Expanding into Digital - some help please

[Mark Andy715]

Hello all,

Firstly, let me say thank you for the great information and feedback. I have been in the offset and the packaging area with 2 SM-74-5 and a SM-102-2 for the last 20 years. I am looking to expand into digital, considering a Biz Hub or a Xerox 700, the Xerox rep has been giving us click charges and I can PM them if anyone is looking to help me, but the charges seem overly expensive.

This is the first time I am looking into a Digital press, so its relatively new.
Most of the work we receive are along the lines of "1000 / 5000 brochures, 1000 / 5000 flyers, 1000 / 5000 cards / 1000 / 5000 business cards, and some other misc work. We are having to push this sort of work away because its expensive for us to have them on the SM's.

If anyone has a Biz Hub or Xerox / any other machine, please provide me with what it can do for you as far as quality, consumable prices

Most appreciated,
Mark

 

[X33]

probably the runs of 1000 pieces you will be able to do in the digital machine with no problems.

the runs of 5000, you may want to keep sending them outside as it might be more cost effective.

as far as quality, that is up to you, both can provide great quality depending on who is looking at it.

as far as consumable prices, if you are in the U.S., get an all maintenance + supplies included contract. you'll get a click rate around $0.05 (5 cents) per color page no matter what you print.

 

[lfelton]

That's a really big topic and the "search" facility on this forum will be your friend as different aspects of it have been covered in detail in other threads.

We run litho (B3, B2) and digital colour & B&W, so see the differences in quality every day. Bottom line is that although digital has improved a lot, it still is nowhere near as good as litho in areas like solids, gradients, fine screen detail etc. However, the big point to take away is: most people don't care. As long as it's "good enough" that's all they need or want. It's all about setting and managing expectations.

X33 is right BTW, fully inclusive is the way to go on digital IMO.

 

[Mark Andy715]

Thanks for the reply,

Thanks for the reply,

Hey thank you for the reply and thoughts, I'm based in Africa, one of the problems is consumables, I looked at the Xerox and I also got an offer for a Konica Biz Hub Pro CP-6501 at around $64K, does it sound anything along the lines of 'reasonable'?

The click charges are miles apart between the Xerox and the Konica, I'm still researching what everyone has wrote on about both machines, am very worried and stuck because I need to branch out to cover smaller jobs
much appreciated for all the help

 

[Craig]

Just expect the machines to have a lot more service than you are accustom to with the Heidelberg's. lfelton is correct, when it gets down to the brass tacks most customers want 1 - Price, 2 - Speed and last is "Looks Like Offset" quality. The average Joe wouldn't know or care what you printed it on, as longs as it meets 1 and 2.