Canon C1 click cost

Discussion in 'Canon imagePRESS Digital Presses' started by cns9999, Jan 8, 2011.

  1. cns9999

    cns9999 Member

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    We have been using a Canon C1 for the past 3 years and the performance/cost have been good, although it does need frequent servicing. We had it on a 3 year fixed service contract at $0.24/click (full color A3). Now that the initial service contract is up Canon is asking for $0.58/click for a new 1 year contract. That's a huge increase and likely will motivate us to look for other solutions.

    Anyone else experience this LARGE cost increase?

    Alternatives with similiar performance but better cost?
     
  2. RonnyW

    RonnyW Member

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    Are you printing full coverage A3 size photographs only? And are those click rates in US $ ?
     
  3. cns9999

    cns9999 Member

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    We print a variety of jobs, brochures, photos, business cards, etc... usually on A3 or 13x19 sheets. Yes, in US$.
     
  4. RonnyW

    RonnyW Member

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    I guess it's all location, location, location but those click rates are really high by US lower 48 standards.

    Did you lease this as a new machine, or did you get them to provide a service contract on an already used machine you bought from someone else? I'd expect the service rates to be higher if it's a contract on a used machine as they know it will take more maintenance and parts probably than one which has all brand new never used parts and durables in it when the contract starts.

    Are they offering you a new imagepress at the lower rate?

    Can you sacrifice any finish quality in exchange for cost per print and speed, or do you need the highest finish quality you can get?
     
  5. cns9999

    cns9999 Member

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    We bought the machine new 3 years ago and had on a 3 year contract. good question on the contract cost for a new machine. I'll look into that aspect as we are getting enough volume now to consider another machine anyway.

    Quality is a big factor as we print primarily for commerical customers, short runs usually less than 500 sheets.

    The click costs seem very high especially considering that labor costs are VERY low here so the service contract cost is mostly consumables and spare parts.
     
  6. ODCMAGAZINE

    ODCMAGAZINE Member

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    Hi Guys,

    I was wondering does anyone what the cost per click is for us; I purchased my Canon ImageRunner C3220 with FN finisher and a C1 on the back for printing my magazine, which is a 34-40 page color publication. Any idea what cost per click would be? No contract or anything like that, we purchase all parts.

    Cheers,
    Sean
     
  7. RonnyW

    RonnyW Member

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    Most of the time here they want you to keep leasing new machines so the sales side has an influence on the service rate side.

    Usually there is some room to negotiate rates and your leverage is agreeing to lease a new machine from them.

    You don't want to negotiate a rate that is "too good to be true" but there is usually some room to negotiate. Often if you have the volume it's cheaper to lease a new machine with a lower click rate and keep the old one as a backup (or turn it back) than keep the old machine with it's higher click rate.

    Even the $0.24 seems on the high side, but $0.58 seems unreasonable by US48 standards. Ikon was quoting rates in the $0.11 to $0.16 range when they were offering the imagepress C1.

    Take a look at this thread and the post by 1fastmini who was with canon business systems in florida for an even lower rate they were offering at that time (2009): http://www.colorprintingforum.com/canon-imagePRESS/c1-for-short-runs-vs-color-copier-1478.html

    Granted that's here in the continental us and not there so I don't know what's competitive there.

    It might have to do with market competition as much as actual cost. It's strange how global economics work sometimes.
     
  8. RonnyW

    RonnyW Member

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    See if xerox is providing service in your area (and see if you can talk with someone with one to see how service is in your area) and get a print sample from xerox from the 252 and 700 and evaluate if the quality will match your requirements.

    The C1 might have a slightly more natural gloss on heavy stocks and maybe a better finish on uncoated depending on your eye. The docucolor resolution is good and the speed is far better than what you have. Get a quote and you might be stunned at the cost difference per print. The C1+ though has clear toner effects which are unmatched by other machines.

    A third option if you can profit from some of the C1's characteristics would be to see if there is a reasonable buyout price and keep it for the jobs that need its quality, and get another machine with a more economical cost per click for jobs that don't need quite its finish quality but would look the same with equal resolution but 90%-as-good finish gloss quality for 1/4 the cost per click to you.
     
  9. RonnyW

    RonnyW Member

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    That's not the same machine as the imagepress c1 (should require less maintenance on the imagerunner than the imagepress; print quality of the imagepress is better but color speed is slower and it's targeted as a proof/graphic arts machine.)

    If you're not on a contract, toner will be your #1 cost and drums your #2 cost. Fuser is a distant #3 cost. The rest won't add up to more than a couple % (transfer belt every 500,000, a few pickup rollers.) You will have an occasional $500 assembly you need maybe once or twice. But it will mainly come down to how much coverage on the page #1 and how long you can run your drums #2. It would be interesting if you add it up over 3-6 months and see. My ballpark wild guess would be $0.10 to $0.20 depending on how much photograph vs. text you have and how much time you spend shopping for toner and drums and fixing units.
     
  10. ODCMAGAZINE

    ODCMAGAZINE Member

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    Thanks!

    We pretty much only use it to print the magazine, pin ups and calendars, we are a image driven magazine, every so often we get someone that want me to design a poster for them and print it, I am looking to outsource that, my machine is at about 27,000 copies, and we have a good source for parts.

    Thanks
    Sean
     
  11. Noosa Graphica

    Noosa Graphica Member

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    I have a 3 year old one on a 5 year rental agreement only done 554420 clicks and the company BBC Berwicks Sunshine Coast that sold it to me will not honour there service contract and has walked away from it. Id look in too a new one perhapes Xerox :mad:
     

  12. cns9999

    cns9999 Member

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    Update

    So we said no to the service contract and they came back with a lower price offer but still $0.41 (usd). We can't absorb that kind of increase so we'll just run it off contract. We have kept track of toner/drum usage over the last 3 years and calculate the "actual" click cost is about $0.10 (usd) based on toner/drum costs. We are capable of doing most of the maintenance in house so I think it will work out ok. I'll post an update from time to time and let you know.
     
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