Finishing Comes First with Production Inkjet Printing

With production inkjet entering its 10th year as a printing technology, it has become an indispensable tool in the arsenal of any print service provider (PSP). As you look into this exciting new technology, however, don’t overlook finishing. Some people even say you should decide on your finishing options before you purchase a production inkjet press. Why?

It all comes down to applications and what you plan to do with the new equipment. To be successful, shops need to make sure they have the right tool for the job. The less time the project takes to complete in the shop, the more efficient it becomes and the more money ends up in the printer’s pocket.

(View our Exclusive Production Inkjet Buyers Guide)

There are several key considerations print providers need to keep in mind when looking at finishing equipment options. We asked some experts to weigh in with the most important things PSPs should look for in finishing equipment.

4 Key Considerations when Investing in Finishing Equipment

1. Total Cost of Ownership
“Total cost of ownership (TCO) is important to any PSP considering an inkjet investment, and the complementary finishing equipment is an important part of that equation,” said Will Frank, marketing specialist, Standard Finishing Systems.

2. Inline versus Offline
Print providers should consider the best way to configure their finishing equipment options, balancing between maximizing labor productivity with inline configurations versus potentially maximizing printing equipment productivity and investment via an offline configuration.

3. Speed and Uptime
Whether producing books, direct mail, transpromo, labels, newspapers or personalized catalogs, Christoph Blank, executive sales manager, manroland web systems, reminds owners to make sure their finishing systems are robust enough to keep up with the utilization rates from a production inkjet printer. Many production inkjet presses can run with utilization rates up to 96%.

4. Capabilities and Automation
Advancements in inkjet technology have required the creation of complex finishing processes. According to Andy Fetherman, VP of sales and technology at Muller Martini Corp., that is why printers must look for certain features when evaluating finishing equipment options.

Our Inkjet Buyers Guide goes into greater detail about each of these four considerations, and has buying tips from the experts. In addition, this special report is filled with data and specifications on inkjet presses, paper and finishing equipment. Find out more by downloading our exclusive Production Inkjet Buyers Guide.