Got Rotech? - Engraving Etc. Forum

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	6 Jan 2006
To:	ALL	1 of 15

2652.1

Hmmm...according to this recent press release,

http://www.sawgrassink.com/pressreleases/full%20corp%20releases.htm#rotech

those of us who were fans of Rotech-Digital ink for small format printers, (less than 42" width) should now be able return to our ink of choice.

No?

If, indeed, Rotech Digital ink is once again made available to the (U.S.) small format market, I wonder how long Ed Michaels will be able to hang onto these words?

http://www.ussublimation.com/Honest_Pricing.htm

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

EDITED: 6 Jan 2006 by DGL

From:	UncleSteve	7 Jan 2006
To:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	2 of 15

2652.2 In reply to 2652.1
David, his "out" is the fact that he prices based on "cost plus"..... So as the COST rises due to the parent company loading overhead on them, he still can substantiate his claims of cost plus... The only question is plus WHAT? "Genius ain't anything more than elegant common sense." Josh Billings

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	7 Jan 2006
To:	UncleSteve	3 of 15

2652.3 In reply to 2652.2

Steve,

It's safe to say that Rotech won't be the bargain it once was; at least for the small format sector.

My main question is, will Rotech be available to that sector?

My other question is, will Sawgrass, ArTainium and Rotech distributors (albeit, all owned by Sawgrass) be allowed to carry more than one brand of ink?

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

EDITED: 7 Jan 2006 by DGL

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	7 Jan 2006
To:	UncleSteve	5 of 15

2652.5 In reply to 2652.4

Steve,

I'm going to see if the Sawgrass site has an email contact. I imagine they do.

When in doubt, inquire within. :-)

Cover me. I'm goin' in. >.<

Naturally, I'll share their response (if any) with the forum.

Edit: Not seing a way to contact them via email.

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

EDITED: 7 Jan 2006 by DGL

From:	UncleSteve	7 Jan 2006
To:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	6 of 15

2652.6 In reply to 2652.5
On their sublimation.com site (their online store) they show this as the contact page: http://www.sublimation.com/purchase/request%20information.php?PHPSESSID=5a34a27d998e0d172a32a3667729aa53 Got your back! Go for it! :S "Genius ain't anything more than elegant common sense." Josh Billings
EDITED: 7 Jan 2006 by UNCLESTEVE

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	7 Jan 2006
To:	UncleSteve	7 of 15

2652.7 In reply to 2652.6

Thanks Steve. That might work. It seems to be a request form for specific products, none of which are Rotech.

I may just call them at the number on that page. I know a few of the people there, but in the long run, I think I'd be able to get a straighter answer from Ed Michaels (US Sublimation) whom I've also met before.

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

EDITED: 7 Jan 2006 by DGL

From:	PenTrophy (PENINSULATROPHY)	7 Jan 2006
To:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	8 of 15

2652.8 In reply to 2652.7
What do you seee as the major differences between ArTainium and Rotech .. I use the former and have been very pleased with the results. isn't Rotech an import? .... ... .. . Mark In the Great Northwest!

From:	UncleSteve	7 Jan 2006
To:	PenTrophy (PENINSULATROPHY)	9 of 15

2652.9 In reply to 2652.8
I started with Rotech and loved the inks... no problems at all. I changed over to Artanium when I changed printers and Rotech didn't have the cartridges or buld system for it at the time. Both good inks but I had less clogging with Rotech than Artanium and we won't even talk about the Clog King! <P> "Genius ain't anything more than elegant common sense." Josh Billings

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	7 Jan 2006
To:	PenTrophy (PENINSULATROPHY)	10 of 15

2652.10 In reply to 2652.8
Mark, Rotech (Denmark) was responsible for bringing a new vernacular to the ink jet dye sub industry - Stability You may remember the days of highly unstable sublimation ink, where "settling" (dye falling out of suspension) and inconsistency of color, from batch to batch, became a moving target and made repeatability of files nearly impossible. I enjoy a challenge, but the unstable ink was enough to bring myself and others to the brink of abandoning the ink jet dye sub process altogether. Naturally, many suppliers flocked to the highly reliable ink and some were suspected of selling Rotech, under their own name; Tropical Graphics (ArTainium) being one. In answer to your original question, there are no major differences between the two inks. David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri DGL Engraving Port Hueneme, CA
EDITED: 7 Jan 2006 by DGL

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	10 Jan 2006
To:	ALL	11 of 15

2652.11

= UPDATE =

What's in a name?

I spoke to a representative of U.S. Sublimation, (owners of the Rotech Digital "brand name" in the USA), who was kind enough to give me the straight story.

Rotech Digital (Denmark) does not (and never did) make their own ink, although they did develop a strong "brand name" in Europe, which U.S. Sublimation purchased the rights to, for their own United States operation.

Sawgrass Technologies (ST) now owns the European Rotech Digital moniker, although U.S. Sublimation still owns the name in the U.S., which of course, is a sore point to ST. So much so, that there may be a lawsuit coming, in an effort to wrestle the name away from U.S. Sub.

U.S. Sublimation, due to U.S. patent infringement outcomes, is still limited to selling to the large format market in the U.S.

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

EDITED: 10 Jan 2006 by DGL

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	12 Jan 2006
To:	swede (BRUCE_LARSON)	13 of 15

2652.13 In reply to 2652.12
Bruce, That's a stipulation, due to the U.S. patents, (held by Sawgrass Technologies), not necessarily being upheld in court, but in keeping with the arrangement U.S. licensees of "the process" have signed onto. Has nothing to do with the ink being suitable for small format printers. David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri DGL Engraving Port Hueneme, CA

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	12 Jan 2006
To:	swede (BRUCE_LARSON)	15 of 15

2652.15 In reply to 2652.14
Bruce, I'm not a lawyer and I've only played one, once on TV. :-) I'm not sure if Rotech, sold overseas, will continue being sold to the small format market or not. As of now, in the U.S., only ArTainium (and until the Texas Original Graphics (TOG) case is settled) and TOG's Sublibrite ink are the only two brands, of which small format users can buy bulk ink (in bottles) for use in bulk feed systems, or to refill their own cartridges. Rumor has it that, at some point, ArTainium may only be available to small format users in mylar bags, which is the form Sublijet (Sawgrass) small format users buy their bulk ink. The mylar bags are a component of the Sawgrass "Quick Connect" system. David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri DGL Engraving Port Hueneme, CA