The Afinia L701 and Epson ColorWorks C6500 are both great label printers used for printing full color product labels, but they use different types of inks and technologies. The L701 uses dye-based inks and a stationary Memjet printhead while the Epson CW-C6500 uses pigment inks and a serial moving printhead.

Ink Differences

Dye-based inks offer more vibrant colors, but they are not as durable as pigment inks and can fade over time when exposed to light or certain chemicals. Pigment inks are more durable, but they don’t print with quite as much vibrancy as dye-based inks.

The Epson CW-C6500 comes in either a gloss or matte version. The version that competes with the L701 is the gloss version containing pigment inks designed for use with glossy labels. Thus, the use cases for Afinia L701 and the Epson CW-C6500 gloss color label printer are the same, making it even more important to understand the ink differences.

Printhead Differences

In addition to different inks, the Afinia L701 and Epson CW-C6500 also have different types of printheads. The L701 has a stationary Memjet printhead that doesn’t move as the label is printed. The CW-C6500 has a moving serial printhead that travels back and forth as the label moves through the printer.

The Memjet printhead in the L701 is designed for high-speed, high-volume printing. It can print up to 6 inches per second (1600x1600 dpi) or 8 inches per second (1600x800 dpi). The Epson CW-C6500 with its serial moving printhead is not nearly as fast. To print an 8"x4" label at its highest setting of 1200 dpi, the C6500 prints just 0.20 inches per second.

To see the two printers printing an identical label side-by-side, watch the video below.

To sum it up, theL701 is faster, uses dye-based inks for more vibrant colors, has a stationary Memjet printhead, and prints higher quality labels. The Epson ColorWorks CW-C6500 is slower, uses pigment inks for more durable labels, has a serial moving printhead, and maxes out at 1200 dpi.

Which one is right for you? If you don't mind sacrificing some speed and quality for a slightly lower purchase price and don't need to print many labels each day, the Epson CW-C6500 is a good choice for home-based businesses. On the other hand, if you need a lot of high-quality, photorealistic labels printed quickly, the Ainia L701 is the way to go.

To see how your labels will look with each type of ink, we recommend ordering a free label sample pack from us. This way you can compare the two side-by-side and make the best decision for your business.