company news about How to choose a suitable printing machine for a company?

Of course! Selecting a printing machine that works for oneself is a thorough process that calls for careful evaluation of several aspects. This is comparable to selecting a key "employee" for a business, which has a direct impact on operational expenses, manufacturing efficiency, and product quality.

Here is a comprehensive shopping guide that you may follow step-by-step to identify your needs and make informed decisions.
Step 1: Fundamental self-evaluation (knowing one's own needs)
Prior to comprehending any machine, ask yourself these important questions:
Type of printing (what should be printed?)
Types of products: primarily brochures, business cards, books and periodicals, packaging boxes, sticky labels, promotional flyers, and handbags? Printing machines with varying technology are needed for different products.
What kind of paper is most frequently used for printing? Is it cardboard, art paper, plastic film, metal foil, laminated paper, or ordinary copperplate paper? The printing press's versatility is determined by the material's properties and thickness.
Features of Printed Goods (How well printed are they?)
What are the needs for printing quality: flyers and internal documents with low color requirements, or expensive artwork and picture collections that aim for the best colors?
Requirements for spot colors: Do you have to utilize Pantone and other spot colors (like the colors of the business emblem) a lot? There are specifications for the printing machine's color set.
Demand for production (how much to print and how quickly to finish printing) and business volume
Average quantity of live parts: What is the typical order quantity? Is it a lengthy print with tens of thousands of sheets or a short print with hundreds?
Delivery cycle: What is the typical needed delivery speed? This has to do with the specifications for printing machine automation and production efficiency.
Frequency of live part switching: Do you have to swap out various live elements for printing on a daily basis?
Budget Range (What is the price?)
Initial investment: What is the estimated amount of money you will need to buy the equipment? The variety of optional devices (new, old, brand, format, etc.) is directly determined by this.
Step 2: Recognize the common forms of printing technology (choose the track)
You can make a preliminary determination about the kind of printing machine you require based on the response from the first step:
1. Conventional Offset Printing
Qualities: Rubber blanket transfer printing, which makes use of the ink balancing principle. The printing quality is quite good, and the colors are stable and thick. The unit price drops as the quantity increases, making it appropriate for long form printing.
Benefits include superior quality, long-term affordability, advanced technology, and a wide range of printing material options.
Cons: expensive plate production, lengthy preparation time, incompatibility with ultra-short versions, and high operator technical requirements.
Ideal for: a lot of books, brochures, packaging boxes, advertising materials, etc.
2. Features of Digital Printing: Computer files can be transferred straight to the printer for output, negating the need to create plates. mostly with inkjet or carbon powder (laser) technologies.
Benefits include variable data printing (each piece of material can be unique), a low print run, a very fast preparation time, and a reasonably easy operation.
Drawbacks include a comparatively high cost per sheet (in comparison to long offset printing), occasionally somewhat lower color stability and thickness than offset printing, and restrictions on the printing materials.
Ideal for: on-demand publishing, bidding documents, sampling, bespoke customization, and quick printing of short versions. Typical brands include Canon, Fujifilm, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, HP Indigo (electrostatic ink), and Inkjet screen printing.
3. Additional unique printing
Labels, corrugated box packaging, and plastic film are the primary applications for flexographic printing.
Gravure printing is very costly and is utilized for very long packaging, stamps, banknotes, and plate production.
Screen printing is utilized for big format posters and uneven surfaces like clothing and cups.
"Offset printing" or "digital" or a mix of both are the primary options for the majority of commercial printing businesses.
Step 3: Establish important specification parameters by comparing the equipment.
Once the technological direction has been established, the physical specifications of various pieces of equipment must be compared:
Format options for printing include fully open, double open, four open, eight open, and so forth. Larger formats allow for larger product sizes and higher efficiency, but they also come with increased expenses for consumables and equipment. Choose according to the size of your most popular product.
The quantity of color groups
The most fundamental hues are C, M, Y, and K. Equipment with five, six, or more color groups should be chosen if spot colors or richer colors must be printed often. Flip-function devices are capable of printing on both sides simultaneously.
Level of intelligence and automation:
Automatic version change: ideal for businesses with multiple short versions, it drastically cuts down on the amount of time needed to prepare live segments.
Automatic cleaning: Save time and effort by having the rubber blanket and ink path cleaned automatically.
The ability of a color management system to swiftly monitor and preserve colors can lessen the need for skilled artisans.
Closed loop control system: Automatic color correction and real-time monitoring to guarantee consistent print quality.
The price increases with the level of automation, but both production and human efficiency increase as well.
Production rate: "pcs/hour" is the unit. The production capacity increases with speed, but it's also important to think about whether the actual volume of business can sustain high-speed operation and prevent equipment from being idle.
Substrate scope: Whether you can print thin or thick cardboard depends on the device's minimum and maximum paper weight support (e.g., 120gsm to 400gsm).
Step 4: Thorough deliberation and option selection
1. New phone vs. second phone: New machine: high investment, latest technology, warranty, and steady functioning.
Second cell phone: Low investment risk and high cost-effectiveness, but there can be hidden flaws that need to be verified by an expert, and maintenance expenses could be considerable afterward. Buying a second, well-maintained phone is a popular decision for startups.
2. Supplier and Brand:
Reputation of the brand: BOBST is the "Mercedes Benz" of the sector, but it costs a lot. While small and medium-sized businesses might opt for mid-range or used machinery, large businesses can take it into consideration.
Service provided by suppliers: This is a crucial component! Evaluate the supplier's capacity for installation, troubleshooting, training, quick after-sales response, and the provision of spare parts. A small price reduction is significantly less significant than a quality service provider.
3. On-site sampling and inspection:
Make sure to visit the supplier's location to observe the machine in operation! It is preferable to have the supplier print the samples on-site and to bring your own real production documentation, which should include images of varying degrees of complexity, spot colors, small writing, etc.
To determine whether the color, accuracy, and dot restoration satisfy your needs, compare examples from various devices.
4. Do a general ledger calculation:
Examine more than just the purchasing price. Estimate daily production capacity, compute individual costs (including all consumables), and evaluate ROI.
Lastly, keep in mind an old proverb in the industry: "buying equipment means buying production." Instead of the cheapest or most expensive equipment, the best equipment for you is the one that best fits your present primary business and can sustain your future growth for one to three years.

In the end, we hope you can choose the correct printing machine for your company!