B80 and B85 wide format handheld CIJ inkjet printers, which one to choose?
Wide format or large character handheld printers are extremely useful and widely applied in many industries to meet demands such as box labeling, floor display, advertising, packaging, etc. As a professional company that has specialized in handheld inkjet printers for over 10 years, BENTSAI also produces wide format handheld printers.
As you may already know, there are 2 different models under our wide format CIJ handheld inkjet printer series: the B80 and the B85. They look the same in appearance, but do you know how to differentiate them and how to choose the most suitable one between the two printers? This article will solve the puzzle for you.
What's the difference between B80 and B85 wide format handheld printers?
The table below will show you the specifications and main features of the B80 and B85 handheld CIJ inkjet printers. From the table, we can see that the difference between the B80 and B85 handheld printers mainly lies in ink type, supported printing surfaces, and refillable ink. We will go through these differences one by one.
| Model Name | B80 | B85 |
| Price | $1,899 | $2,199 |
| Printer Type | Inkjet printer | |
| Ink Type | Water-based ink | Water-based ink & solvent-based ink |
| Is the ink refillable? | Yes | Only water-based ink is refillable |
| Product Dimensions | 9.4"x7.2"x4.6" | |
| Product Weight | 1.25kg | |
| Print Head | 4 print heads, up to 25mm for each; Each ink can work independently or together | |
| Nozzle Height | 2.5mm-100mm | |
| Spraying Distance | 2-5mm | |
| Printing Speed | 10m/min | |
| Printing Resolution | 300DPI | |
| Internal Storage | 8GB | |
| Battery Capacity | 6000mAh | |
| Variable Database Printing | Yes | |
| Use in Production Line | Yes | |
| Printing Content | Texts, numbers, barcode, QR code, logo, pictures, date, time, counters, variable data printing | |
| Applicable Printing Surfaces | Porous materials: wood, fabric, paper, carton box, cardboard, plasterboard, fiberboard, cement wall, etc. | Porous materials: wood, fabric, paper, carton box, cardboard, plasterboard, fiberboard, cement wall, etc. Non-porous materials: plastic, PVC, PE, PET, glass, ceramics, acrylic, metal, aluminum foil, concrete, etc. |
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Ink Type
The B80 printer can only work with water-based inks.
The B85 printer can work with either water-based inks or solvent-based inks.
For the B85 handheld printer, using different types of ink will lead to different kinds of supported printing materials.
Supported Printing Materials
B80 and B85 handheld printers are made for different printing scenarios, so the materials and surfaces the two printers can print on are slightly different.
The B80 printer uses water-based ink, so it can only print on porous (water-absorbing) surfaces such as wood, fabric, paper, carton box, cardboard, plasterboard, fiberboard, cement wall, etc.
However, as the upgrade of the B80, the B85 can use either water-based ink or solvent-based fast-dry ink. When using water-based ink, the materials that the B85 can print on are the same as the B80. When using solvent ink, you can print on nearly any surface, including non-porous and semi-porous materials such as plastic, PVC, PE, PET, glass, aluminum foil, metal, concrete, and many more.
Refillable or Not?
Another noteworthy difference is that the water-based ink for the B80 and B85 printers can be refilled, while the solvent ink for the B85 cannot. Moreover, when ordering the B80 printer, in addition to 4 packs of 42ml black EB21B ink cartridges that come as default, the package will also include 2 extra sets of HFE-2000 black refill ink kit for free, which is 8 packs of 28ml refill ink in total. In other words, you will receive 4*42ml plus 8*28ml = 392ml of ink in total.
This is extremely economical and can save customers a lot more, especially for companies that have large printing needs, because you no longer need to buy a brand-new set of cartridges.
Check this video on how to refill the EB21B ink cartridge:
How to Choose Between B80 and B85 Wide Format Handheld Printer?
As mentioned in the previous section, the B80 and B85 use different types of ink and are therefore suitable for different materials.
| Model Name | B80 | B85 |
| Applicable Printing Surfaces | Porous materials: wood, fabric, paper, carton box, cardboard, plasterboard, fiberboard, cement wall, etc. | Porous materials: wood, fabric, paper, carton box, cardboard, plasterboard, fiberboard, cement wall, etc. Non-porous materials: plastic, PVC, PE, PET, glass, ceramics, acrylic, metal, aluminum foil, concrete, etc. |
If all you need to print on is porous surfaces like wood, carton box, fabric, etc., and you can foresee that you will not need to print on any non-porous materials in the next 2-3 years, then the B80 can do the work for you and save more costs.
However, let's say now you only need to print on water-absorbing surfaces, but you’re not certain whether you will need to print on any non-porous materials in the near future. In that case, we would suggest you add $300 to buy the B85 to save the hassle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is it possible to use one ink cartridge in the B80 or B85 printer for printing one line of characters 25mm high? I sometimes want to print 100mm and sometimes only 25mm.
A1: Absolutely yes. Though the B80 and B85 handheld printers have 4 ink slots, that doesn't mean you need to insert all 4 cartridges to make the printer work. The printer can still print even if you only insert one cartridge, but please note that the maximum height of one ink nozzle is 25mm.
Q2: What do you mean by "variable database printing" in the product specification and description?
A2: Variable database printing means you can print variable and unique texts, numbers, QR codes, or barcodes from a local file without stopping to edit settings on the printer after each print.
Q3: Can the solvent ink for the B85 handheld printer survive under extreme hot temperatures outdoors?
A3: Based on our tests, the ink will fade over time when exposed to direct sunlight and extreme hot temperatures. For the best performance, we do not recommend using the printer this way.
BENTSAI - Your One-Stop Printing Solution
If you have further questions or are looking for printing solutions for your business, please feel free to contact us in the following ways:
- Email: support@bentsaishop.com
- WhatsApp: +86 189 2809 7992
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bentsaishop/
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