2 color offset press

Hi semi newbie here. I am looking to get a offset press for two color work. i contacted a local rep and he has given me limited information. i am a rookie in offset printing but a very good digital press operator. I currently have solvent ink-jets, laser, screen printing, Dtg and a variety of finishing solution in the digital field. i do fix and maintain my own equipment. i have worked for one of the biggest sign and graphics shopping my area. Ok enough about me.

I am looking to get into offset printing. i don't think i can invest in a new press. Thats a little above my budget. i am able though to afford a uses press. The million dollar question is where do i go to learn about offset presses. do u think a ab dick 9980 is a good starter press or should i go with a royobi 3302 press. According to what i understand so far is i can start with a true two color press.

i am very mechanical inclined and would to learn more about these presses. i also looking a mentor who has a lot of experience. thanks for your time.

 

I have a multigraphics 1650 with second color t-head - like new - Richmond Ky - Asking $4,500.00 estate settlement
ken b

 

going into small presses will open new doors to your business. Your toughest choice is to know where you want to go and what road to take. If you want to do envelopes a lot , choose a press to do work up to 11" X 17". the smaller sizes will kick butt over larger size presses on envelopes. If you plan on mixed work and getting into large size work once in a while choose the larger size to start with.
Know that what ever press you choose , make sure you can still get parts for it. many folks often over look that and get stuck with a press after it breaks down the first time. Setting of your rollers has a LOT to do with good printing. Always set form rollers to oscillator rollers first to get ink to transfer correctly, this will save you hours of headaches in the future.

 

thanks for the input billy. i talked to a press operator today he was recommending a royobi 3200 mcd. he said easy press to run. plus he kinda knows how to install and fix it. he said its a easy and cheap press to run. no scumming ( i don't know what that means yet). registration OK. he was also telling me about a Davidson 700 he said that has perfect registration. so what would u recommend. he is also saying i start with a one color press first. then move upwards.

my main goal at first is letter heads & carbon less forums. envelopes i print up to 500 in house on my laser or commercial injket. i have never gotten a order over 500 envelopes. and most of my envelopes are full color. for that i want to invest in a oki envelope printer with feeder tray. for envelope with window my comercial inkjet work fine and good. never had a complain about quality. and customers aren't fussy about glossy

 

i will ask my press guy about this machine. price seems ok. but the press guy i know know nothing about multigraphics. is this the same thing as a royobi or abdick

 

Just my two cents. Been running Ryobi presses for years, even a 3200 once. In my opinion a Ryobi 3302, preferably with Kompacs (water system) will take you far. From envelopes to roughly 13" by 17.75". Good roller train for nice coverage. Not a big fan of Multis or Davidsons both too old and out of production as far as i know. I'm sure others here have their own opinions. Good luck to you.

Sean

 

I had a feeling the royobi 3200 was a old press. I was looking at the abdick 9920 and wondered if it was a replacement. It seems like the same press. Going to do some more research today. He was saying to get the one with the Crestline system.

 

i run a 2010 ryobi 3302ha with all the bells and whistles. it has auto plate change,ir dryer, astro envelope feeder. i can make ready on a two color job in ten minutes. save sheets in 20 copies. and run # 10 envelopes at 10,000 an hour. i have run four color jobs and it registers great if it set up right for the first pass. the press has the ryobi water system on it and i never have had issues with water. on the other hand ive ran a ryobi with crestlines and a hamada 234II with cresltlines. they load up with ink and no real water control. if you run blak type their ok. ryobi with ryobi water system is my choice

 

i looked at a press just like that one u have. its nice but because i don't know any thing about offset press i am willing to start with a single color press first. also the investment is high on that press. also i would have to buy a computer to plate system a good one . and that where the money is.
i had gotten some advise from a former press man and he was saying they are some maintenance cost with a press like that. he wanted me to start out with a one color press which i could buy used learn the in and outs then decide if i want to invest a small home loan on a true two color press or a four color press. but maybe i could lean from u. i am willing to invest some time in learning.

 

2-color press would be a great way to start if you can budget it into your figures. I believe the Ryobi 3302 is a good choice. I have run one in the past and also I have repaired some. I learned the Hamada presses years ago and was a gun-ho believer in them until I run a Ryobi. the Ryobi blew away the Hamada in my opinion. It is easy to learn and run.
The Davidson presses are ancient as old as the hills to my opinion. I hadn't heard anyone mention a Davidson press in decades. They had it's day ,but are all but obsolete anymore.

 

3302 with Kompacs are the way to go. The 3302HA is an awesome machine, but way to steep a learning curve for an inexperienced operator. Keep an eye out for a Ryobi 3300 maybe. It's basically a single color version of the 3302. Main advantage over the 3200 is that it has a register board like the 3302. And if your print work builds significantly the 3302 being 2-color is where you'll want to progress to. Avoid crestlines in my opinion. Kompacs are just two roller water continuous dampeners. Pretty much foolproof.

Just an opinion. Budget rules of course.

 

Thanks for the advise. Advise noted. thanks again for the response.

 

this 3302 that i work with will also run polyester plates,although i haven't done it. you can image poly plates with most laser printers. check it out. pronto polyester plate site will tell you the specifics. good luck in your learning process!!

 

you can also see more about poly plates at takach.com

 

considering a epson ploy plate machine. spoke to a rep today. he sys they are more effective than a laser based machine. he says good for two color. work not for full color.

 

If your still looking!

Log onto wirebids.com they have at least 1 auction a month
you can pick up a ryobi 3302 and platemaker for less than $5000

 

looked at the auctions some nice stuff. what about a abdick 360 to start out with. found a local company that has a lot of presses. he was recommending a abdick 360 for 1500 delivered.he is working a assessment also to let a tech come in and fully recondition the press. the tech will make press factory ready and all necessary parts changed for 1000 more. the machine is in great condition and the rollers look great. is that a good price for a starter press.he was recommending this model because its easy to use for a first timer.also he said if i don't like offset i only loss 2500 for the press.he has a lot of used presses including a royobi 3302 for $5000.

what other stuff do u think i need need some help creating some inventory. also is the registration hard on a abdick 360 press.

 

$2500 for a 360 is steep, it has no delivery chain system like a 9800 series press and registration is not going to be very good. I have bought a few 3302's for $5000 its a good price if it comes with ALL new rubber otherwise you'll sink an additional grand into rollers. 9800 series is by far the easiest to run and repair and they can be picked up pretty cheap, i have ran 4 color envelopes on the one i have so registration is good

 

You can find AB Dick 360s with chain delivery. We have one, and it's a great little workhorse. It's technically a "duplicator" and not a press, but works great for colors that don't touch. Single-color envelopes, letterhead, flyers, etc are all really quick to set up and easy to run. Registration is not its strong point, but you could do two colors in two-passes, sure. It was never meant to do tight register, so just keep that in mind. But you could be pulling envelopes out of the delivery side in the time it takes me to set up my feed board. Direct-feed presses are mind-blowingly fast to set up and get printing. $2,500 isn't bad when you consider the press and delivery is $1,500. No matter what used press you buy, you'll have to buy new rollers. There are some hidden costs though - the platemaker, plate cleaner, plates (those three combined is a little over $600 already), ink, fountain solution, cotton pads... it adds up. And let's not even talk about all the paper you'll waste. Thousands and thousands of sheets of paper. So if you decide you don't like it, you'll be out more than $2500. Then again, you'll probably love it and never look back. What's not to like?

If you have the money and want to eventually do two-color work, I also recommend the Ryobi 3302. You can find an older version of it called the Itek 3985, but it's the exact same press. Mine has Crestlines, and that was a hell of a learning curve. But once you figure everything out, it's a wonderful machine. You could go for a press with Kompacs, as well. Both of those are continuous dampening systems, so once you get all your roller settings straight, they continuously provide the minimum amount of water necessary to keep the plate clean. Crestlines actually give you more control over your water than Kompacs, but they have more rollers to adjust and the settings are more finicky. Kompacs are simpler, but they have seals that tend to leak. So pick your poison, there will always be troubleshooting to do. I doubt you could find a 3302 for $5,000 that includes all new rollers. Again, any used press you buy, expect to buy all new rollers, soon if not immediately.

For plates, the laser printer most recommended is the HP Laserjet 5100. I've gotten a couple of crappy ones that had fuser problems, so now I make plates on our Xerox C75 digital press. They work fantastic! It's a bit more of a hassle to make them and figure in the click cost when calculating your plate cost, but they hold up really well. You just need a printer that will print at 1200dpi, so the fuser gets nice and hot. And with poly plates, you MUST use plate cleaner to prep the plate beforehand, or all the toner scatter and other crap will pick up ink and you'll never run a clean plate.

There's tons and tons and TONS of info on the forums. This one, Printcities.com, and Printplanet.com all have a wealth of information. They're all full of super cool people too, that will go out of their way to help. Don't hesitate to reach out to them.

- Lantz

 

I appreciate your advise. I know I have some more stuff to buy. I was looking at the Epson based systems for making plates. I had also looked at a the 5100 plate maker also. Found one at a good price. I have a xante plate maker 3 I think I could get that to work. I also know I have to buy ink and all chemical for the press I was planning to put $1000 in supplies. I buy a lot of paper for my copiers and other color printers. I was planning to buy a few cases of paper. A4 and a3 sizes. I was planning to have a go at a few items for printing. I am working toward a press I will definitely look at the other sites. I thank u so much for your advise. Will keep updating as I go thanks again.