Is the Ricoh Ri 100 an Easy-Bake Oven?

Baking the Cake...Oops, Shirt!

When I called Ricoh to inquire about their new Ricoh Ri 100, I asked them about how they finish the garment. The sales person said, do you remember the Easy-Bake Oven which was popular in the 60s? I said of course I do. The toy had a small oven which supposedly cooked special Betty Crocker cake mixes using a heating lamp system. 

We are not saying that Ricoh is using a Betty Crocker oven to cure the t-shirts imaged on their new Ri 100 DTG system, but the concept is similar. There is a heating element inside the Ricoh Ri 100 which cures the ink, much like there was a heating element inside of the Easy Bake Oven to bake the cake. Instead of baking a cake, Ricoh is baking the ink. Because the curing unit inside the Ri 100 only cures the ink, the use is limited to either cotton bags or cotton shirts. The unit can image nothing else. 

The list price for the Ricoh Ri 100 is $4,995 for the CMYK 8.5"x 11" system and can only accept substrates which are 1/8-inch or less in thickness. Think about this, with the 831-TS, you have an 11"x 17" CMYK printer for only $2,095. Further, if you add an Insta 201 heat press to the printer, you have a tabloid printer with a heat press for only $2,899...and both the OKI 831-TS and the Insta 205 do far more than bake shirts...it sure "takes the cake" for value. 

Watch for more exciting info regarding how you can "have your cake and eat it too" with OKI printers. In fact, here's "frosting on the cake." The OKI 711WT offers 8.5"x 14" images with white toner for imaging black, dark, light and white garments. The list price is only $3,395 and if you add an Insta 205, the price is $4,495. If you decide to go to a larger size, the 11"x 17" 8432WT printer with white lists for $6,895. With the Insta 256 heat press, the full system is $8,899. Both the 711WT and 8432WT far surpass the Ricoh Ri 100 and compete with traditional DTG units costing much more. 

Need further info about these systems? Please contact sales@graphicsone.com or call 1-818-260-9591. 

P.S. Sorry about using the cake idioms...we know they are "nutty as a fruitcake," but lots of fun!

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New Ricoh Ri 100 DTG Printing System

Is the Ricoh Ri 100 for You? 

Ricoh has recently been excitedly showing their new desktop direct-to-garment printer, the Ri 100. On the surface, this system looks like a real winner for Ricoh. This unit is targeted at small businesses or corporates where simple garment printing is required. At $5,000 the budget constraints are far less than DTG printing systems costing between $20,000~$30,000.

The Ri 100 is based on the same small format printer used by Sawgrass for dye sublimation. The unit has been heavily modified for this application. The idea behind this unit was to offer a complete system with a small footprint in an "idiot-proof" operational capability. Ricoh has met its objective and more with this system. 

How does the Ri 100 DTG work?
The printing process seems relatively straightforward--a user loads the fabric in the cartridge (think of a laser paper tray), inserts the cartridge into a finisher to smooth out any creases and then prints. Printing an 8.5"x11" image takes about two minutes. The cartridge is then inserted into the heating/curing unit for about three minutes. The whole process takes a bit less than six minutes.

Once the curing is done, the garment or tote bag is ready for use. Since the printer is limited to CMYK and there is no white, all imaging must occur on white or light cotton materials.

What are the important facts about the Ri 100? 

• The system includes a printer and a curing unit combined.
• The prints are CMYK only which means light and white garments or bags.
• The image is limited to 8.5"x11".
• The total thickness of the fabric is limited to less than 1/8". Additionally, larger size garments cannot be utilized in this system due to the size of the garment tray. When a garment is folded, it must be no more than 1/8" thick and must fit into a tray that is a bit more than 8.5"x11", a small space.
• The system ships with a full set of CMYK ink, which is enough for about 500 shirts.
• The printer and curing unit has a list price of $5,000. Ink pricing is $72 for CMY cartridges and $87 for the Black cartridge. Ricoh state there is enough ink for approximately 500 shirts.
• The ink only works with cotton and no other fabric or material.
• The total time for printing, pressing and curing is about six (6) minutes per garment.
• There is no Postscript RIP so the imaging is basic.
• The cost per image can range anywhere from $0.60~$0.75 for ink costs.

What other product features should you consider? 

• The Ri 100 is limited in printing size to 8.5"x11".
• The Ri 100 is only CMYK and only prints on cotton, it is NOT dark or black capable.
• The Ri 100 takes about six minutes to complete from start to finish.
• The Ri 100 cartridges can only take a fabric, when folded and stuffed into a 8.5"x11" tray, 1/8". This really limits even the cotton that can be imaged.
• The Ri 100 does not have Postscript and cannot use standard graphics software.
• The Ri 100 can only image simple graphics.
• The Ri 100 printhead is limited to a one year warranty.
• The Ri 100 system is limited to letter size and has a price of $5,000. 

Before you make a decision to purchase a Ricoh Ri 100, please contact Graphics One, or one of our distribution partners, regarding how the Ricoh compares to the OKI Textile Transfer printers. Here is a small hint: our 11"x 17" CMYK printing systems with heat press start at $2,899, and it does far more than the Ricoh unit costing $5,000. 

Please contact sales@graphicsone.com or call 1-818-260-9591 for added info. 

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