Making your mark in digital printing
By now even the most traditional of signmakers must have, at the very least, considered purchasing a digital printer. Quality Print Services managing director Chris Bailey gives a few aspects to consider.
Whether you already have a fleet of printers churning out thousands of metres of banners, posters and other graphics or are looking for your very first digital printer, you must consider what the investment will do for your business within the tangible constraints of space and cost.
In order to help our customers make the right decision, we ask them what it is they want to do and what do they want or expect from a new printer. Do they want something in addition to what they have or are they after a replacement? Is this going to be their only printer or is it an addition to an existing fleet? The answers to these questions very much determine the best route to take.
Most people’s view is that if you only have one machine, an eco-solvent digital inkjet printer provides the broadest possible at QPS we can supply most digital printers with inks from Nazdar. The quality of these inks is as good if not better than manufacturer branded inks and the cost is considerably less. This can make a huge difference to your profit margins in what is already a very competitive industry. Nazdar inks are non-aggressive and help to ensure the longevity of the printheads and other working parts, which helps to keep ongoing maintenance costs down.” www.qualityprintservices.com 28 Sign Update ISSUE 178 MAY/JUNE 2018 range of applications and is therefore a great place to start. If they already have an eco-solvent printer and they have space, they may consider a latex or UV printer as an additional machine in order to provide more potential applications.
Space considerations
If cutting is a requirement for vinyl lettering, labels and many other applications, another consideration is whether to have an integrated print and cut machine or separate printer and cutter.
Again this comes down to space. If there is room it might make more sense to have separate printer and cutter, because while the machine is cutting, it can’t be printing. This could have a major impact on revenue as well as customer responsiveness.
Reduced ink costs can make a huge difference to your profit margins in what is already a very competitive industry
The other important consideration is cost. Both the initial investment in a machine and the consumables and maintenance costs going forward. Most printers come with a manufacturer’s warranty that ties you into their own-branded inks. However, at QPS we can supply most digital printers with inks from Nazdar. The quality of these inks is as good if not better than manufacturer branded inks and the cost is considerably less. This can make a huge difference to your profit margins in what is already a very competitive industry. Nazdar inks are non-aggressive and help to ensure the longevity of the printheads and other working parts, which helps to keep ongoing maintenance costs down.”