Seeking thoughts on going digital here

[Prepper]

We are an in-plant doing the work below of which probably 95% of it is the small books. Our average runs on those books may be going downward a lot from what we are printing now so considering whether digital would be a better option for us, and what would be recommended for the type of work we do, which is described below, and also where to go for consultations and recommendations about this? Our normal run lengths on these books has been from 1500 to 375,000, depending on the language, and it may be going down to just 500-1000 due to electronic media. The main focus we're interested in is looking at it from just a perspective of going digital with the books and leaving the magazines and reports on offset or getting digital equipment that will do it all. Variable data ability would be great on the magazines. Would just outsourcing all our printing be a better option you think than investing in a complete digital printing and finishing operation?

We print 5.5 x 8.5 books, b&w text inside with a 4 color, 1-sided, cover that is gloss coated, around 200 titles per year. We also print in 50-60 languages. Currently we print the covers on our Heidelberg 72 on 19x25 gloss coated stock and the text is printed on an older Harris web, 2up, double parallel on 40# smooth. The books are then saddle-stitched on our old McCain collator. Our stitched books range from 8-136 pages but the average size is 40 pages.

We also print a children's magazine, 6500 copies quarterly, in 7.75x10.5 format that is 28pg, self cover, 100# gloss text, 4-color both sides and all gloss coated. Also print a quarterly report type magazine, 11,000 copies, that is usually around 40 pages, 100# gloss text inside with an 80# gloss cover outside.

We do also print some larger books that go up to around 600 pages and are glue bound which we send them out for that.

Any thoughts and info you may have to help us get started?

Thanks

 

[buckeyewta]

I say your volume us too high to do on digital. Your cost per page with digital will be too high.

 

[Prepper]

Too high on the booklets also? Or would doing just 200 titles a year of those, at 500-1000 each, be too low a volume to invest in digital equipment?

 

[msaeger]

Figure out how many 8.5 x 11 images per month you run that is how all this stuff is rated. Then you can look around online at the various manufactures websites and see what kind of machines you need to get. Like if they say it will run 500K a month that is 500K letter size pages.

 

[Prepper]

Ok, so if we did print the booklets, around 200 titles, 1,000 copies each, average 40 pages each, we would get 4 pages from each 8.5x11 sheet right?
The click charges are per side? Two sides=2 clicks?

If my math is right, we'd do about 334,000 clicks per month?
17 titles x 1,000 copies x 40 pages, divided by 2 pages per side on 8.5x11 sheet=340,000 clicks
If .003 cents per click for b&w, each side, about $1,020 per month, plus paper, plus lease right? Do click charges cover all consumables other than paper, like toners and drums?

Totally new here as you can tell, just trying to get a ballpark idea.

Thanks

 

[Possumgal]

You'd still have to do all the finishing offline. You can get attached finishers and booklet makers, and I don't know all the limitations, but on the Xerox 700i, for example, it won't do booklets over 24 sheets. It also may be slower than your present operation. If the cover stock is quite a bit heavier than the page stock, it pauses to heat up or cool off the fuser.

If the cover bleeds and the inside pages don't, the cover will have to be cut down first.

All these little cute things to consider.

 

[msaeger]

When you say 40 pages that would make a 10 sheet book right? and you are making 17K books a month? I would make sure you get the high end book maker from whoever you go with. From Ricoh it would be this one.

Systems and Products: Plockmatic International AB

Yes click charges are one per side. Most contracts I have ever heard of include everything but the paper and the staples I have seen some that include staples too. I have heard on the really big stuff they do not include everything but for a machine that will do 340k black and white a month it should. You could get a contract that is a single click for any size and print two books on an 11x17 then you would be paying for 170K clicks a month but then you would need to finish them offline. If you were to do that still make sure the machine is rated to do 340K a month because the ratings are all in letter size.

 

[buckeyewta]

With your volume I would stick to offset. We are an all digital shop but my experience has been that on jobs over 1000 outsourcing to a local offset will usually be cheaper. Maybe think of outsourcing your short run digital work???

 

[KopyBoss]

Ok, so if we did print the booklets, around 200 titles, 1,000 copies each, average 40 pages each, we would get 4 pages from each 8.5x11 sheet right?
The click charges are per side? Two sides=2 clicks?

If my math is right, we'd do about 334,000 clicks per month?
17 titles x 1,000 copies x 40 pages, divided by 2 pages per side on 8.5x11 sheet=340,000 clicks
If .003 cents per click for b&w, each side, about $1,020 per month, plus paper, plus lease right? Do click charges cover all consumables other than paper, like toners and drums?

Totally new here as you can tell, just trying to get a ballpark idea.

Thanks

We are running two Xerox Nuvera 288's & 1 Xerox Nuvera 315 averaging around 2.8m per machine. Our service contract includes all machine consumables, the click charge for us kicks in when we go over 3m. They have different contracts based on your volume talk to a rep for what ever box you're looking at. As far as quality in my option the Nuvera's are the best, but not the cheapest. We looked at the KM 1250 boxes that were a lot cheaper than the Nuvera but because of the speed & quality we went with the Nuvera. Most of the time we go over 2m between service calls I wish my color boxes had this kind of up time.

 

[Minuteman Press]

We are running two Xerox Nuvera 288's & 1 Xerox Nuvera 315 averaging around 2.8m per machine.

What bindrey equipment are you using to bind all these books or are most of these statements for mailings?

 

[KopyBoss]

What bindrey equipment are you using to bind all these books or are most of these statements for mailings?

We use the following: CABS 6000 & SB-09 Perfect Binding / StitchLiner 5500 & 6000 / GMS-7 Spine Taper / 2 - Baum 30 AutoSet Folders / EM 450 SP Punch & EX610 Punch.