Have you ever thought about the fact that every company is always screaming that they have the best product, the best service, the best support, the best aftersales and the best warranty? Not to mention the best price?
I’m in marketing and I even I stop to look at these screams and think “hang on a minute – these are misleading and sometimes downright lies.”
It’s like buying the best sandwich at the cheapest spot in town. What is the service like? Well, they throw the sandwich at you on the counter. But that’s the service, how about the warranty? I might get a new rotten sandwich. Will they pay for my doctor’s bill when I get sick after eating it? Probably not. I will just never eat there again.
It is the same in the printing/manufacturing world. There are many people buying inkjet printing equipment based on these screams. The missing parameters in their decision making process are ‘reliability’, ‘advanced technology’, ‘patents’ or even just a sound ‘what do you get for your money’ consideration?
The printing of draft speeds for example – or garbage mode as I call them – are basically useless for anybody buying a printer. Production speeds should only count for sellable quality. A key purchasing question should be ‘what is my price per sqm?’
I have been hearing about people buying inkjet printing equipment merely based on the ink price per liter without further investigating the facts. How can you not check how much ink is purged by the machine on a daily basis and how much ink is needed on the substrate to get a good image?
Did you know that the price of one square meter of print on a UV printer and a Solvent printer are about equal? This is news to many. Yes, UV ink is 100% more expensive than solvent ink but you also use only half the ink to get the same result.
Did you know that it’s not the speed of the printer holding you back on the fast production but the drying of the ink? If you print faster than you dry, then you will have a mess on the roll after printing. This is one of the reasons why UV technology in the roll-to-roll markets is growing. The ink is dried immediately after printing.
Can your printer run all night without failure or does it have to be supervised? We at Mimaki design products so they can run overnight. Saving you the cost of an operator for eight hours. The printer is making money while you are sleeping. All thanks to its advanced technologies. The same goes for cheap printers and service – how can you expect the service to be top, yet for zero money?
Check out how this restaurant sign put it in perspective:
We offer 3 kinds of service – GOOD-CHEAP-FAST
But you can only pick two!
• Good & Cheap won’t be Fast
• Fast & Good won’t be Cheap
• Cheap and Fast won’t be Good
This illustrates the real world of service – don’t expect the best if you pay nothing. The service and after service should be what has been promised by your vendor.
Printing technology companies like Mimaki are always moving ahead. We include the tried and tested technologies in our entry level and industrial machines. We make the R&D effort to make your product better. The result: reliable, fast and high quality printers.
Service is a top priority for us and we don’t like nor use misleading screams. That’s why Mimaki and some other leading manufactures are only now just publicizing production modes and real speeds. That’s why we request original inks are used. All so we can guarantee that your production is reliable so you can save money. Yes – it is more expensive on the first impression. But you have full warranty and an assurance of print production.
So next time you want to buy a printer think beyond how fast or how cheap it is. Make sure it delivers.
Let’s create… together.
Mike Horsten
