Which Flatbed Printer would you get with a extra $50k?

[Tonya.Nehren]

Hey Friends!
If you had the opportunity to invest about $50k into a small flatbed printer. Which flatbed printer would you go with?
I operate a small internal Print Shop for a school district in NC. I've been outsourcing a lot of signage request. I'm looking for something that is low maintenance and easy to use since we have a small office. Most people are trying to push me over to a Xante 33.
Look forward to hearing from you!
Tonya

 

[ikarasu]

For 25k.... You can't even buy a Roland desktop flatbed.

You'll have to look used for that price... And even still, finding a decent flatbed for 25k or under used will be hard.

Flatbed printers range from 75-150k for entry levels

 

[Solventinkjet]

Mimaki has a desktop flatbed within your budget range: https://www.mimakiusa.com/products/uv-led-flatbeds/ujf-3042-mkii-series/

 

[Tonya.Nehren]

For 25k.... You can't even buy a Roland desktop flatbed.

You'll have to look used for that price... And even still, finding a decent flatbed for 25k or under used will be hard.

Flatbed printers range from 75-150k for entry levels

Your right. I don't know what I was thinking. The X33 is right at 40K - but that might be because I get a government discount..

 

[Gino]

Are you sure its a flatbed you need/want ??

 

[Tonya.Nehren]

Are you sure its a flatbed you need/want ??

Honestly, I guess not. I'm just would love to bring some projects that I'm outsourcing in house. Right now for large format I just have a Canon 4000
18x24 Yard Signs - Orders under 100
Various signage - on PVC, Aluminum composite etc.
Magnets

 

[balstestrat]

Roll printer (solvent for example) and application table is what you want. However it is space consuming but you are not really limited by size after that.

 

[White Haus]

Hey Friends!
If you had the opportunity to invest about $50k into a small flatbed printer. Which flatbed printer would you go with?
I operate a small internal Print Shop for a school district in NC. I've been outsourcing a lot of signage request. I'm looking for something that is low maintenance and easy to use since we have a small office. Most people are trying to push me over to a Xante 33.
Look forward to hearing from you!
Tonya

You mean to a sign shop........................................?

 

[GC Decor]

None, from what you posted about your flatbed needs you would be throwing away $50k. Uv Flatbeds are huge on maintenance and need to be ran at least a few times a week just to keep the heads safe. Leave it unused for a few months and you’ll be replacing all your printheads (Big Money) They also blow through a lot of ink on cleanings. UV inks are chemical nightmares, long list of warnings, health hazards and often require ventilation to keep the air safe. We use multiple UV printers and we have spent a good amount just to keep our employees safe.

Flatbeds are great machines but you need alot of work to justify them.
Yard signs are so cheap to out source I don’t even do them in house anymore, with 100 signs you’ll be lossing money doing them on your own.

 

[Pauly]

Keep your $50k and outsource to a real trade printer like FireSprint.com.

Flatbeds are expensive. Maybe it'll cost you 50k for a cheap one, but maintenance will add up, running costs etc all play a part.

 

[ikarasu]

Hey Friends!
If you had the opportunity to invest about $50k into a small flatbed printer. Which flatbed printer would you go with?
I operate a small internal Print Shop for a school district in NC. I've been outsourcing a lot of signage request. I'm looking for something that is low maintenance and easy to use since we have a small office. Most people are trying to push me over to a Xante 33.
Look forward to hearing from you!
Tonya

According to their YouTube channel an 18 x 24 takes 3 mins to print on its fastest setting... So my guess is outdoor, not so great quality. So 100 sings would take you 300 minutes at the minimum - 5 hours to print 100 signs.

I can print a 4x8 in 6 mins on our flatbed, so 6 mins for me to print 10 and cut them up. You'd be competing with a guy who can do it 5x faster, and at a quarter of the price in ink and materials .. unless there's no one around you with a flatbed it seems futile to buy the one you mentioned... Let alone buying a weird chinese flatbed is a bad idea for a slew of other reasons. Plus I wouldn't want to use non-refulated chinese UV ink in a small office, that printer probably smells so bad when printing and releases so many chemicals. UV has always had the strongest fumes to me... We have a huge 25 ft ceiling in a 20,000 sqft shop and if you're within 20 ft of our printer when it's printing, the strong is pretty bad. I wouldn't put one in an enclosed office... Unless you invest a ton in fine extraction, and even then I'm sure it'd smell bad.


Now roll to roll - easier to print a 4x8 sheet and mount it. As mentioned above, a laminator table is great, you can laminate and cut a 4x8 in 2-3 mins... Plus the print time on a roll printer. This is your best option.... Heck, you can use a laminator and sheet 4x8s or pre cut other items if you'd like.


Onto your wide format printer - it's an aqueous, not meant to be printing signs or anything that goes outdoor or in the sun. You can get by doing it .. but the cost to use that printer vs a real printer is probably double, on-top of it not meaning to last outdoors. It's great for posters and indoor items, but not much else.... So hopefully you're not selling signs with your current equipment!

 

[Evan Gillette]

I looked into xante a bit a few years ago, there is almost zero support in the US (at that time). Desktop flatbeds are designed for promo products and specialty applications like ada signage. Direct Color Systems would be a good brand to look at, but as others mentioned it would not be an investment it would be a money pit. These small flatbeds are not productive enough or cost-effective for signage. A latex or eco-solvent roll-to-roll printer and a laminator would be half the cost and do absolutely everything you are looking for while not taking up much more room.

 

[Gino]

Well, I can understand the need to keep costs down and whatnot, but why are you printing signs for retail sales on school property and equipment ?? Most schools will teach and have various printers to help teach students, but I don't think they can make signs to compete with local sign shops. Maybe here or there, but then, that wouldn't justify buying such an investment.

 

[Evan Gillette]

I don't think it is for retail sales, many districts have "in-plant" printing facilities, and most large districts have more printing and manufacturing equipment than the average sign shop.

 

[Tonya.Nehren]

Thanks for your thought ful message. I assure you, I'm not selling anything. I run a small inhouse print shop for a large school district. We print items for our schools and departments.

According to their YouTube channel an 18 x 24 takes 3 mins to print on its fastest setting... So my guess is outdoor, not so great quality. So 100 sings would take you 300 minutes at the minimum - 5 hours to print 100 signs.

I can print a 4x8 in 6 mins on our flatbed, so 6 mins for me to print 10 and cut them up. You'd be competing with a guy who can do it 5x faster, and at a quarter of the price in ink and materials .. unless there's no one around you with a flatbed it seems futile to buy the one you mentioned... Let alone buying a weird chinese flatbed is a bad idea for a slew of other reasons. Plus I wouldn't want to use non-refulated chinese UV ink in a small office, that printer probably smells so bad when printing and releases so many chemicals. UV has always had the strongest fumes to me... We have a huge 25 ft ceiling in a 20,000 sqft shop and if you're within 20 ft of our printer when it's printing, the strong is pretty bad. I wouldn't put one in an enclosed office... Unless you invest a ton in fine extraction, and even then I'm sure it'd smell bad.


Now roll to roll - easier to print a 4x8 sheet and mount it. As mentioned above, a laminator table is great, you can laminate and cut a 4x8 in 2-3 mins... Plus the print time on a roll printer. This is your best option.... Heck, you can use a laminator and sheet 4x8s or pre cut other items if you'd like.


Onto your wide format printer - it's an aqueous, not meant to be printing signs or anything that goes outdoor or in the sun. You can get by doing it .. but the cost to use that printer vs a real printer is probably double, on-top of it not meaning to last outdoors. It's great for posters and indoor items, but not much else.... So hopefully you're not selling signs with your current equipment!

 

[Tonya.Nehren]

Well, I can understand the need to keep costs down and whatnot, but why are you printing signs for retail sales on school property and equipment ?? Most schools will teach and have various printers to help teach students, but I don't think they can make signs to compete with local sign shops. Maybe here or there, but then, that wouldn't justify buying such an investment.

Hi Gino,
Thanks for your concern. I'm not printing retail signs on school property. I ONLY print for our 200 schools and 90+ departments!

 

[Gino]

Are you a one person shop or do students help ?? If they do, perhaps you could turn this into a class of some sort.

 

[garyroy]

Tonya, so you and your District are basically taking tax dollars from local sign shops that they pay in sales tax and local property tax, then buying equipment to
do in house printing so those sign shops and other printers can't do business with 200 different schools.
That prevents local shop them from having money to pay their school taxes (in property tax), etc, etc.
Then you come on and say "Hey friends" and you've never contributed a thing to this site, just looking for free info so that you can buy equipment with sign shop tax dollars,
so that you can take more business away from local sign and print shops.
I think that stinks!
If anyone wants kids to learn printing, put them in a 1/2 day work program and let them go and work for a local sign shop.

 

[White Haus]

Tonya, so you and your District are basically taking tax dollars from local sign shops that they pay in sales tax and local property tax, then buying equipment to
do in house printing so those sign shops and other printers can't do business with 200 different schools.
That prevents local shop them from having money to pay their school taxes (in property tax), etc, etc.
Then you come on and say "Hey friends" and you've never contributed a thing to this site, just looking for free info so that you can buy equipment with sign shop tax dollars,
so that you can take more business away from local sign and print shops.
I think that stinks!
If anyone wants kids to learn printing, put them in a 1/2 day work program and let them go and work for a local sign shop.

Agreed 100%.

 

[JamesLam]

Tanya, you're playing with wolves here so be careful. On the other hand I'm sure Tanya is dealing with a school board like all of the rest that is asking their staff to work harder, get paid less and reduce all other costs as well.

A few more thoughts:

- Looking at a map of Raleigh, NC there are at least 20 sign shops within a three of four mile radius, some franchises and others that are independent. I'm sure any of these fine people would be happy to work with you on this.
- Many have kids in your schools, volunteer as coaches and team parents and throw who knows how much money in sponsorship and support to your district.
- Thinking of that I can't remember the last time the HP, Canon, Ricoh, Flexi or Adobe rep threw a sponsorship behind any of our teams and clubs.
- Do you have the time and resources to bring this work in house without having to hire someone else?
- In most cases these shops can help with other signage, graphics and communications needs allowing for even greater savings.