Golden Tips When Choosing to Buy a Production Printer

The role of production printers is becoming more and more necessary in the modern digital era. Production printers have become an indispensable tool for organizations and businesses in improving productivity, quality and operational efficiency. Choosing the right industrial printer for your printing needs is extremely important. The following is the concept of production printers and golden notes when choosing a production printer.

1. What is a Production Printer?

Production printers, also known as industrial fast printers, are specialized printers used in industrial and commercial environments to meet the needs of high-volume, more diverse, and professional printing than conventional office printers.

Some of the key features of production printers include: fast print speed, high resolution, support for large size printing, the ability to handle thick paper, as well as some advanced features such as special color printing for industrial color printers in addition to the basic CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key). 

2. Determine your printing needs before choosing to buy a production printer

Before choosing to buy an industrial fast printer, you need to clearly define the printing needs of your business. Prepare your own answers to the following questions:

a) What types of publications does your business need to print?

Do businesses only need to print ordinary office documents in large quantities or do businesses need to print large-format posters and banners? Need an industrial color printer or just a black and white? For large printers or advertising and media companies that need to print special publications such as brochures, flyers, product brochures, businesses need to equip themselves with an industrial color printer that can help print quality with high performance.

b) What is the volume and size of the printed product daily/week/month? 

Do businesses need to print A3, A4 or long banners? How many thousands of copies are printed per month?

c) What are the requirements for print quality?

In terms of print quality, if your business has high requirements, such as good resolution and color fastness, printing products such as documents and posters need to have clear print quality, vivid colors and long-lasting life, then to meet these requirements. The selected industrial printer needs to have advanced printing technology, which ensures high print quality. In addition, businesses can choose to consider industrial color printers that are capable of printing special colors, elevating their publications.

Identifying this information will help you choose the most suitable industrial printer.

3. Learn the features and power of production printers that fit your business needs to make the right purchase decision

Based on the identified printing needs, take a close look at the features and capabilities of production printers. Some criteria to note:

a) Print Speed: Industrial fast printers can print at very high speeds, often up to nearly hundreds of pages per minute, making them suitable for high-volume printing jobs. If you need to print in large quantities during the week/month, you need to choose high-capacity industrial fast printers with fast print speeds (>80 ppm). 

b) Print size: The printer needs to support commonly used product sizes, such as A3, A4, banner size, etc. For banner size, find out and determine what the maximum size the printer can print.

c) Resolution: The higher the resolution, the better the print quality, suitable for publications that require high detail. Production printers typically have a resolution of up to 2400 x 4800 dpi or more, producing publications with sharp print quality.

d) Paper Feeder: Production printers need a large paper feeder to print large quantities continuously, no need to waste paper loading time. High-end production printers can accommodate up to more than 16,000 sheets.

e) Ability to handle a wide range of paper and printing media: What is the gsm of your commonly used printing media? Is the paper used thick or thin? Not only printing on ordinary paper, but production printers can also print on materials such as hard paper, cardboard, fabric, labels, etc.

For example, for printing on business cards, invitation cards, cardboard magazines, high-end menus, the paper weight can be up to 350 - 450 gsm. Therefore, businesses need to choose for themselves printers that are capable of handling thick paper well.

f) Print management and tracking capabilities: Production printers typically have advanced features such as monitoring, management, and reporting on print volume, ink consumption, paper, and more.

g) Flexibility and customization: Production printers are designed to integrate with different systems and be customized to the needs of each business.

h) Consider the cost of operation and maintenance. In addition to the initial cost of buying the machine, you also need to consider the costs of operation and maintenance during use such as the cost of printing paper, printing ink, periodic maintenance costs, and repair costs. Carefully calculate these costs to choose a printer that fits your budget.

4. Consider taking advantage of advanced features such as special color printing for production printers

In addition to the basic features, some production printers also support advanced features such as special color printing. This feature will bring many creative options to your printing products.

According to Statista's 2023 Consumer Insights Report, more than 2/3 of consumers keep an eye on special publications when shopping. This means that brands must be differentiated if they want to be noticed. Sparkling and shiny products will reflect light and stimulate the eye, making them stand out from the rest. The way the light interacts with the print can create a feeling of fun, enchantment, or surprise. The human brain is built to react to novelties, so shiny and striking prints can make a strong impression.

For example, special color printing such as metal printing color, luminescent printing color, transparent printing will help products become more prominent and attractive. Today's industrial fast printers are equipped with special inks, varnishes, varnishes, or other finishing methods that make it easier than ever to produce high-value printed products in a short time.

When choosing a production printer, consider finding out what features can make a difference to your printed products. 

Above are the golden notes when choosing a production printer. Clearly identifying printing needs, carefully understanding printer features and capacity, considering operating costs, as well as advanced features will help businesses choose the right industrial fast printer and bring high printing efficiency. 

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