Digital printing is a process of printing digital-based images directly onto a variety of media substrates. No need for a printing plate. Digital files such as PDFs or desktop publishing files can be sent directly to the digital printing press to print on paper, photo paper, canvas, fabric, synthetics, and other substrates.
The factors Affects the Price of Digital Printer
Digital printer has been widely used in many industries. Therefore, many friends consider buying digital printers to start their business. But many people put the price of the machine first, and the quality is regarded as secondary.
As a professional manufacturer of digital printer, we stand in the neutral position of customers and manufacturers to analyze why we can’t just look at the price when buying digital printer, and we can’t covet cheap digital garment printing machine equipment.
Why you cannot just focus on the price?
A digital printer is generally equipped with several nozzles, and the gap between the prices is a little large. In the case of the same print head digital printer, the equipment price is very low, is the equipment quality guaranteed?
The quality is not guaranteed.
For example, Epson i3200 print head digital garment direct-injection printing machine, the price of some manufacturers is ¥2200, and the price of some manufacturers is $1700? Why the price gap is so large?
The reasons are as follows:
1.Guide Rail and Rack, Treadmill Digital Printing Machine
The general is a linear guide rail plus a rack, using two linear guide rails plus a rack, more stable! In terms of the use of guide rails, Japanese THK, NSK, Taiwan Shangyin, Chinese Nangong, Hanjiang, etc., sometimes the price difference of a one-meter guide rail is about $75, and a machine of 6 meters needs 12 meters. An ordinary slider is $15 a piece, a slider with high precision, high-temperature resistance, friction resistance, and low sound is more than $90. A machine can measure 8 less, and more than 10 sliders. These are reflected in the price, but also determine the service life of the machine, the accuracy of printing, and so on.
2. After-sale Service
Inexpensive machines make it impossible for printer suppliers to set up an excellent after-sale team. Digital printers are very sophisticated machines with many parts. There are many precautions from assembly to printing, and after-sale assistance is required.
3. Stability Enhanced Machine Base
A stable frame can provide long-term stable and high-precision printing without blurring the printing, and a stable frame often increases the price of the machine, but it is ignored by consumers. Many businesses will use this to save costs, resulting in the successful operation of the printer. Various unsolvable problems appeared after a while.
4. The lifespan of the Equipment
This refers to the lifespan of the machine. The lifespan becomes the basis for computing the depreciation of the equipment, or the decline in its value. This factor also includes the availability of improved technology or better versions of the equipment. Thus, the fewer times you have to replace the equipment, the more affordable printing services you can offer.
5. Maintenance
Digital printing machine won’t always work in perfect condition. To keep them functional, the company will have to allocate a portion of their budget on maintenance costs. These could be monthly service or one-time charges, depending on what the company opts for.
6. Type of Printer
When printers came into existence, there were not many types and brands making printers. Therefore, while the price may be high, it is usually a uniform price. Today, however, there are many types of printers manufactured by different brands. Each of these printers has different types like coloured, 3D, and many more. The type and quality of the printers will affect how much you will be paying for them.
7. Size of Printer
The size determines the amount of features that the picture can carry, as well as affects the Printing volume. We live in a world filled with many automatic processes, and we want that in every item we hold in our homes; the printer inclusive. The size will allow for more features and flexibilities; therefore, the bigger size may affect the printer cost.
8. Features of the Printer
The era when printers used to come alone as only printers are long gone. Today, we have printers that double as scanners and work perfectly. Technology has even added more features to the use of printers. Today, one can print in different paper sizes, scan, convert to Pdf, and still print in 3D. These are all fantastic features, but they will affect the printer’s price tag. Also, some free advice we can give is not to buy a printer with too many features. As much as you can, try to buy the printer with limited features you can count on. It is better to have a printer that does fewer but great work than to buy one with hundreds of functions that are not optimal.
9. The Cost of Materials
In a way, comparing digital to flexo is like comparing apples to oranges, but careful consideration of all the numbers reveals where the cost savings can be realized. Settle on the cost of materials first, and then compare total costs. Waste, as already mentioned, is a significant factor in assessing printing costs long-term. Standard overrun percentages are often lower with digital, and with the ever-changing demands of customers and retailers, labels in storage often become obsolete, and that can be a substantial loss to absorb.
10. The Cost of Time.
The cost-of-time equation, both short-term and long-term, is being scrutinized more and more these days. The limiting factor in any production chain can clog up design and management processes in unseen ways. It’s difficult to focus intently on the next project when the current one is on hold or held up in prepress.
Therefore, you get what you pay for!
Digital printing Advantages and Disadvantages
Digital printing technology excels at producing on demand and short print runs quickly and cost-effectively. Digital printing is also a perfect platform for personalization. If you want to easily modify images and messages using variable data printing, then digital printing is the only way to go. The quality and speed of digital printing has been promoted, digital printing’s previous disadvantages are quickly disappearing, and digital printing machines are closing the gap on offset output.
Digital Printing Inks
Digital printing inks include cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) toner and ink, as well as extended color gamut inks such as orange, blue and green as well as specialty dry inks for metallic, white or clear effects.
In consumer’s view, they hope to buy the best product at a lowest price. However, in truth, it is difficult to achieve. Because the manufacturer needs certain profit, and also need funds to support an excellent after-sales team.
There are also some small manufacturers, with several people in partnership, provide machines with low price, but small manufacturers may break up at any time. The equipment has no quality assurance, and no after-sales service, and it may close down at any time. In the future, the equipment has minor faults and no one repairs the equipment. Seeking experts to repair it will be a sky-high repair cost.