RIPs
Another aspect of printing that affects ink consumption is raster image processor (RIP) software. The RIP allows the user to control and manage image colours, contrast levels and ink laydown, optimizing the final image quality within profit targets. With the right RIP, ink volumes can be better managed from job to job.
Some inks are not water-resistant, so they will require an overcoat or lamination when graphics are intended for outdoor installation.
Finishing
There are many finishing options for signs and display graphics, including cutting, lamination and mounting. With this in mind, it is important when choosing a printer to consider the entire in-house workflow, including floor space, labour and time to market for finished goods, rather than decide on the printer in isolation.
By purchasing finishing equipment in parallel with the printer, sign shops can often improve delivery time to customers and their own ROI. A hybrid or flatbed printer, for instance, can print directly onto rigid substrates, often preventing the need to mount the graphics to another substrate and reduces waste material. A cutter or router may still be required, however, with its own floor space allotment.
So, when upgrading or expanding from solvent-based roll-to-roll inkjet printing to UV-curing hybrid printers, there are new finishing implications that will need to be considered, with an eye on freeing up additional production time, reducing labour overtime, enabling more just-in-time (JIT) output and improving profitability. Speed of delivery is more important to customers than speed of printing, after all, and proper workflow planning can help to better optimize turnaround times.
Workflow
To accurately calculate ROI, it is important to take a close look at the actual production workflow in the shop. Workflow is an end-to-end process, involving not just the speed of the printer and time for drying and finishing, but also file processing with the RIP before printing.
An average day might include eight hours of printing and four hours of finishing, but the capacity of the new printer will determine how much can reasonably be printed within each shift. This should be considered in relation to the growth objectives of the business.
The shop may also anticipate handling larger jobs in the future, in which case the purchasing decision would need to lean toward a higher-volume printer. If large orders are not an immediate concern, on the other hand, a lower-volume device could be a better fit, particularly while striking up a partnership with another shop to take on ‘overflow’ work as needed.
In either case, wide-format inkjet printers are available today that offer capabilities for sign shops and PSPs to produce new applications, pursue diverse opportunities and enjoy more profitable margins.
| Calculating ROI |
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Here is a conservative example of an ROI calculation that can be used as a basis for building a sign shop or PSP’s own analysis, based on the notion of profit equalling sellable price minus the costs of substrates and inks. An entry-level ultraviolet-curing (UV-curing) hybrid printer offers both roll-to-roll and flatbed modes for production printing, yet carries relatively low operating costs. It uses cyan, magenta, yellow and key/black (CMYK) inks, plus white as a standard ink, and its printheads offer variable-drop greyscale capabilities. It can print up to 42.3 m2 (455 sf) per hour on both flexible and rigid substrates up to 1.7 m (65 in.) wide and 46 mm (1.8 in.) thick. According to data collected from actual use of the device, the profit on its printed output ranges from $1 to $3 per square foot across the mix of rolled and rigid media. To cover a 36-month lease payment, the break-even point is as low as 5.4 m2 (58 sf) per day, for the $3 profit level, or as high as 16 m2 (172 sf) per day, for the $1 profit level, based on running the printer for a single shift 20 days per month. Given the printer’s speed and capacity, this means the break-even point can easily be achieved with less than one hour of production time per day. Beyond that volume is ‘pure’ profit, where the upfront cost of the printer itself is no longer a factor. When creating this type of model, it is essential to compare various options on an apples-to-apples basis. There will be financial benefits and deductions associated with various features and functions as they pertain to the sign shop or PSP’s particular business needs, but the ROI analysis method will ultimately suggest which device will best drive profitability and growth. |
G. Scott Wood is the wide-format product manager for Electronics for Imaging (EFI), which manufactures Vutek printers. For more information, visit www.efi.com/WideFormat.
