how to start up with a digit press?

[kimmel]

Glad to have found print planet.

Own my own direct mail company for 7 years and want to bring the printing in-house to help lower costs. Do low volume and was looking to purchase a small used print press.

Don't know much about the printing business and need advice on the best type of off-set press or digital press to go with to start up?

I mainly deal with direct mail type media: envelopes and postcards. Volume about 200k/month.

Any suggestions?

thanks

sk

 

[buckeyewta]

Xerox 700 would be a perfect machine

 

[Craig]

You wont be able to print envelopes on the 700 unless you print the cut sheets and send them out for conversion.

 

[ondemandbindery]

Are you doing work for other Printers in your Mailing operation?

JW

 

[arossetti]

As craig hinted at your kind of in a odd position. A digital printed capable of printing envelopes in the sub 30k range gives you a printer not able to produce high quality prints (questionable sellable) with decent registration. A digital printer for cut sheet printing will give you the quality and registration but will not allow you to print envelopes smaller then 9x12. Maybe 6x9 if you are lucky. Now if you add a printer don't forget a cutter and a folder. A table top folder (10k) and a Challenge Spartan cutter (10k) would probably do the trick.

If you can find this stuff used pick it up. New a 700, Xante, folder, cutter will probably cost around $100,000. If you find that you can run envelopes and your printed postcards etc on the Xante your startup cost would probably be closer to $40-$50k. But the cost per impression on the Xante will be based on coverage and can be anywhere from a penny to $.50 per copy. A digital printer like a x700 or KM c5501 etc would be anywhere from a penny (black ink) to .07 or so, maybe even as high as .10 if you have very low volumes to start.

I know some people use a Xante (or Okidata equivalent) to run their production printing and based on your customer base it might work.

 

[[email protected]]

<note - I work for Ricoh>

The Ricoh C651/751 digital printer supports envelope feeding down to 3.94” x 5.5". Since this affects how the fuser wears we recommend that no more than 20 to 25% of your volume consist of envelope printing. The other caveat is that you need to run them flaps open (which does enable you to print on the flaps, btw). The quality is excellent as is the throughput reliability though we would recommend having your particular brand of envelopes tested in one of Ricoh's labs. With any kind of real volume though it would make sense to look at a Xante' type of system.

 

[Craig]

If you want to print envelopes and cut sheets with any quantity and reliability then look at MGI for a solution. Just make sure you have a thick wallet!