This document discusses top mistakes made when purchasing a new printer and provides tips to avoid them. It notes that attendees of an upcoming webinar will include those working with graphic, garment, industrial, and other printers. It then lists the top 10 mistakes people make, such as failing to compare printers adequately, making an impulse purchase, and not properly educating staff on printer usage. The document aims to help readers make an informed decision when purchasing a new printer.

1. If
you
are
considering
purchasing
a
new
printer
in
the
next
few
months
find
out
the
Top
Mistakes
made
when
purchasing,
and
how
you
can
avoid
them.
Based
on
registra>on
informa>on,
a?endees
in
this
webinar
included
a
range
of:
• Graphic
Wide
Format
Printers
• Graphic
Screen
Printers
• Garment
Printers
• Industrial
Printers
• Other
1

2. Digital
Graphics
Execu>ve
Recrui>ng
www.DGERdirect.com
859-­‐224-­‐0992
sHoyt@DGERdirect.com
Nazdar
SourceOne
www.SourceOneOnline.com
610-­‐577-­‐5076
jHe[@SourceOneOnline.com
2

3. 3

4. ECONOMY
DICTATES
THAT
BUSINESSES
MOVE
INTO
DIGITAL
TECHNOLOGY
• Total
new
purchases
forecasted
• 21,5000
–
not
including
Dye
sublima>on,
Latex
or
other
specialty
printers
• In
addi>on
to
Sign
and
Exhibit
manufacturers,
supplement
for
large
screen
print
run
projects
• In
most
instances,
ideal
for
runs
of
1
–
200
• Ideal
for
same
or
next
day
turnaround
projects
• Last
minute
changes
to
color
or
design
• Easier
to
work
with
white
ink
• Mul>ple
Technologies
for
various
applica>ons
• Aqueous
Inkjet
for
indoor
and
tex>le
applica>ons
• Eco-­‐solvent
Inkjet
for
indoor
and
outdoor
applica>ons
• Solvent
Inkjet
for
indoor
and
outdoor
applica>ons
• UV
Curable
Inkjet
for
indoor
&
outdoor
rigid
&
flex
applica>ons
4

5. 1-­‐
Didn’t
compare
–
Pros
and
Cons
• Compe>>ve
Products
• Roll-­‐To-­‐Roll;
Hybrid;
Flatbed
• VUTEk,
Roland,
Mimaki,
Brother…
• Compe>>ve
distributors
or
buy
direct
from
manufacturer
• Who
From?
2
–
Impulse
Purchase
• Special
Pricing
deal
• Used
equipment
• It
does
“everything”
promise
• Needed
for
“THIS”
job
3
-­‐
Failed
to
plan
for
future
business
growth
• No
upgrade
path
–
“Forkli[”
upgrades
4
-­‐
Not
a
fit
with
business
plan
• Capability
didn’t
fit
the
needs
of
client
base
• Expected
to
go
“find
new”
5
-­‐
Improper
Financial
Planning
• Leasing
Payments
5

6. 6
-­‐
Assumed
all
dealers
or
service
is
the
same
• (Which
one
do
you
have
a
las>ng
rela>onship
with)
• Service
&
Support
• Parts
&
Materials
availability
7
-­‐
Didn’t
Consider
the
Physical
• (Newton
taught
us
we
can’t
overcome
the
laws
of
physics)
• Size
&
space
needed
8
-­‐
Assuming
what
was,
s>ll
is
• (We
don’t
want
to
be
Bill
Murray
in
“Groundhog
Day”)
• Ink
technology
has
changed
significantly:
Applica>ons,
Durability
9
-­‐
Not
properly
educa>ng
staff
• Operators
about
running
it
• Sales
Staff
about
how
to
sell
it
(or
not)
10
-­‐
NOT
buying
one
• (Norman
Rockwell)
• Afraid
to
make
a
“bad”
decision
6

7. Do
you
currently
have
a
wide
format
printer?
1
-­‐
No,
I
do
not
currently
print
in-­‐house.
2
–
Yes,
I
have
a
printer
60”
or
smaller.
3
–
Yes,
I
have
a
printer
larger
than
60”.
4
–
Yes,
I
have
mul>ple
printers.
If
you
are
thinking
about
a
wide
format
printer,
what
types
are
you
considering
(check
all
that
apply)?
1
–
Solvent
printer
(Full
or
Ecosolvent)
2
–
UV
printer
(Tradi>onal
Lamp
or
LED)
3
–
Dye
Sublima>on
(Transfer
or
Direct
Dispersion)
4
–
Latex
printer
5
-­‐
Other
7

8. Not
every
printer
does
everything
–
all
have
Pros
&
Cons
• New
products
are
constantly
changing,
evolving
• New
Features
• More
specialized
applica>ons.
• Manufacturer
• Product
Safety
Approvals
such
as
UL
and
CE
(tougher
standards
than
UL)
• Parts
stocked
in
US,
or
dependent
on
overseas
shipment
• Most
of
the
best
distributors
provide
informa>on
• Both
their
machines
as
well
as
the
compe>tors
• Guide
you
to
make
the
best
choice
for
your
business
goals
Example:
S1
Equipment
Matrix
• Size:
Media
Width,
Prin>ng
Width,
Media
Thickness
• Speed:
Produc>on
(not
Up
To)
• Special
Features
• Extras:
Included
and
Op>onal
• Price
8

9. You
get
what
you
pay
for:
• Consider
purchase
price
• Extras
needed
• Computer,
RIP,
Tables
• Freight,
Installa>on
• Supplies
for
“start-­‐up”
period
• Inks
&
Media
• Warranty
• Length
of
Warraty
• Limita>ons
of
Warranty:
• Parts
&
Labor
• Depot
Service
• Prorated
parts
• Service
(>me
and
loca>on)
• Warranty
below
1
year
on-­‐site
will
raise
concerns
(Heads,
bulbs,
pumps
exclusion
is
acceptable)
• Distributor
should
do
an
ROI
with
you
Example:
Rastek
H-­‐652
ROI
9

10. Are
there
upgrades
of
features
(to
use
later)
that
will
allow
for
business
growth?
• Features
it
has
now
you
can
grow
into
later?
• Available
op>ons
to
add
later?
• Is
manufacturer
planning
upgrades?
Will
they
apply
to
your
machine?
Example:
White
prin>ng
capability
• You
might
not
“need”
it
today,
but
maybe
in
6
or
9+
months
• Be?er
colors
when
prin>ng
on
colored
materials
• Backlit
applica>ons
• Higher
margins
/
Niche
markets
• Examples:
• Clear
Packaging
/
Labels
• Sta>c
Cling
/
Window
POP
• Backlits
like
airports
and
bus
shelters
10

11. Buy
with
Your
Business
Plan
in
mind
• “Finding”
new
business
is
a
challenge
• Try
to
“expand”
business
instead
of
“new”
business
• Expect
Technology
lifespan
of
3
years
Example:
Type
of
Prin>ng
suitable
applica>ons
from
Rastek
H-­‐652
• Standard
Applica>ons
(comfort
zone)
• Point
of
purchase
-­‐
Display
graphics
• Trade
show
graphics
-­‐
In-­‐store
displays
• Floor
graphics
-­‐
Window
graphics
• Backlit
graphics
-­‐
Outdoor
graphics
• Banners
and
signs
-­‐
Flat
surface
vehicle
graphics
• Stage
and
theatrical
graphics
• Non-­‐Tradi>onal
Applica>ons:
(expansion
area)
• Ad
specialty/promo>onal
-­‐
Environmental
/
Interior
graphics
• Backlit
graphics
11

12. Consumables,
Beyond
media
&
ink:
• Print
heads
–
how
much,
how
many
to
budget
per
year?
• Bulbs
–
lower
wa?age
with
age,
does
machine
have
variable
power?
• Filters
–
How
many?
How
Much?
How
o[en?
• Extended
warranty
–
available?
Coverage?
• Work
with
a
reputable
leasing
partner
that
considers
your
business
goals
• Monthly
payments
(allow
for
cash
flow
consumables)
• Term
/
Length
of
Lease
• Buy
Out,
or
roll
into
new
equipment
Example:
3
year
lease
vs.
6
year
lease
payments
&
Interest
12

13. Not
all
distributors
are
the
same:
• Training:
• How
thorough
is
the
training?
• Who
in
your
organiza>on
should
best
be
suited
to
train?
• Does
the
dealer
provide
custom
profiles?
• Support:
• Does
the
distributor
stock
Parts
&
Materials
(how
close)
• What
is
typical
service
response
>me?
• How
many
technicians
do
they
have?
•
Is
the
machine
supported
by
3rd
party
Service
organiza>on?
Example:
Nazdar
DTS
Training
Checklist
13

14. Consider
the
Physical
• Requirements:
• Size
&
space
needed
• Electrical
• Air
Filtra>on
• Restric>ons:
• Lease
• Zoning
restric>ons
Example:
Rastek
H-­‐652
Site
Survey
14

15. Don’t
ignore
a
device
because
of
what
you
USED
to
know
• This
is
an
important
investment.
• You
owe
it
to
yourself
to
be
open
minded.
• Be
sure
to
check
out
print
samples
• YOUR
files
(realis>c
resolu>on
/
>me)
• Gradients,
Skin
Tones,
Small
Text
• Adhesion
&
Durability
tests
for
your
typical
requirements
Example:
New
UV
inks
are
very
different
from
years
ago
• Now
very
well
suited
for
banner
prin>ng
and
box
truck
graphics.
• However
s>ll
not
suited
for
complex
curved
vehicle
wraps
15

16. For
maximum
return,
invest
in
your
Investment
• Operators
• Important
to
train
the
RIGHT
operator
• Proper
opera>on
and
maintenance
of
equipment
• Back
up
operator
• Sales
Staff
• New
capabili>es
• As
well
as
what
it
can’t
do
• Allow
>me
&
Materials
for
learning
/
experimenta>on…samples
• Get
informa>on
on
“down
Time”
• Mean
>me
between
failure
• All
machines
WILL
go
down…how
o[en
is
the
ques>on
• Mean
>me
for
repair
• When
the
printer
goes
down,
how
long
will
you
need
to
wait
for
repair?
Example:
Prints
the
operator
learned
with,
can
become
sales
samples
• Bad
sample
–
will
the
customer
know
the
blue
was
too
purple?
• Bad
sample
–
example
of
what
applica>ons
NOT
to
do?
(poor
adhesion)
16

17. Not
making
a
decision
could
be
worse
than
making
a
“less
than
perfect”
decision.
• Printers
are
changing
almost
daily.
• As
soon
as
you
make
a
purchase
there
will
be
something
newer
• But
what
is
the
cost
to
your
business
by
NOT
jumping
in?
• A
good
distributor
will
work
with
you
to
find
a
solu>on
you
can
be
confident
in:
• Features,
benefits,
leasing…the
whole
package
• High
margins
of
Wide
Format
Digital
Prin>ng
means
money
le[
on
the
table
every
month
a
business
is
NOT
offering
it
to
their
customers.
Example:
Market
data
• Over
21,500
printers
are
forecasted
to
be
purchased
• Will
you
be
in
that
number?
Or
will
your
compe>>on?
17

18. Q:
How
do
you
feel
about
used
equipment?
• All
the
same
guidelines
above
s>ll
apply
–
PLUS
the
need
to
research
the
history
of
the
par>cular
unit.
Can
the
seller
provide
a
maintenance
report?
Service
report?
Nozzle
Test
print?
Similar
to
CarFaxx,
some
manufacturers
will
provide
a
service
history
on
an
individual
serial
number.
Q:
What
new
feature
is
coming?
(is
this
rumor
coming?)
• Equipment
development
is
constantly
changing
and
developing.
Rest
assured
that
all
the
major
manufacturers
are
working
on
Bigger,
Be?er,
Faster…and
Cheaper.
As
the
graphic
prin>ng
markets
con>nue
to
converge,
the
printer
development
will
con>nue
to
specialize.
Instead
of
one
“general
purpose”
One-­‐size-­‐fits-­‐all”
approach,
we
expect
to
see
greater
selec>on
of
specialty
applica>ons
for
equipment
and
inks.
Q:
How
can
financing
help
or
hurt
when
looking
to
purchase
capital
equipment?
• No
financing
a
piece
of
capital
equipment
(paying
cash)
could
put
your
company
into
a
cash-­‐
strapped
situa>on.
Some>mes
we
don’t
expect
another
piece
of
equipment
to
break,
or
a
roof
leak.
Leasing
with
unrealis>c
monthly
payments
could
also
cash
strap
you.
Balance,
but
avoid
paying
too
long
a
term.
We
will
be
offering
another
webinar
exclusive
to
Financial
decisions
to
consider.
Q:
What
printer
can
white
flood
coat
for
sub
surface
prin>ng?
• There
are
several
printers
on
the
market
with
white
prin>ng
capabili>es,
most
of
which
are
capable
of
prin>ng
white
as
a
spot
color,
under
coat
or
top
coat.
Prin>ng
sub
surface
is
done
by
prin>ng
CMYK
reversed
on
the
back
side
of
the
clear
material,
then
prin>ng
a
complete
layer
of
white.
The
posi>oning
of
the
print
heads
affects
how
a
machine
is
capable
of
over
/
under
coa>ng
white.
Some
of
the
VUTEk
printers
are
even
capable
of
doing
Spot,
Over
or
under
with
CMYK
all
in
one
pass.
Hard
to
explain
–
check
out
their
YouTube
video.
18

19. 19

20. ©2011
Nazdar.
All
Rights
Reserved.
SourceOne,
ImageStar
and
CATZper
are
registered
trademarks
of
Nazdar.
All
other
trademarks
are
the
property
of
their
respec>ve
owners.
Specifica>ons
subject
to
change
without
no>ce.
20