Less expensive alternative to Indigo

[Fredy Charabati]

We are looking for a less expesive alternative (both the equipement and the consumables) for 4/4 digital printing in large volumes.
Any input on Ricoh or Oce?

 

[smatros]

you should tell a bit more about substrates you'd use, volumes, etc. oce can not compare to indigo, better alternatives here are mgi, igen3 or 2-3 smaller machines, depending on job types.

 

[andreisarbu]

Indigo alternative

Indigo alternative

In my opinion Xerox 8002 may be a nice alternative to Indigo.... I've seen some samples and they look quite nice.

 

[Steve Perkins]

The problem with all the alternatives is that you are not going to get the colour gammet that an Indigo can provide. Being able to make spot colours with the Pantone inks is a big bonus, especially in these times when there is a bigger emphasis by corporates on branding. Its all very good the copier sales man showing the bright glossy copies from their machines but vinettes, skin tones and colour accuracy can not be beaten on an Indigo.

 

[X33]

Not sure what you mean by large volume, for some people a minimum of 100,000 prints a month is large volume, for others a minimum of 1,000,000 prints a month is large volume.

I would suggest to talk to the all the big players first :

Xerox, HP, Kodak

Then talk to the rest :

Canon, Konica Minolta, Ricoh, OCE

Let's see what they all offer in your local market and then make a decision. Where are you located?

Just remember, equipment and consumables are only one part of the equation. Don't forget to look at local support, recognition, experience, technology, upgrade path, financing.

 

[JDuffy]

Have been looking into this for the past several months and found several things that may help you decide:
Cost of ownership - includes "click" and lease payment vs. quality you can sell... that is all that matters.
Reliablity.. while the larger volume machines, ie HP, Kodak, etc can run longer, they also have a higher rate of being down if you are not printing on them all of the time.
Backup...Can I get 3 or 4 machines to produce the same volume of work for less and have a back up when the single machine is down for service?
And finally, service... can they get here and get it running quickly.

I really like the C900 from Ricoh and while the color gamut is smaller than the Indigo orNexPress, so are the lease payments!

 

[V3Synergy]

Digital Equipment Selection

Digital Equipment Selection

JDuffy is right - selecting digital printing equipment is much more complex than simply comparing test samples or vendor supplied "costs".

I think to make a proper decision, you need to look at the following factors:

1. Acceptability of Print - if the output doesn't meet the needs of your market, eliminate that equipment.

2. Total Cost of Manufacture - this would include lease, service, clicks, supplies, paper and post-processing that is different from one machine to another (if one prints 4-up and needs to be cut versus one that prints 2-up and doesn't, etc.)

3. Service/Reliability - what kind of service levels are guaranteed and what is the reputation of that equipment in the marketplace.

4. Integration - how will the equipment integrate with your existing workflow and files?

5. Other - can the equipment open up new markets, etc.

I go through 4 phases with my clients in determining the appropriate piece of equipment:
1. Qualification - determining which printers meet acceptability of print via specialized suite of print test files.
2. Selection - Comparing qualified printers on the basis of cost, service, reliability, integration, etc.
3. Negotiation - getting agreement of installation, cost, service levels, paybacks for not achieving SLAs
4. Installation - installing, integrating, training

Following these four steps will help you in making the right decision.

Craig Paxson
V3Synergy Productivity Solutions
Maximum Human Productivity