If printing and cutting vinyl stickers aka multi color, no layer vinyl decals is on your wishlist - Roland just announced the brand new 20" Roland BN-20A print and cut machine for at home use and I have one of the very first of these print and cut machines!
Just like the Uninet iColor 560 White Toner printer and Ikonart Reusable Stencil Kit, this desktop ecosolvent print-and-cut machine fills a need that many Silhouette hobby-crafters-turned-small-business-owners find themselves in need of for faster production and growth with a small footprint for at home use and a lower-than-commercial-price tag.
What is the Roland BN-20a Used For?
The Roland BN-20A, like the original BN-20 is a 20" desktop two-in-one eco-solvent printer and cutting machine. Imagine if the Silhouette CAMEO could not only cut, but also print in full color..on vinyl, sticker material, heat transfer vinyl and poster material. That's the Roland BN20a!
Again like the Uninet iColor 560 and Ikonart Stencil system, which both increase production for ready-to-press heat transfers and reusable stencils respectively, the new Roland BN20a can be used alongside Silhouette Studio and even Silhouette CAMEO to increase production and expand offerings for at-home t-shirt and vinyl businesses.
Roland BN-20 vs BN-20A
In the case of Silhouette users who have found themselves in the vinyl decal or sticker business - the 20" wide Roland BN 20A ecosolvent printer-cutter combo is a great at home option. I think it's even better than the original BN-20 due to changes with a rarely used ink configuration which has allowed for a lower price point on the new model, increase printing speed, and 2x faster drying ink.
First Look at Roland BN-20A Video
Here's a quick first look at the Roland BN-20A.
Intro to Roland BN-20A: New All in One Ecosolvent Printing and Cutting Machine
The Roland BN-20A is not going to be for the hobby crafter or casual Silhouette crafter - similar to how a GlowForge or White Toner Printer is a business investment that fills a growing business need at a different price point than the Silhouette machines. The Roland BN-20A's just-under-$5k price tag and capabilities are for users growing UP from Silhouette CAMEO who are looking for a way to grow their vinyl business.
Would My Silhouette or Etsy Business Benefit from a BN-20A?
I always suggest if you are looking to invest in your growing Silhouette business you invest in the equipment that excels at its core at what you do most. So if vinyl and HTV are the core of your at home Etsy business - the BN-20A is ideal.
It's the same reason why if you find yourself in the t shirt business and are wondering what printer should I get next...I would not recommend a sublimation printer because it's too limiting for textiles. Instead, the best option is a White Toner printer which excels in full color, ready-to-press transfers with no cutting or weeding that can be used on any color and textile fabric. However, if your main business is selling custom tumblers and mugs but you get a few requests for shirts, I'd suggest a sublimation printer - because hard surface and dishwasher safe are where sublimation shines.
Adding a Roland BN20A to Silhouette CAMEO Business
If you're among those who are in the vinyl decal business and you've been cutting and layering vinyl decals one by one or your design choices are limited by layering vinyl - the new BN-20A may just be the game changer you've been waiting for.
If you've ever wished for a printer that could print directly on Oracal 651 so you could save time and stop layering - it's here! If you've ever wanted to sell patterned vinyl you can print at home, the ecosolvent ink in the Roland BN-20 is ideal for this.
Price of Roland BN-20A
The good news is the BN-20A was reconfigured from the BN-20, to remove the rarely used need for white ink (since you print on white material most of the time) and metallic ink. This change helps reduce the price of the newer model all-in-one printer and cutter by $700. That puts the base price of the Roland BN-
The not as good news is the ecosolvent printer and cutter doesn't including the inks - so figure another $200-$300 to get set up and going out of the box. Or a better way to go is to get a Roland BN-20A bundle that includes the inks with it at a discounted rate. Purchasing this way the ecosolvent inks come out to $50 per cartridge for a total BN20a bundle price of $5200 to get started.
BN-20A Ecosolvent Ink vs Sublimation Ink
Ecosolvent ink is different than both sublimation ink and water-based inkjet ink - because of how durable it is. It's ideal for outdoor and longterm use because it's not only waterproof but it's scratch and fade resistant as well. Combine that with the adhesive strength of permanent vinyl and relatively low ink cost and it's a no brainer to take a small vinyl business to the next level.
Almost no printer comes with a full size ink or toner cartridge - it's pretty standard in the industry. This is true for sublimation printers, inkjet printers and white toner printers - all which come with "starter" ink/toner size cartridges even if they don't overtly advertise it.
The original Roland BN-20 and now the BN-20a do not include ink cartridges at all though - which kinda blew my mind. Not gonna lie... Also why I'm recommending if you decide to invest in this printer and cutter you get the BN20a bundle which includes inks as the cheapest option.
Price of Ecosolvent Ink for Roland BN-20A
The good news is once you have the ecosolvent ink cartridges you'll be good for awhile! You get 7x more ink per cartridge at a lower price compared to sublimation ink for a Sawgrass sublimation printer.
The 221ml cartridges for the Roland run about $72 - or about $280 for the full CMYK cartridge set. Compare that to the Sawgrass HD sublimation inks which cost $308 for the 4 pack of CMYK - but for 31ml size cartridges.
What is the Cost per Print with Roland BN20?
If you're wondering how much it will cost you in ink and material to make a vinyl decal - let's just say the margins are very good! A 3x3" vinyl decal for example will cost you just 4¢ to make and you can crank out almost 70 multi color print and cut vinyl decals in an hour.
How to Use the Roland BN-20A with Silhouette Studio and Silhouette CAMEO
Super comfortable in Silhouette Studio? If you're reading this, there's a good chance you are! The good news is you can still design in the Silhouette software, then simply export as a PDF and open in Roland VersaWorks (free with the machine) to Print and Cut on the BN-20A.
The other option is to run the Roland and CAMEO simultaneously by combining the power of the 20" BN-20A to print, then cutting on the CAMEO 4, 15" CAMEO Plus or 24" CAMEO Pro. This offers several advantages:
- You increase productivity by printing and cutting simultaneously
- If you combine the BN20a and Silhouette CAMEO Pro you can print and cut the full 20" wide that the BN20 can print
Where to Pre Order Roland BN-20A
The Roland BN-20A are expected to start shipping in December 2021. Swing Design is taking pre orders of the Roland-BN20A print and cut machines as well as the new BN-20A bundle with inks for an additional $200. (For reference the eco-solvent ink cartridges for the BN-20A retail for $72.99 if purchased separately or $280 if purchased as a 4 pack set.)
What Else Do I Need with the BN-20A?
If you purchase the Roland BN-20A bundle with inks - you can start printing and cutting out of the box. Everything is included that you would need including the 4 CYMK ink cartridges, VersaWorks software (Windows compatible only), a cutting blade, and a 20' roll of 10" wide printable vinyl.
If you purchase the Roland BN-20A out of the box you will need to add on the 4 ecosolvent ink cartridges in order to print.
While the machine is desktop printer and cutter, a rolling stand for the BN-20A is available - and I would highly recommend it as the machine can print and cut 20" wide, but the machine dimensions are 39.7" wide x 22.9" deep x 11.53" high.
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hello..i need to do somenthing with the cameo software
ReplyDeleteI have the Roland BN-20 already. I can tell you that I’ve had way too many issues with ink cartridges clogging up even though I clean it every day, ittle technical issues with NO customer support. And yes it is slow. You say this one is faster but it’s the same price point so I really don’t see the difference between the two. It sounds like it’s an improvement, but what do I do with my brand new BN-20 I bought a year and a half ago.
ReplyDeleteI make stickers and laminate them. Would I not have to laminate with the Roland?
ReplyDeleteCorrect! This type of ink is waterproof and fade resistant.
DeleteThis may be much more cost effective, but $5,000 is a huge chunk of change for me and I don't do enough to warrant that kind of expense. Even though my Silhouette can do lots of things, I can't afford sublimation printers either and the ink to use on them. I'll just be content using less impressive tools for what I do currently. :)
ReplyDeleteI have the regular BN-20 and one of the things I find hard to find are waste tanks. I've had mine for almost 5 years and it's still going strong.
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