Tas?

Printwizard · April 5th, 2012, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prosperi-Tees

http://www.advancedscreenprintsupply...ic_presses.htm
This is where I seen that Tas is coming out with an entry level press. Only a 16x16 print area though which is a bummer.

Nice to see some new things happening. That label printer would be great on tote bags. You could work it with a swing in flash maybe for darks.... This new model better be good as it has tough competition.

Printwizard · April 5th, 2012, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prosperi-Tees

I here what you're saying PW, I am really impressed with the RPM. The only downfall I see is according to rpms website is the print area of only 16x18. I would love to be able to do that 20x20 and so would some of my customers.

I do very few big prints anymore. I tell the customer what our maximum dimensions are, if they ask bigger I hike the price right up so that I could farm it out and still make money and they always settle for what is our normal big size. Manage the customer. In about the last five years I have lost only one job, it was Christmas, we were busy and I didn't loose any sleep over it. 20% of our work is A5 or less, 50% under A4 and the rest about A3 or slightly bigger. I set my max dimensions to 36cm wide x 45cm deep, I can print a bit bigger, I just don't want to!

Prosperi-Tees · April 5th, 2012, 11:21 PM

I have a few customer that want to go even bigger than 20x20. I don't really want to get into all over printing just oversized printing and would definitely charge accordingly. Right now my max with my film output/platens/press etc, is 12.5x18 or 15.5x12.5 on the manual and 12.5x16 or 16x12.5 on the auto.

Printwizard · April 6th, 2012, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prosperi-Tees

I have a few customer that want to go even bigger than 20x20. I don't really want to get into all over printing just oversized printing and would definitely charge accordingly. Right now my max with my film output/platens/press etc, is 12.5x18 or 15.5x12.5 on the manual and 12.5x16 or 16x12.5 on the auto.

I got a lot of gear built up over time so that I could do stuff on request. Maybe 2000 sq ft of stuff that I use once or twice a year. Trying to get rid of it now and reinvest in the stuff that is core business, not the odd order, but concentrate on the majority of the work and stuff that's in every single week and day. One mistake i made was trying to be all things and do all things. I have since learned it's alright to farm out and work in with other printers, in fact it's better. Ie I now send all my jackets out to a shop that sends me all their big tee shirt jobs. Another gets transfers and they send us work too.
The only thing worse than having gear you don't use all the time taking up room and rent is doing something you don't specialise in, having it take too long and costing you money and making seconds. The larger format on auto is also pallet options, space, squeegees and floods etc. depends on how much of that work you have to print already or could get in the door, if you have it then definitely buy it, but it can be a hard road buying stuff and stretching if you aren't going to work it hard, been there, have the list. Sometimes buying stuff it's easy to try justify and up yourself into potential capabilities that you don't do much anyway. Likewise it's important to try grow capabilities and features if you can also to grow your business as you can afford to reinvest.

GraphicDisorder · April 6th, 2012, 06:34 AM

I earn easily 5-10 jobs a month off oversized printing. If you dont think it's valuable to be able p print larger maybe your looking at it wrong. Nothing wrong with managing te customer.... But locking them into one option is a bit odd. 99% of my work prints at least 15x17 or larger.

Printwizard · April 6th, 2012, 07:53 AM

Brandt, I know in the US the trend is bigger prints, here it is for fashion, and moving that way for other forms of souvenir and retail. My work is mostly promo and corporate and they work with smaller boring images. Also they hate paying for bigger print areas so compromise to smaller. When it is wanted we can farm it out if necessary, but it's so rare. Another mate has half his work off one customer who has a few labels and it's all oversize massive prints. I know one guy with a supermaxx carousel that can print approx 4ft wide by 5.5 ft but he don't have the room and doesn't get enough panel work, and it costs him a couple grand rent for it to gather dust. It will be different for every shop.

GraphicDisorder · April 6th, 2012, 08:01 AM

For sure, but we are talking about a USA guy right? So if I was giving press advice, it would be to get a machine capable of printing the largest print area and most colors you can afford.

Tas are fine machines. There are many good machines out there. There are some poor representation of some of them though. Poor marketing on others. Poor service on others.