Choosing The Right Digital Printer For Your Business
Searching for the right printer
By Daniel A. Keegan
That's right, the trade show season is upon us once again. Though our economy is slowly in the recovery process, the research and development teams for digital printing equipment did not slow down. In fact, 2002 may be known as "the year of the digital printer". The sales of digital printing equipment may be hindered by the economy, but the technology behind the equipment has not been affected. People have been screaming for outdoor durable digital printing equipment and now they are going to get it in the form of solvent based ink systems.
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Solvent based inks have been around for awhile. These inks have been used in the "Grand Format" printers for years and over that time frame those inks have gone though many improvements. The ink manufacturers have resolved such problems as color consistency, clogging and improved longevity. Longevity being a key issue in the sign industry. On average, solvent based inks are designed to last 2 to 5 years in outdoor conditions without additional protection from over-laminates or coatings. However, it is all dependant upon how and where these digital prints are being used. The improvements made are not just in the hands of the ink manufacturer. Great strides have been made in the print head technology, material manufacturing and the printers themselves. It all goes hand in hand. BIGGER...BETTER...FASTER...all has a price.
This year you will have so many choices that it will be mind numbing. How large do you want to go? 54"...80"...16'? How much resolution do I need? 75 dpi...150 dpi...300 dpi...720 dpi...1440 dpi? Either way you are looking at a major investment from $25,000 to $600,000 or more. It's new, so it's going to be a little pricey. Let's not forget to consider warranty issues, maintenance agreements, training or facility improvements to accommodate your future purchase. Sounds kind of scary doesn't it! If you are ready to make a commitment there are many considerations to ponder and the only way figure out what you need is by asking lots of questions. The following may help in your decision making process.
Questions to ask:
Ventilation needs?
If the machine uses solvent based inks it produces hazardous fumes and ventilation is required. This should be the number one priority!
Facility space?
Do you have the square footage needed to setup this type of equipment. Not only do you need the space for the printer, but consider the needs for ventilation, lamination and finishing.
Curing time?
A solvent ink based printer uses a heating element (dryer) to make the solvents evaporate from the printed item. Even though the print looks dry and may feel dry, generally it's not! An additional hour to several hours may be needed before you can laminate or finish the product. Keep in mind that it is very difficult for a print to dry/cure if it is spooled up on a roll.
Lamination?
If you want extended life from the output, some form of lamination is required. Whether it is sprayed on, mopped on, run through a film laminator or liquid laminator. In the case of banners, a liquid laminate (coating) can be sprayed or mopped on. Additional floor space will be needed. For signs and vehicle graphics a film laminator or liquid laminator is needed. Especially if it is to be under a warranty and again you have the need for more floor space and additional equipment costs.
Materials?
Yes, there are uncoated materials that you can use, but the results vary. Most solvent printable materials have a solvent inkjet coating that helps the ink bond to the material and increases drying time. There are dozens of various materials now available for the solvent based systems and several on the way. With these new materials a variety of new markets will present themselves for those creative enough to go after them.
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Maintenance costs?
Nothing lasts forever. Maintenance contracts/agreements can be a big plus and an additional expense. Consider having to replace the print heads at $700 to $7000 a pop, a $5000 motor or a $15,000 roller. For the price that the manufacturer is asking, you must find out ever detail on what is covered and what is not. How long is it covered? Are there additional costs involved such as travel? What is the response time? Will their technician fix it or are they just sending parts? Get it in writing and read the fine print. Generally, it's worth the expense.
As with any inkjet type system, periodic maintenance is required. Cleaning this and adjusting that, along with a calibration or two. Chances are that you are going to use inks and materials to do so, which is coming out of your pocket.
Training?
Is it offered? Can I get it? What's the cost? How long? What will I learn? How many people can attend? Any training that you can get is well worth the effort. The more you can learn up front, the faster you can be up and running properly. It is to your advantage to understand the limitations of the machine and associated hardware and software. The purchase of the equipment is a big investment and a large learning curve. The shorter the learning curve the more money you put in your pocket.
Production speed?
Production speed is relative to the above and resolution. The higher the resolution, the slower the production time. Don't forget the fact that it takes time to load and unload materials as well as the preparation to get ready to print. In reality, if the print speed is rated at 400 square feet per hour, a good rule of thumb is to cut that in half (or 200 s.f./hr.), which is a little more realistic. Can you live with that type of production speed or do you need more?
Sometimes we have a tendency to put all of our eggs in one basket. Would it be wiser to purchase two slower machines that equal the production speed of one fast machine? How much revenue would you lose if a machine were down for a day? Just a thought!
Resolution?
The resolution requirements should be based upon your needs and what you intend to produce on the equipment. Billboards need between 6 to 75 dpi. Signs, vehicle graphics and banners vary from 75 to 400 dpi. Point of purchase and art reproductions range from 300 to 1440 dpi. It all boils down to viewing distance. The further the product is to be viewed the less resolution is needed. Do you really think that you can tell the difference between a 300 and 600 dpi print at a distance of five feet? Probably not! The rule of thumb for resolution is that the closer the viewing distance, the higher the resolution must be.
The old saying "GARBAGE IN - GARBAGE OUT" holds true, however, you might just find that a lower printing resolution makes an improvement on that garbage! The resolution requirements for the input are greater as the printing resolution gets higher, which affects file size and processing time.
Production cost?
There are many factors involved with production cost, but what it comes down to is cost per square foot of the finished product. Adding up labor, overhead, material and ink. What is your cost? What can you sell it for? Can I make a reasonable profit to grow my business? Price wars happen in every market and a little research may be required for your area to see if this purchase can be justified. Equipment gets worn out and new products hit the market monthly, so if the equipment can be paid off in a reasonable amount of time and a profit can be had, then it's worth every penny.
In closing, I would like to offer a word of advice. If you are new to the digital printing market, you may want to consider getting your feet wet by subcontracting this type of work to someone that is already in the business that you feel comfortable with. Granted, that you may not make a great profit margin, but consider the fact that you are growing a new market for yourself. Once you feel that you can justify the purchase, then go for it! There are many aspects of digital printing that have not been covered that we will cover in future articles.
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