new to digital printing

[No.12 Looks Just Like You]

After many years as a small commercial offset shop, we're taking the plunge and going in the digital copying/printing direction. We've gotten to the point we've been sending out color jobs, and long runs, and jobs requiring lots of bindery. We'll print 1 & 2 color newsletters, envelopes, etc. We've been getting plates from a shop that takes our files and makes a metal plate. Good for upteenhundred thousand imps., we run 5M! A bit of overkill! We still shoot film for stuff after we set it up on the Mac and print out an original, line work of course, sometimes we'll add a screen when we make the plate (old habits die hard).
We just purchased an OKI CX3641, which seemed like a good machine to start with. I've seen OKI disparaged on this site, but the price was right, and like I say it's a place to start.
Any suggestions for a newbie?
I would like to be able to number sequentially for tickets, etc, and we'll perf. them on the 'windmill'; also, need to be able to score the short runs, any suggestions for a reliable tabletop scoring machine? It doesn't seem to make sense to set up litho-score on the press for a few hundred pieces, and due to an unfortunate operator error, the windmill no longer holds register well enough for that job.
Any tips would be gratefully received.
Thank you all.

 

[Bretman]

How can I help?

How can I help?

Hey number 12,

Some questions you have will take a bit of explanation, however I do this most of what you asked now. Where are you located? It may be better to chat by phone on some of it.
I am in central cal.

Bret

 

[Keith]

Number 12,

I know it's a bit late responding to this thread, but I wanted to congratulate you on your new purchase. I run a Xante Ilumina which is built on the same engine. I think some of the slack it gets is a bit unwarranted when you take into consideration that it is a good machine for a newbie (just like I was almost three years ago). It (both the Oki and Xante) are cheap to buy which is what makes them great for a starter machine. I bought mine with cash for $7200 to start my print shop. And it will handle the same stock that machines costing twice as much can handle. The drawback is that it is EXPENSIVE to operate; especially when compared to machines that cost twice as much. The formula I tell people is this: Xante/Oki is cheap to buy but expensive to operate and Xerox/KM and Whatever is expensive to buy but cheap to operate.

Anyway, I could go on all day about my experiences (both good and bad) with the Oki engine. Just as Bretman offered, I would love to have a phone conversation with you. I'm on the east coast in Maryland. As for scoring/perfing. I have Martin Yale, I think. I believe I paid like a $1000 for it.

Keith