Mutoh – Machinery Manufacturer Spotlight

Mutoh was founded in Japan in 1942 by Yoshiro Mutoh as the Mutoh Scale Engraving Research Center, a specialist in mechanical drafting measuring tools for aerial navigation.

A decade later, in 1952, MUTOH Memori Chokoku LTD was founded to produce drafting and design equipment, such as the Drafter MH-1, Japan’s first arm-belt drafter.

Fast-forward to 1991, Muto released its first colour inkjet plotter, the RJ-501, followed by the FALCON RJ-600 Series Monochrome Inkjet Plotters for CAD in 1995.

2002 saw the release of the RJ-8000 Series wide-format inkjet printers with Mutoh’s ever-popular ValueJet series starting in 2006 with the ValueJet 1204 — this model was fully compatible with eco-solvent ink for the first time.

Recent releases include the VJ-628MP Inkjet, compatible with multipurpose MP31 ink, and the XpertJet 1682SR and XpertJet 1641SR for wide-format prints.

Printer range

Mutoh specialises in LED UV print technologies for speciality and industrial printers, with their range split into XpertJet (high-end) and ValueJet (mid-range) models. Another series is the HydrAton 1642, due for release in 2024.

Signage and display printers are another of Mutoh’s categories. These use CYMK ink sets with UV durability up to 3 years without lamination and include XpertJet and ValueJet models to suit all budgets.

Dye sublimation printers include the XpertJet 1642WR Pro, which uses water-based inks and can print at speeds up to 61 m2/h on flexible and rigid polyester materials.

Mutoh’s drag knife vinyl cutters are popular in print shops. Models like the ValueCut II 1800 support media up to 72”.

Some more popular models:

XpertJet 1682SR Pro

The XpertJet 1682SR Pro’s 8-colour setup (C, M, Y, K, Lc, Lm, Lk, Or) uses GREENGUARD Gold certified inks with light cyan, light magenta, and light black inks to accurately represent lighter colours, skin tones, and grayscale gradients.

A twin-head configuration with a maximum width of 64 inches (162 cm) and two AccuFine HD 3200 nozzle piezo print heads ensure high-quality output and volume production of indoor and outdoor graphics.

ValueJet 2638X

Designed for established sign makers and larger operations seeking expanded capacity, the ValueJet 2638X combines flexibility, reliability, and excellent print quality.

It brings a staggered dual-head setup with 1440 nozzle piezo heads to print jobs for unbeatable accuracy, printing up to 22 m²/h at 720 x 1080 dpi resolution – printing at 720 x 720 dpi gives you 39 m²/h.

It delivers extreme print sharpness at all production speeds, including up to 39 square metres per hour at 720 x 720 dpi resolution.

XpertJet 1462UF

The XpertJet 1462UFis a 6-colour (C, M, Y, K, Wh, Va) UV LED flatbed direct-to-object printer with a moving gantry and an impressive 1420 mm by 700 mm table size that accommodates items up to 150 mm thick with a 4-zone magnetic vacuum for handling up to 50 kg/m².

Two staggered print heads enable independent CMYK and White/Varnish printing, while two brand-new 4-inch-wide UV curing lamps facilitate flawless 2-layer printing.

VerteLith RIP software integrates features tailored for UV printing, such as multi-page PDF support, jig creation, embossed printing presets, and a structured library with 100 texture patterns to make printing simple.

ValueJet 1628MH

The ValueJet 1628MH is a hybrid printer capable of printing on rigid media up to 16 mm thick and 15 kg and roll substrates up to 30 kg.

It delivers high-quality prints on a wide range of roll and rigid media, including ABS, aluminium sandwich board, cardboard, non-PVC media, PE, PET, PMMA, PVC foam board, recyclable fibre-based paper, uncoated polyester, Tyvek, and heat-sensitive substrates.

Equipped with Mutoh’s unique MP31 resin-based 8-colour ink set (C, M, Y, K, Orange, Green, Blue, and White), it offers an expansive colour gamut and extremely accurate colour reproduction.

The high-opacity white inks enable printing on transparent and coloured substrates, while the stretchable and shrinkable inks are suited for thermo/vacuum forming applications.

Manufacturing information

All Mutoh printers are made in Japan at the company’s primary assembly site in Suwa, Nagano. Distribution centres throughout Asia, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the US handle the sale and servicing requirements for regional customers.

Innotech supplies a complete range of flexible wide and grand-format print materials for Mutoh printers. Browse our complete range of digital print media here.