xerox digital printer..

[ihsaan]

I intend purchasing a digital printer for our ad agency.. What machine would be recommended? Someone suggested a xerox 3535 http://go.internet.com/?id=474X1152...r-multifunction/docucolor-3535/spec-enus.html

is this good for an ad agency? if not what do you suggest that will work for me.

 

[xpquickprint]

ihsaan - I see this post didn't get any replies - have you made a decision? It's hard to give much feedback without having a general idea of your budget, your expected print volume, and your usage/expectations for quality.

If you're looking at a xerox 3535 at this point, I'm assuming you can get a pretty good deal on it. I'd say this is an acceptable-quality good-compromise previous-generation machine that is still usable today, but not stunning in any specific regard.

Back 6-7 years ago it was one of the "business-color-gang that slightly exceeded expectations". What I mean is that the quality wasn't as good as a doc12 - side by side, I would always choose the doc12 output - but it was cheap to get into and quite fast for the date, modular consumables, so it was a good compromise machine to deliver short-run production capabilities to those who hadn't gotten their feet wet with the graphics machines that came before (which required a much higher service knowledge and were slower) and who couldn't afford production machines. A comparable from the date was the canon irc3200 series. Again a business color machine, but pretty good for the day with reasonable (for the time) click rates, modular consumables and drums/fuser so reduced service skill level and reduced service call requirements, and quality that wasn't quite as sharp as graphics machines in some areas, but was respectable and acceptable for general use (brochures, menus, flyers, posters, booklets, etc.)

However, I'd shop around a bit first and see if you can get into the next generation - a 240 or 242 is noticeably preferable to a 3535 in print quality - finish quality, consistency, and resolution.

 

[ihsaan]

The 240 - 242 series is out of my budget. I can afford the 3535 and need to know if it will be able to produce good quliaty prints. I will be printing brochure, a3 posters, business cards, flyers, z-folds, letterheads, invoice templates, and A5 / A6 booklets which i will cut and staple manually.

Can the 3535 produce this? I dont think i'll exceed 50,000 prints per month..

 

[xpquickprint]

As long as you're not directly competing with anyone with a newer generation printer, though that volume is about twice what they recommend for that printer -- you might have some stress if your deadlines are tight and you don't have a good backup machine to print on. If someone has a newer generation machine they'll be able to print visibly nicer quality slightly faster and slightly cheaper... but then again, that's always the case: no matter how big you get, someone will have a bigger, newer, faster, cheaper machine. So enjoy the ride (but realize you are stretching a bit)

 

[djeph]

DC 3535 is not for you you need better quality

 

[xeroxparts]

Cut to the chase how much have you got to spend, i can help you if i have a budget

 

[djeddie]

Cut to the chase how much have you got to spend, i can help you if i have a budget

Hello Im new to this forum..I have a printing company but I have been outsourcing but I want to start printing business cards and club flyers 4x6 myself. Can you guys show me the cheapest equipment from start all the way to finish that I will need.
I want to digitally print them so I can offer 24hr turnaround.
My budget for everything for now is around $1000. Please show me the necessary cheap equipment.
Thank You

 

[xfactor printing]

Hello Im new to this forum..I have a printing company but I have been outsourcing but I want to start printing business cards and club flyers 4x6 myself. Can you guys show me the cheapest equipment from start all the way to finish that I will need.
I want to digitally print them so I can offer 24hr turnaround.
My budget for everything for now is around $1000. Please show me the necessary cheap equipment.
Thank You

You can't compete with the big guys on price for a common item like 4x6 postcards, business cards, or flyers if you only have $1000/month or less to spend on equipment. With a limited budget, see if you can find yourself a unique niche that only you can provide.

 

[djeddie]

You can't compete with the big guys on price for a common item like 4x6 postcards, business cards, or flyers if you only have $1000/month or less to spend on equipment. With a limited budget, see if you can find yourself a unique niche that only you can provide.

Thank You for replying so quickly. I understand that I will not be able to compete with the bigger guys but I want to locally invest because I know of printers who invested a small amount and now can offer same day printing but not for a cheap price. I was wondering for example 5000 4x6 flyers i want my cost to be under $100 would that be possible with this small investment?
Thank You

 

[xfactor printing]

One side or two sides color? What weight of stock? Post card weight (12pt or 14pt) or lighter stock? How glossy?

 

[djeddie]

One side or two sides color? What weight of stock? Post card weight (12pt or 14pt) or lighter stock? How glossy?

2 sided color
stock 12pt is my goal
glossy doesnt really matter..

 

[xfactor printing]

If we're talking two sided color postcards, then I don't think it's doable for that price. For $600 a month on a 5-year lease you can get a digital printer and have a little left over for a cutter; for $1000 a month you can get a printer that will print heavier stock much faster; that will allow you to run color at around $.05 to $.06 per side. Then there's the paper - price depends on the volume you can order. At a lower volume if you want a 2-sided gloss really nice cast-coated 12pt stock you might be paying $.20 per 13" x 19" sheet. At that rate, you're talking $0.30 per printed sheet / 9-up or 3 cents per postcard. x5000 that is $167 and that *doesn't* include the cost of the machine itself, your time, your building or electricity. It would only really be doable (at a tiny profit) if you get a very cheap uncoated card stock. Digital machines aren't going to shine profit-wise if your quantity is well over 1,000 and if it's a commodity common size item.

 

[djeddie]

If we're talking two sided color postcards, then I don't think it's doable for that price. For $1000 a month on a 5-year lease you can get a digital printer and have a little left over for a cutter; that will allow you to run color at around $.05 to $.06 per side. Then there's the paper - price depends on the volume you can order. At a lower volume if you want a 2-sided gloss really nice cast-coated 12pt stock you might be paying $.20 per 13" x 19" sheet. At that rate, you're talking $0.30 per printed sheet / 9-up or 3 cents per postcard. x5000 that is $167 and that *doesn't* include the cost of the machine itself, your time, your building or electricity. It would only really be doable (at a profit) if you get a very very very cheap uncoated card stock.

O ok thanks..yes your right its not worth it..but I always wonder how these local shops can offer such low prices and I know for a fact that they do not outsource..

 

[xfactor printing]

Some provide postcards, business cards, and other small items at cost in order to get new customers that they hope will continue to order bigger things - brochures, posters, catalogs, etc.

With a run of 5000, offset would be the way, but for small dimension cheap items, you'd need the volume to gang them to get a really good price -- i.e. when color quality isn't super critical, fill the plate with jobs so you have one set of plates and setup spread over a dozen or more orders instead of one set of plates per order.

If the coverage were super low (mostly white) you could get a used printer and go it yourself, but with 12pt+ stock you'll have more issues than with lighter paper, and without a service contract and a solid printer, you'll be replacing printers frequently, which takes time and time is money too.