“I'm a Print Buyer...
and I want to know how I can utilize 3rd Generation print technology to streamline the ordering process, minimize waste, reduce overall costs, and help our ‘Green’ initiative…
It's not the Printer's fault… or, is it?
Ever place an order for new brochures… or forms… or letterhead, only to discover they're out-dated before they're delivered? Something in your business changed, affecting the piece you just ordered, and you're forced to trash thousands of dollars worth of printing. Suddenly the great discount you were able to negotiate with your printer, or print broker, doesn't seem so great any more.
It's not the printer's fault that you've had changes, and you're now stuck with outdated inventory... or, is it?
Outdated Technology
If you're dealing with a printer using large presses and old technology, they simply can't deliver Just-In-Time, Print-On-Demand services. So, their value proposition is to sell print in large quantities at a ‘discount.’
You know from experience volume ordering eats-up capital, consumes space, leaves you vulnerable to obsolescence, and typically results in waste.
You don't want to order large quantities of print, or anything else for that matter. You never have, and you never will. You want small quantities. On demand. Just-In-Time. Easily updated so they‘re always current. To achieve this, you need a print partner with 21st Century technology, committed to Just-In-Time print production and delivery.
Explanation
Older technology and larger presses take more time to ‘set-up’ a job, and less time to ‘run’ it than 3rd generation presses. 1st generation, film-to-plate, technology may require 70 minutes to ‘set-up’ a job for print. Once running, you can print up to 80,000 pages an hour on a large 40” press (prints a 40” x 28” sheet). So, if you only order a quantity of 2,000 pages, you'll incur 70 minutes of ‘set-up’ expense… and just 90 seconds of actual print expense. But, you pay for all 71 minutes and 30 seconds. That's a lot of overhead for the quantity you actually need. So the printer, or print broker, will try to convince you to order a much larger quantity to mask the inefficiency of their technology.
If your printer has upgraded to 2nd generation computer-to-plate technology, ‘set-up’ time shrinks from 70 minutes to about 40 minutes. On a 28” press (prints 28” x 20” sheets) you'll print up to 30,000 pages an hour. So, 2nd generation technology, teamed with a 28” press, will require 40 minutes of ‘set-up’ time and just 4 minutes of ‘run’ time to print 2,000 pages – a total of 44 minutes.
In contrast, 3rd generation computer-to-press technology requires only 8 minutes to ‘set-up’ a job, and prints about 10,000 pages an hour. So, your total ‘set-up’ and ‘run’ time for 2,000 pages on a 3rd generation press is only 20 minutes.
Conservation
The less time it takes to ‘set-up’ and ‘run’ a press, the less power consumed. On a short-run of 500 pages, for example, a 3rd generation press uses only 20% of the power consumed by a 1st generation press, and only one-third the power of a 2nd generation press.
What's more, a 3rd generation press printing an 18” x 12” sheet will eliminate thousands of square feet of waste paper when compared with 1st or 2nd generation presses.
So, if your organization is committed to conservation, you need to specify 3rd generation, computer-to-press, digital imaging technology printing on an 18” x 12” sheet. (Conservation by Design)
What does it all mean to you?
As a Print Buyer, Riverside Graphics' 3rd generation offset print technology means you can enjoy significant savings on short runs (less than 20,000 pages). What's more, if you order in large quantities, Riverside's unique JitPrint service delivers the Best of Both Worlds - volume discounts and Print-On-Demand. Small portions of your order are printed and delivered monthly, or quarterly, to minimize storage and incorporate necessary copy or graphic changes each time you print.
Collectively, Riverside's technology and one-of-a-kind service offerings make us the only print partner you'll find that will enable you to streamline your ordering process, minimize waste, reduce overall costs, and make a significant contribution to your ‘Green’ initiative.