Primera Technology recently announced that its Primera LX1000 has reached its so-called “end of life” and will be discontinued as of June 1, 2018.

What does this mean exactly? A few things come to mind.

1.Can you still buy the LX1000 if you really want one? First, for those who had been thinking about buying a Primera LX1000, that option will rapidly disappear. Primera Technology has already removed the LX1000 from its website and will stop shipping Primera LX1000 label printers to customers immediately. You’ll still be able to purchase existing inventory from Primera resellers and used ones on sites like eBay, but you may want to rethink that strategy as newer, more capable pigment ink label printers are now available (such as the Afinia L501 pigment inkjet label printer).

2.What about service and supplies? There’s always some uncertainty surrounding discontinued printers. You may wonder how long Primera Technology will support and service the LX1000 or if you’ll be able to purchase replacement ink cartridges a few years down the road. According to Primera Technology’s LX1000 EOL announcement, “Support and service will continue to be available as long as parts last. Our consumables supply policy is that we will provide ink cartridges for a minimum of three years after EOL date.” That said, the LX1000’s sibling, the LX2000, shares many of the same parts and ink cartridges, and it hasn’t been discontinued, so it’s likely you’ll be able to get support, service, parts, and ink for an extended time beyond the 3-year-cutoff.

3.Maybe it’s not the best pigment label printer out there… When a company discontinues a product, you can’t help but wonder if it’s inferior in some way. The LX1000 is certainly not a bad label printer. In fact, we’ve been recommending it over its LX2000 sibling because it’s essentially the same printer, with some minor differences, and it’s about $1,000 cheaper! As the sun sets on the Primera LX1000, Primera Technology points toward its LX910 as the LX1000’s replacement. It’s faster, has a cutter, and a lower price. Those are good points. We’d also suggest looking at the Afinia L501 pigment label printer, which offers similar features, performance, and output but has the added advantage of “Duo Ink Technology.” This means you can print both durable, pigment-ink based industrial labels and the more vibrant, dye-ink based “prime” labels.

4.What if you have an existing Primera LX1000? Now might be a good time to make a move. Undoubtedly, there will be a few buyers who had their hearts set on the LX1000. They might appreciate a fairly priced used model right about now. Not only could you sell yours in the used marketplace, you could upgrade to a more capable pigment label printer like the Afinia L501 — which is faster and has a much lower ink cost per label. Your ink savings alone could help offset the purchase price if you print in higher volumes.

We agree that it’s probably time to retire the Primera LX1000. It was a capable printer at the time but is showing its age and simply can’t keep up with the latest models both in terms of speed and ink consumption.

Learn more about the Afinia L501 or contact us to speak to a label printing specialist.