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M&R or Anatol??? Someone please make up my mind!!

D

DIGITAL DESIGNS

New Member
So here is the deal. I think I am getting in to screen printing. I have never done, but am looking to jump in the whole nine yards. I have an opportunity to do approx. 130k pieces in the last two quarters of this year.

With that being said, I have been talking to M&R & Anatol. Both have been a pleasure to talk to & Anatol has been on the spot with returning phone calls, quotes, questions, etc... I will be getting a 12/10 automatic, as well as a shirt folder & bagger.

At the ISS show in AC M&R told me if I bought the press they would let me use the folder/bagger for a job & after that I could either buy it, or send it back & pay only freight. They also said they would give me 1 year terms to pay for it. This would help greatly & give me an opportunity to turn over a couple jobs and get some money coming in to pay for it.

Well since the show, M&R has backed down that year to 90 days, they also told me at the show they could probably come down another 5% & they did not.

Anatol followed up with a phone call & has their price on the press 8k cheaper & will loan my the bagger/folder for a job & let me send it back or buy & can have for six months.

My main question????

After looking at them & doing some research I think I would rather have the M&R. Everyone tells me that their service is second to none & the industry leader. Is it really worth 8k difference?? Also Anatol is making it awful hard to turn down with the 6 month usage of the bagger/folder??

Please chime in with any advice!!!!

Thanks a Bunch
 
tomence

tomence

New Member
I own Anatol Stratus and love it, it has more than 500,000 prints and still going strong. I really don't know why everyone says M & R is the industry leader. What do they lead, a war between each other.

You can't go wrong with Anatol, and their service is second to none. I can say that much.

M & R's press is not worth the money they are asking for.
 
D&Tgraphics

D&Tgraphics

New Member
We have 2 M&R autos and they are fantastic machines. I highly recommend them. But man, when you say your jumping in with both feet you're not kidding. Never screen printed before and you're going full auto to start. Wow. :)
 
headfirst

headfirst

New Member
I'll chime in with another recommendation for M&R.

Regarding the price you were given at the show, call up and talk to Rich and see they can't fix this.

Also, for what its worth you might want to looking into a M&R factory recert if they have anything available in the configuration you're looking for.
 
S

screener24242

New Member
outside of what I've said, you'll also need:

screens @ proper tension
multiple duromoeter squeegies
inks
exposure unit
dryer that can handle capacity
film printer
film
emulsion
cleaning chemicals
employees that care
and YEARS of knowledge to use it all and tackle an 8 color 1130k piece job.

and this is the short list...

QUALITY screen printing is an exact science....don't be fooled, it is not easy to be good.


send it out.
 
CrabbyOldGuy

CrabbyOldGuy

New Member
Never really had any exposure to Anatol but have been running 5 M&R's for a number of years and found them to be workhorses. Easy to set and run. Repeatable day after day. Never had a question about the quality of the machine or service which we have had very little need of. Just my 2 cents.
 
L

LarryB

New Member
screener24242 said:
outside of what I've said, you'll also need:

screens @ proper tension
multiple duromoeter squeegies
inks
exposure unit
dryer that can handle capacity
film printer
film
emulsion
cleaning chemicals
employees that care
and YEARS of knowledge to use it all and tackle an 8 color 1130k piece job.

and this is the short list...

QUALITY screen printing is an exact science....don't be fooled, it is not easy to be good.


send it out.
Click to expand...

:goodpost:


Also do you have future business to keep this press running everyday after you complete this order?
 
D

DIGITAL DESIGNS

New Member
Thank you (everyone) for your advice. I do understand that this will be a major feat, but I cannot sub this job out there is no money left for it. As far as other equipment, I am getting from M&R (hopefully) a 31x40 metal halide 3140 exposure unit, and a 36-10-6 dryer. I currently do sub out my screenprinting now, and have a great printer to work with, but with this deal I need to jump.

I do have one other big question though, with good art printing 7 colors with an underbase do I need to flash more than once. I have got many different answers on this. Some tell me that wet on wet it will work fine, others tell me to flash 2 or 3 times.
 
D

DIGITAL DESIGNS

New Member
Larry,

I have an order ready for all the supplies listed. Just waiting to decide weather to pull the trigger. I have been working on this for a couple months now.
 
S

screener24242

New Member
too many variables here to answer that question. biggest one is screen tension, then image size, ink used, garments, pallet temp, art work, print speed, ink build up, ink deposit (determined by EOM) and so on. typically all these variables determine where you put your flashes. another thing to think about is do you have enough heads for cooling stations, you can't get your print rate up if you do not have enough cooling stations. If you are running 130k pieces at average 700/hour = 186 printing hours. two flashes without cooling stations, you may go down to 500/hour. assuming you are looking at a sportsman. if you need speed to get your count up, you may need to look at a Challenger 3 and a 14 color $$$

also, once you get this fine tuned machine/art printing, you will need to learn how to
maintain temps in your dryer or else you have the dreaded under cure of 130k pieces. you will need to map your dryer, which is finding the hot spots. you need to check temps often.


but the first place to start is the artwork. If you go discharge, you don't need a flash at all!

I highly suggest you talk to a true fufillment shop and you may be surprised how much you will make sending it out. But this is stritcly my opinion, I do not know the numbers you are trying to hit. PM me your model and I'd be happy to crunch the numbers for you, if interested.
 
D

DIGITAL DESIGNS

New Member
screener24242 said:
too many variables here to answer that question. biggest one is screen tension, then image size, ink used, garments, pallet temp, art work, print speed, ink build up, ink deposit (determined by EOM) and so on. typically all these variables determine where you put your flashes. another thing to think about is do you have enough heads for cooling stations, you can't get your print rate up if you do not have enough cooling stations. If you are running 130k pieces at average 700/hour = 186 printing hours. two flashes without cooling stations, you may go down to 500/hour. assuming you are looking at a sportsman. if you need speed to get your count up, you may need to look at a Challenger 3 and a 14 color $$$

also, once you get this fine tuned machine/art printing, you will need to learn how to
maintain temps in your dryer or else you have the dreaded under cure of 130k pieces. you will need to map your dryer, which is finding the hot spots. you need to check temps often.


but the first place to start is the artwork. If you go discharge, you don't need a flash at all!

I highly suggest you talk to a true fufillment shop and you may be surprised how much you will make sending it out. But this is stritcly my opinion, I do not know the numbers you are trying to hit. PM me your model and I'd be happy to crunch the numbers for you, if interested.
Click to expand...

PM sent... Thanks Again
 
tomence

tomence

New Member
If you are not going to print larger than 12" x 18" then you can buy an Epson 1400, otherwise you gonna have to go wide format like Epson 9700 which will cost you about $5000 for the 44" model
 
Techman

Techman

New Member
find someone with an auto press and contract them to do all the work. You get a cut and never look back.
 
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