Digital press for in house printing

[banjoman]

I currently print on a Presstek 34DI and have a Heidelberg Printmaster 2 color. What I need to know is from an operator or owners perspective, how a digital press would fit into what I'm doing. I print a 4/4 10.5 x 15 inch news letter every month on 70# opaque offset, 63,000 then folded for a #10 envelope. Also do a lot of 80# gloss books on 12 x 18 then cut and perfect bound. And then various other smaller runs and the company annual report which has been 2 sigs 50,000 4/4 12 x 18 then folded stitched and mailed on 100# gloss text. I want to get rid of the ink and chemicals and all and try to set up all digital equipment. We do print a few thousand envelopes from time to time and most everything I print is cmyk. I always saw the digital equipment as short run and long runs weren't cost effective but it's been a while since we have looked into it.


banjoman in NC

 

[peels]

will you do any variable? get digital now!

otherwise.... the costs (at least to me) don't seem too bad. aside from the contract which is mountains of $.. But I dont have to call mine in often.

heres a pro/con for you.

pro

up time, Igen kills every digital printer ive used.
setup(make ready) is NIL.
if you print offset, it can back that up. (i do this A LOT) we have a heide speedmaster
color's good


CON

$
and thats really about it.

oh, and occasionally, when it dies...it dies dramatically like a 40's actress.. this is the meaning of Xerox. LOL.

based on your usage...unless those 63000 are variable, id stay offset.

My personal feeling is versatility is key. so the more DIFFERENT prints you do(and variable), the more digital makes sense. IE: quick change. Igen is king here. (in our business)

I can go through 20-30 paper changes, layouts and switches from b&w to color in a few days sometimes. and we are doing mainly all variable. I also do all the layout programming for them. yes, my head hurts