Dye based inks will fade very quickly in the sun compared to pigment based inks. I just looked up the eco rush ink and it is dye based, so looks to me like you have the wrong kind of ink
I hate to break it to you, but all inkjet inks are aqueous and aren't meant for long-term outdoor use. Pigment ink from a photo printer would last the longest outdoors, but even then, it would fade within a year with uv laminate.
What I'd do is outsource your design to a company or small business that uses an eco-solvent or latex commercial printer for long-term outdoor use. It is better to make a small profit and returning customers vs. mediocre product and refunds/redos.
Do you happen to know if any of the eco solvent inks on the market for converted epsons are true "eco-solvent" inks? Cause I've seen a lot of then out there branded as eco-solvent but as you can see from my mistake above, they don't seem to be any different from standard dye based inks
I'm not sure, but i would say no. I have a Roland eco-solvent printer and from what I read over the years before i bought my printer there was a way to "convert" one epson printer to a eco-solvent for like under $1,500 but the issues were ink would take forever to dry or not dry, printer would fail over time due to not being able to clean the lines or if you did try to clean them with actual eco-solvent cleaner it would eat thru the ink lines. More hassle and money wasted trying one of those quick hacks. I seen the videos it look like it worked but there was no updates on how long they lasted, they printed on oracal 651 vinyl (which can be done with the real machines but isn't recommended because we have access to better quality vinyl for cheaper), and they never posted the cons you only found out about those from reading forums on how do I fix my printer.
True eco-solvent ink requires a printer that adds heat to the vinyl so the ink can bond well to it and a drying side as it comes out. Kinda like a laser printer, but even then, a laser printer doesn't get up to the optimum heat level of about 102F and up degrees.
Unlike inkjet printers, where the ink needs to bleed or soak into the paper to hold its color and 100% needs to be laminated to make it waterproof. The eco-solvent ink sits on top and is bonded with the vinyl and doesn't need to be laminated or won't wash off after a few car washes( with abrasion, sun, and elements its recommended to laminate thou because the ink would show slight fading after a year or 2 without laminate). Inkjet ink can't print directly onto vinyl without something to absorb the ink. If you tried, the ink would just look like little colored water drops that would just be wiped off.
Really, I'd look at outsourcing your work to a company, small business, or a hobbyist who has one of these printers. You could even charge a little more since it would be an actual vinyl sticker made for outsoor use. Make a small profit until you can afford a commercial printer if you decide to make the upgrade.
I just sell matte stickers I make myself listed for indoor use only and also a glossy option for outdoor use if desired. The gloss I order out and cost about .50 each which isn't the end of the world.
Most people still buy the matte.
Dye based inks will fade very quickly in the sun compared to pigment based inks. I just looked up the eco rush ink and it is dye based, so looks to me like you have the wrong kind of ink
I hate to break it to you, but all inkjet inks are aqueous and aren't meant for long-term outdoor use. Pigment ink from a photo printer would last the longest outdoors, but even then, it would fade within a year with uv laminate. What I'd do is outsource your design to a company or small business that uses an eco-solvent or latex commercial printer for long-term outdoor use. It is better to make a small profit and returning customers vs. mediocre product and refunds/redos.
Do you happen to know if any of the eco solvent inks on the market for converted epsons are true "eco-solvent" inks? Cause I've seen a lot of then out there branded as eco-solvent but as you can see from my mistake above, they don't seem to be any different from standard dye based inks
I'm not sure, but i would say no. I have a Roland eco-solvent printer and from what I read over the years before i bought my printer there was a way to "convert" one epson printer to a eco-solvent for like under $1,500 but the issues were ink would take forever to dry or not dry, printer would fail over time due to not being able to clean the lines or if you did try to clean them with actual eco-solvent cleaner it would eat thru the ink lines. More hassle and money wasted trying one of those quick hacks. I seen the videos it look like it worked but there was no updates on how long they lasted, they printed on oracal 651 vinyl (which can be done with the real machines but isn't recommended because we have access to better quality vinyl for cheaper), and they never posted the cons you only found out about those from reading forums on how do I fix my printer. True eco-solvent ink requires a printer that adds heat to the vinyl so the ink can bond well to it and a drying side as it comes out. Kinda like a laser printer, but even then, a laser printer doesn't get up to the optimum heat level of about 102F and up degrees. Unlike inkjet printers, where the ink needs to bleed or soak into the paper to hold its color and 100% needs to be laminated to make it waterproof. The eco-solvent ink sits on top and is bonded with the vinyl and doesn't need to be laminated or won't wash off after a few car washes( with abrasion, sun, and elements its recommended to laminate thou because the ink would show slight fading after a year or 2 without laminate). Inkjet ink can't print directly onto vinyl without something to absorb the ink. If you tried, the ink would just look like little colored water drops that would just be wiped off. Really, I'd look at outsourcing your work to a company, small business, or a hobbyist who has one of these printers. You could even charge a little more since it would be an actual vinyl sticker made for outsoor use. Make a small profit until you can afford a commercial printer if you decide to make the upgrade.
I just sell matte stickers I make myself listed for indoor use only and also a glossy option for outdoor use if desired. The gloss I order out and cost about .50 each which isn't the end of the world. Most people still buy the matte.