When choosing a large format eco solvent printer, more ink colors do not automatically mean a better fit for every print shop. The right choice depends on the work you produce, the colors your customers expect, and how often your applications benefit from expanded color.
The XPJ-1641SR Pro II and the XPJ-1681SR Pro, known as the Wrapper’s Choice, share the same 64-inch platform print technology and production-focused features, but they use four-color CMYK and eight-color ink configurations, respectively.
Both sit on the same eco solvent printer platform and run the same AccuFine HD Pro printhead on the same 64-inch platform and support media up to 63.97 inches wide. Both also include features designed to make everyday production more consistent and efficient.
That includes technologies such as DropMaster 2, Feed Master, i-Screen EX technology, Media Tracker, Nozzle Area Select, and a smart take-up unit. The updated drying system can improve drying performance by up to 20%, while the smart take-up automatically synchronizes with printing for long runs.
Both wide format printers also support applications such as vehicle wraps, outdoor and indoor signage, decals, banners and posters, and run MS41 ink, which is UL GREENGUARD Gold certified for safe use in indoor environments.
So, if most of the printer's capabilities are shared, what actually separates the two?
The biggest difference between these two large format printers is the ink configuration. The XPJ-1641SR Pro II uses four-color CMYK. The XPJ-1681SR Pro adds Light Cyan, Light Magenta, Light Black, and Orange to the standard CMYK set, creating an eight-color configuration.
Both configurations are designed for eco solvent printing, but the additional ink channels on the XPJ-1681SR Pro can provide greater flexibility when reproducing certain colors and tonal transitions.
For many print shops, CMYK is enough.
Most eco solvent printing falls into this category. If your primary work includes fleet graphics, standard vehicle wraps, stickers, banners, signage, and other everyday graphics, a four-color configuration can provide the color range you need without adding channels that your typical jobs may not require.
For example, a shop producing large quantities of fleet graphics may prioritize reliable production, consistent color, and efficient operation over the benefits that expanded color can provide. When your customers' expectations are met by a CMYK ink set, the four-color eco solvent printer covers it.
The XPJ-1681SR Pro is a large format printer designed for shops where color range is more important.
Its additional Light Cyan, Light Magenta, Light Black, and Orange channels help extend the printable gamut and support smoother transitions, richer skin tones, and deeper reds.
The biggest advantage of this configuration is not simply having "more colors." It is having additional ink channels that can help reproduce certain colors and transitions more naturally. This can be particularly useful for applications such as POP displays, fine art, home décor, and luxury vehicle graphics.
Gradients are one of the clearest examples. Subtle transitions can be difficult to reproduce smoothly when an image relies heavily on CMYK alone. Additional light-color channels can help create more gradual transitions and reduce the visual appearance of abrupt color changes.
A poster with a person in front of a soft gradient background is a good example. The image combines two areas where expanded color can be especially useful: smooth gradients and skin tones.
Photographic work can also benefit from the additional light-color channels. Light Cyan, Light Magenta, and Light Black can create smoother transitions in areas such as faces and shadows, helping preserve detail without making tonal changes look too harsh.
This makes the XPJ-1681SR Pro especially suitable for applications focused on people and photography.
Brand colors need to look consistent across every printed piece, but some colors can be more challenging to reproduce with standard CMYK. Warm reds and oranges, commonly found in logos, food graphics, and retail designs, are good examples.
The expanded color gamut of the XPJ-1681SR Pro provides additional color channels that can help reproduce these colors more accurately, giving shops greater flexibility when matching important brand colors.
Choose the XPJ-1641SR Pro II if your shop primarily produces:
Consider the XPJ-1681SR Pro if your shop regularly produces:
Choosing between 4-color CMYK and 8-color printing comes down to the type of color reproduction your shop needs. If smoother gradients, richer skin tones, deeper reds, or closer brand color matching are important to your work, seeing the output firsthand can help you determine whether expanded color is right for you.
The right eco solvent printer is the one matched to the work you actually run. If smoother gradients, skin tones, deeper reds, or closer brand color matching decide whether a job ships or gets reprinted, seeing output from your own artwork settles the question faster than a spec comparison.
Request a print sample to compare the results for your applications, or find your nearest dealer to learn more about the XPJ-1641SR Pro II and the XPJ-1681SR Pro.