Help with digital equipment decision

[kinni88]

I am familiar with both. The quality is decent, but how are you going to finish the products? Take a look at how they coat, laminate, glue and fold. Send images and the same paper stocks to all of your prospective equipment choices, then finish them. Take a look at your end product then take a look at the TOTAL cost of ownership.

Good Luck

[Mark H]

My two choices are
1. KM C6501 with internal fiery, 60 month FMV lease and a click charge of .045 color and .01 B&W
2. Xerox 700 with internal fiery, 60 month FMV lease and a click charge of .049 color and .01 B&W

I can't speak to the units, as I don't have either in house (but did review the x700 and passed on it) however, you need to pay very close attention to the click prices you're being quoted. Make sure you understand what size substrate your vendor considers a click and compare that to what you think you will be putting through the machine. If 11x17 and 8.5x11 are each considered a single click (therefore the same price) get a price on a cutter and a RIP that will gang properly.

Mark H

[deckm00@yahoo.com]

Have you used these machines (the Ricoh Pro C550 and 700EX)? They are two of the machines I'm considering. I need good quality photo & graphics intensive output, and print on average about 15,000 impressions per month.

I work for Ricoh and support their production products so I'm biased but you might also consider the recently introduced Pro 651/751 production devices.

YouTube - ‪Ricoh launches three new best-in-class light production digital presses‬‏ This is a video from the European intro but they're launched and available here in the States now too.

[Graphics Center]

That array is so huge, I don't know I could even fit it in my room, much less pay for it. I know everyone wants to upsell, but I only do 14,000 impressions per month; and I think that there very well could be a drop in demand, as more publications, registration forms etc. are going online.

[Graphics Center]

Good advice about the finishing.

I am frankly not looking forward to the trials, they can be, well, trying. I'm trying to do my homework so that I don't waste time and effort in evaluating a machine that has no chance of meeting my needs. When I heard complaints that the Ricoh Pro 550ex couldn't print a decent solid, it made me wonder if that machine were worth evaluating, and none of the responses really answered that question for me. What is your experience with this machine's ability to print solids?

[kinni88]

You mentioned the "array". You may want to also look into the electrical costs of some digital machines. A the end of the month, when you look at your electric bill; you have to pad those costs into the cost per print.