, higher print speed on uncoated self-adhesive PVC and a wider media compatibility (i.a. media with standard paper backing becomes printable). Please refer to the Eco-Solvent Ultra page.

Can I load Eco-Solvent Ultra ink in my Rockhopper printer using Eco-Solvent Plus ink ?
Compatibility of installed-base Rockhopper 38, Rockhopper I and Rockhopper II printers with the new Eco-Solvent Ultra ink is possible via a special "Eco-Solvent Ultra conversion Kit". For installed Rockhopper units using Eco-Solvent Plus ink, it is important to note that before loading Eco-Solvent Ultra ink, a small hardware modification needs to be performed! Otherwise you will damage parts of the ink supply path, which could result in permanent damage to the printer. The hardware modification needs to be performed by a Mutoh authorised technician and is preferably done on the occasion of a regular maintenance visit. Please refer to the Eco-Solvent Ultra page.

i² Intelligent Interweaving print technology?
Whereas in "traditional" wide-format inkjet printers (Mutoh or not) ink is laid down on a substrate in as straight line, Mutoh's patent pending Intelligent Interweaving Technology (i² [pronunciation: I square /æ skwer]) will lay down the ink in a totally different way, e.g. in a "wave form" pattern.

Depending on the application or media used, Mutoh's new i² printing technique will vastly reduce or neutralize typical shortcomings inherently linked to inkjet printing, such as horizontal or vertical banding, missing or misfiring nozzles, step mismatch, ink mottle, etc...

Mutoh's i² technology immediately offers you an overall better printing quality. With i² you will gain time and print any image bi-directionally, even the most critical sign jobs.

Please refer to the Intelligent Interweaving page.

Links to the Mutoh website
For webmasters and site owners wishing to link to the Mutoh site, we have created a few HTML links for you to simply copy-and-paste into your links page. For further details, please click here.