omgsideburns
New Member
I wouldn't say anything but a failure to keep up with ever changing technology and marketplace.
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Printing 7.5M books a week and can't make it
- Thread starter CheapVehicleWrap
- Start date
sportycliff
New Member
This was supposed to be one of the first new industries to utilize "memjet" technology. Was "right around the corner" 4 years ago?
genericname
New Member
Another example of underestimating progress and demand, I think. It was a step, but it still demands a great investment on the part of the vendor, and I don't think many could've predicted that it wasn't just the distribution method of information that people had a problem with, but also its presentation and cost model.
It would've only been natural to think that the next step past large scale publishing of books would be faster, lower cost, personalized books. It went that way, but public demand got rid of the key word "book" entirely.
Not to say there isn't a demand for printed word; there is, and it's experiencing a bit of a renaissance, but it definitely skipped over the expected step of personal printers.
sportycliff
New Member
Bingo!!
I hope you're right.
Although I love my Kindle, there is nothing like the feel, and smell of a well worn 1st edition of (insert your choice of book here).
Also, to me there is a sense of "value" in a real book that digital editions cannot replicate.
(Similar to a hand painted sign)
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genericname
New Member
That's something I think we'll be able to thank the next generation for. Rowling got the ball rolling with Harry Potter, instilling a new love of reading in the young, and now we finally have some excellent YA and youth material on the market.
I have a feeling that, when those kids grow up, they'll realize there was a better way, just as we all did with everything from vinyl records to clothing, and a new appreciation for the craft of a book will come to the forefront. We'll all be smacking our heads, thinking "Of course my grandson's right! Why did I ever replace those books with a direct synaptic feed of the author's reading?!" There may be fewer books then, but their quality will be appreciated.
OldPaint
New Member
what pat was saying about books being printed, any of you who play instuments and read music........ can go to http://www.musicnotes.com/ find the music you want, have it play on your computer and then buy it and PRINT IT!!!!!!!! never leaving the house............
as for all the crap about staying up with technology to stay afloat in this business, i guess so. but since i been in THE SIGN BUSINESS, the only thing i have seen decreasing is the PROFIT PER JOB. that what dictates if you live or die in business.
back before VINYL, my costs for supplies/equipment was almost nothing each year. and then i was getting $150-250 for a set of truck doors which only took 2-4 hours to paint depending on the detail. so say out of a $150 job, $145........was PROFIT.
THEN along comes the vinyl cutter. at 1st it was very costly. those who bought into GERBER was $5-10 grand. PLUS vinyl & tape.now that same $150 job, only had a $80-100 profit. so less money for the sign shop owner but, instead fo 2-4 hours, per job he could do 3-4 identical jobs. so that was something gained rather then lost. then the CHEAP CHINESE PLOTTERS and everybody had one, and doing that same $150 door job, for $35 so now all the profit just went away. for $35 you may have made $10!!!!!! far cry from the $145 we used to get with paint. and the cost of materials, now you got the VINYL SUPPLIER to pay most of the money to.
NOW WE MOVE TO THE PRINTER.....that same $150 i used to do, printers are sellin for same $35 the guy with the CHEAP CHINESE cutter was doin, cause now thew public EXPECTS US TO ...."DO IT CHEAPER THEN THE GUY DOWN THE STREET." worst part is......GOT PRINTERS OUT THERE doing EXACTLY THAT!!!! now you got a $20k machine, expendables like ink and material to print on costing hundreds.........AND NOW THESE PEOPLE are taking that $150 job, to new lows JUST TO KEEP THAT EXPENSIVE BEAST up and running, cause if it dont it cost a ton to fix. so now we got people with expensive equipment, garnering work not with quality, talent and ability, but now its who can keep the machine running and make a little profit, and hope the machine dont break down. welcome to 21st century technology!!!
as for all the crap about staying up with technology to stay afloat in this business, i guess so. but since i been in THE SIGN BUSINESS, the only thing i have seen decreasing is the PROFIT PER JOB. that what dictates if you live or die in business.
back before VINYL, my costs for supplies/equipment was almost nothing each year. and then i was getting $150-250 for a set of truck doors which only took 2-4 hours to paint depending on the detail. so say out of a $150 job, $145........was PROFIT.
THEN along comes the vinyl cutter. at 1st it was very costly. those who bought into GERBER was $5-10 grand. PLUS vinyl & tape.now that same $150 job, only had a $80-100 profit. so less money for the sign shop owner but, instead fo 2-4 hours, per job he could do 3-4 identical jobs. so that was something gained rather then lost. then the CHEAP CHINESE PLOTTERS and everybody had one, and doing that same $150 door job, for $35 so now all the profit just went away. for $35 you may have made $10!!!!!! far cry from the $145 we used to get with paint. and the cost of materials, now you got the VINYL SUPPLIER to pay most of the money to.
NOW WE MOVE TO THE PRINTER.....that same $150 i used to do, printers are sellin for same $35 the guy with the CHEAP CHINESE cutter was doin, cause now thew public EXPECTS US TO ...."DO IT CHEAPER THEN THE GUY DOWN THE STREET." worst part is......GOT PRINTERS OUT THERE doing EXACTLY THAT!!!! now you got a $20k machine, expendables like ink and material to print on costing hundreds.........AND NOW THESE PEOPLE are taking that $150 job, to new lows JUST TO KEEP THAT EXPENSIVE BEAST up and running, cause if it dont it cost a ton to fix. so now we got people with expensive equipment, garnering work not with quality, talent and ability, but now its who can keep the machine running and make a little profit, and hope the machine dont break down. welcome to 21st century technology!!!
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genericname
New Member
Part of the arms race that is business in the age of open[ish] technology I suppose. Not saying it's fun or easy, but it definitely keeps one on their toes. I'm not going to comment on your business, since you have a hell of a lot more experience than I and, despite competitive setbacks, are still in business. That being said, I'm pretty sure you don't have a multi-million unit a week output. The problem with competing against new practices and technologies is the risk of the race to the bottom, most notably in profit margin as you mentioned, but the above story reeks of an owner just wanting to get out of the business, instead of fixing his.
Anyway, on the lighter side, check out what I just found!
University of Prince Edward Island on demand printing services
The Espresso printer, mentioned earlier, and lightly dismissed by myself, is being applied to practical use! I hadn't thought of its potential for archiving earlier, but it makes perfect sense for an institution like universities to add it to their roster of equipment. It helps make accessible old documents either left to decay, or kept in convoluted digital archives. SCIENCE!