Posters & Envelopes?

[TXFB.INS]

There has been a steady increase in the number of people who are doing window posters locally, usually 11" x 17" or 12" x 18" in short runs around 100-250 We have looked on 4-Over and the prices listed that we pay are outside what is currently being paid by the customer, ($98 for QTY100) The specs for the posters being done is: no bleed paper is VERY LIGHT, all most transparent, 20# at most image quality is not a heavy ink coverage Also we would like to print onto large manilla envelopes, 9 x 12, What we have is a VS-640 and the standard desktop printers. What we are needing to know, typical cost per page Inkjet vs laser which wide format paper printer is suggested for the shops that do this type of printing, where do you get the paper?

 

[mark galoob]

you are never going to win this one with a desk top printer...ink will eat you up on this especially if its full coverage or even partial coverage...

find a local print shop in your area and make a deal with them where you provide the paper and they provide the copies on their copier...

mark galoob

 

[TXFB.INS]

That is the deal there is NO print shop,

the customers want us to hand over the files from the signs and let them go get the paper from a cheaper source, is how this all started.

There has to be an option that allows this to be done

what type of printer would allow for competitive rates?

 

[Locals Find!]

Call Xerox and tell them what you are trying to do. I am sure they will have a machine that you can lease to do what you want. You could also try the other copier/digital press manufacturers

 

[Happyprinter]

Marks right. I own a sign company and commercial printing company. There are many machines that will do the job, but, unless you plan on jumping in with both feet you cannot buy a dependable unit that will produce sellable prints day in and out without spending a lot of money ie, machine. service contracts etc... Oh you can go to Walmart or any big box store and buy a printer for a few hundred dollars but the cost to operate will eat your profits up. Like any other business if the markets there go for it. If not, do what you do best! Sometimes it's tough to provide everything a customer may want.

 

[jrsc]

$98 for 100 wholesale does seem really high. we do digital sheetfed work in addition to signs and we have retail customers we will sell to at $0.50 ea. at those quantities as long as they are providing the art and are repeat customers. We even use a 100lb gloss cover stock. I consider them quick easy jobs. Non regular customers will pay closer to $1 because we usually have to talk to them instead of just getting an email with a pdf file.

And just in case you want to get into the business yourself we are looking to upgrade our current printer and willing to sell it for $50000. You would need to get into a lot more then simple poster tho.

 

[Rojo]

If you are trying to fill a need and not be a full blown printshop you can pick up a refurbed Xerox Docucolor 240 - 260 series and run 12 x 18's all day. Supplies are cheap on Ebay. Don't think it will handle the envelopes though. Xante and others using the Oki machine will run envelopes. Quality on that is pretty good if not stellar.

I'm always surprised at what I can get my Xerox 7750 to handle. I go over stated paper specs daily. Just don't tell Xerox. Ha.

 

[jrsc]

Rojo is right about the xerox 240-260 series. its a great low cost machine. I'd make sure it can get under xerox service contract instead of buying supplies on ebay. Way too many parts break on these things not to have a service contract. Rojo is also correct about the envelopes.

 

[Justin]

Edit:

I'd recommend not getting a Xerox due to the cost of service labor, parts, and consumables.

 

[Happyprinter]

You definitely dont want a Xante to produce your envelopes. Very expensive to run and unreliable. We had one for about 3 months and sent it back.