Prepressforums.com

bhm8hwcm · #1 (**permalink**) 03-19-2007, 01:17 PM

I am presently looking very seriously at both the new DI presses (Ryobi/Presstek) as well as 14x20 landscape 4 color conventional presses. We do short run colour work (sell sheets, business cards, postcards, etc) of usually 2000 or less. We have brokered print for years, however we are familiar with sheetfed presses.

We are leaning towards the DI for a number of reasons including : quick makereadies, less need for a highly skilled press operator, quick drying time etc. Though the plate costs are much higher than say Poly CTP we stil think it might be the best fit.

I was wondering if others could share their experiences with DI presses...preferably the Ryobi/Kodak/Presstek models. I am concerned with how the presses actually hold up in the press room on a day to day basis with respect to overall quality, consistency, ease of use etc. As well, is the fact that it is portrait a big problem for ghosting, heavy CMYK coverage etc?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

NigelT · #2 (**permalink**) 06-16-2007, 01:07 AM

Have you looked at the Screen Truepress and HP Indigo.
It uses polyester plates. From imaging to first print 6 minutes.
You use whatever ink you like. Conventional dampening system. Auto presets from A3 to b5 envelopes.
Online densitometer that scans every 7th sheet and corrects on the fly.
Special colors are easy. You just pull the ink tray washup and introduce the spot color.
Indigo have a click charge system and variable data are what I would find very attractive.
I can send you brochures if you like.

Good luck.
NigelT

Iceman · #3 (**permalink**) 06-19-2007, 06:10 AM

I should NOT buy an Indigo, not because it´s a bad machine. Think about the range of print jobs regarding this. Indigo des not print envelopes, stationery ect. Dont get me wrong, Indigo is a great machine but not as your main producing machine. The only thing you will not get in the DI is the Varible Data printing. Maintainance on the DI does not come close to the Indigo as does the cost of print.
For you as a former printbroker, you want to have the widest range and options to enlarge you buisness in the coming years.

ChilBear · #4 (**permalink**) 06-19-2007, 07:09 AM

The best question to start with - where are you?

DI needs maintenance AND a skilled operator. Same for Indigo. Do not fall into the BS from the vendor. They are very high skilled machines once they break in or someone who knows nothing gets on it.

Iceman · #5 (**permalink**) 06-19-2007, 07:15 AM

The fact is that Indigo needs ALOT more maintainance than the DI press and is MUCH more expensive regarding spareparts ect.

Yeah, good question... where are you on the globe?

The_Stevinator · #6 (**permalink**) 06-19-2007, 08:43 AM

i can attest to the indigo needing much more maintance than a DI. we have both, and the indigo is always down.

i would look at the UV cured DI ryobi presses. they're good machines.

steve2112 · #7 (**permalink**) 06-19-2007, 09:36 AM

If I could do it again i would not have gotten my Heidelberg DI and would have went for a slightly large size convential press and with a CTP system. Nowadays with plates and everything setup up time is so much shorter. Also I believe that the CTP systems will be faster that the DTP systems on the press. Also if the DI craps on one head all hell breaks loose. We have been getting so much work of like 1000-5000 runs of sell sheets and it would have been great to gang them up. Also if you run envelopes and other thick stock often through a DI get ready to change blankets a lot faster. We never run envelopes through it. Much easy to print the sheets and have them coverted then to pay for new blankets. Also our DI is incredinly picky with paper but I dont see that really being in issue because, like us, if you doing smaller stuff generic paper will be much common of a material then crazy designers trying to piss off printers with stupid paper choices.

steve

Iceman · #8 (**permalink**) 06-19-2007, 10:08 AM

The DI has been the best thing i ever invested in. The conventional way can never match the makeready time and labor costs, let´s have that in mind.
You also have to invest in a CTP, plus the print engine of course.
If a printshop (like this guy who posted this thread) has a small job base to build on the DI would be the best thing to start on in my opinion.

Steve talked about changing the blankets. OF COURSE you change the blankets out for envelope jobs. Takes you about 15 min to do so. You have 2 sets of blankets and the blankets cost very little and you always have a spare for envelope jobs.
My DI is not picky on paper. We are using all kinds of materials, magnets, plastic and papers we can possibly come across.

steve2112 · #9 (**permalink**) 06-19-2007, 11:18 AM

i guess you could have 2 sets of blankets to change out but in a small run shop maybe you would do it. Honestly we have a envelope printer that is dirt cheap on envelopes so we do not do to many at all we send them out.

I personally just feel that ganging the jobs would be better, at least that is how it seems its turning out here, as we generally only print on standard card and text stock so ganging is good in that situation but if customers are going crazy with the stocks then its of course is out of the questions.

steve

Iceman · #10 (**permalink**) 06-20-2007, 01:01 AM

Well we all try to find the best profit out of our buisness. If you cant profit from envelope print then yeah, you sould do somthing else. Where i am we have great profit margin on envelopes so of course we print as many as we can :wink: