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Today, the number of press options has exploded, with a plethora of new vendors entering the commercial quality color market. Boxes once considered sufficient only for office copies are now outputting commercial quality color. Production-speed presses have diversified into every permutation of rollfed, sheetfed, format size, resolution, and speed. Full-color and highlight color have come to the high-speed and transactional marketplace. Transactional workflows are merging with commercial workflows. It's a labyrinth out there.

For forms manufacturers (and even distributors) who feel that moving into digital production is the direction their businesses needs to take, the decision-making process can be very stressful. With so many options, how do you know what you really need? In this report, we'll take a look at some of the critical questions that you should be asking to help you successful navigate the selection process.

It all starts with applications.

Applications

What applications will you be producing on this press? This is a loaded and complicated question. It's a lot more complicated than it sounds, it changes over time, and you are not always in full control of all of the variables (such as customers' changing business needs and their willingness to embrace new applications). Still, when looking to purchase equipment as critical as a digital press, this is the most important starting place.

Among the considerations:

Will the jobs be transactional or commercial? If you are planning to move into transactional applications, you will need high-speed presses, most likely running Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) workflows. You want to think about things like cut sheet vs. continuous feeds, whether you want monochrome or spot color; and whether you will be processing data natively or converting it. You will also need faster turnaround time for troubleshooting and service.

What product types will you be producing? Will you be producing simple products like corporate identity materials, flyers, and medical forms? Or will you be expanding into brochures, 1:1 personalized mailers, and short-run photo books? The front-end, printing, and finishing needs for each are very different. Unless you will be specializing in a single application, you will likely need a highly flexible machine that will allow you to cross market platforms.

If you will be using the machine largely for a single application, really look closely at the special features offered by each manufacturer. For example, if you will be doing a lot of photo books, HP recently introduced a new solution for driving multiple presses doing photo albums, including image enhancement capabilities. Its seven-color machines also offer a light magenta often considered critical for achieving the true photographic look.

Will you need full-color? Or black-and-white only? Getting into “digital printing” doesn't mean that you have to be running color. Many short-run applications, including 1:1 personalization jobs, are run black-and-white. Or they are imprinted monochrome onto a full-color offset-printed shells. The point is, when thinking about “digital printing” don't restricted yourself only to full-color applications.

Conversely, with transactional. Just because jobs are transactional doesn't mean they can't have color. An increasing number of transactional jobs now offer highlight color; and with introduction of high-speed, modular presses like the inkjet Kodak Versamark, high-speed production can now be done in four-color.

Are you purchasing the press to provide production flexibility for existing product lines? Or are you looking to expand into new areas? Some manufacturers are looking to move out of existing product lines into new applications and areas of profitability. Others are simply looking to take existing applications and produce shorter runs of these same jobs (transferring volume from small-format offset equipment to digital equipment, for example) more efficiently.

One manufacturer that simply wanted to transition its shorter run offset work to more efficient digital workflows was able to justify its purchase of a monochrome digital press based on labor savings, waste, and spoilage alone. But its volumes are high—processing more than 12,000 short-run orders per week. Another manufacturer launched into high-volume transactional without a single click to justify it, but based on its analysis of its customer base and where it was losing volume to competitors, it purchased a Canon Imagerunner and, thanks to smart marketing, now runs 4-4.5 million images per month.

Whatever model you are following, do your homework. Purchasing a digital press starts with understanding what applications you will be producing, and these applications will depend on what markets you will be serving and what those markets need. If you haven't done a full-fledged market analysis of the business communications challenges of your target markets (and related vertical markets), and what digital applications would be the most beneficial to those prospects, you are not ready to seriously investigate a digital press.

This isn't a “sit around the table and think about it” investigation, either. It has to be a serious, intentional research project. You may want to hire someone with business development expertise to help you sort through the vertical markets, match their needs to your experience and capabilities, and develop a plan that includes marketing, business development, employee skills assessment and hiring, and other components. You will, essentially, be building a brand-new business. Treat it that way.

Even if your intention is not, at the present time, to branch beyond existing product lines, once you have the equipment, things could change. What if clients start asking for applications you hadn't considered? Keep flexibility for future applications (including unknown or unexpected applications) in mind. One manufacturer unexpectedly found itself with a $45,000 order for magnets—something it had never considered offering—but because it had purchased a press with sufficient substrate flexibility, it was able to handle the job.

What formats and substrates will the jobs require? This will determine the output size of the press. For example, if you will be doing banners or other over-sized jobs, a rollfed press will give you greater flexibility. Or, if you will be doing high-volume postcards, you may want to purchase a press with a format size that will allow you to do more “up,” thereby increasing your productivity; or one, like the Xerox iGen 3, that offers UV coating inline.

Likewise, the issue of stocks. Some presses can handle a wider range of substrates than others. If your applications will require a certain types or weight of stock, you may have to work backwards from there.

What kinds of run lengths will you be doing? If you will be doing a lot of short-run jobs, these jobs will require a different workflow than longer-run jobs. The shorter run the job, the higher the percentage of time required to set up and process it. Therefore, if you will have a high volume of these jobs, many of the efficiency-enhancing features of today's digital front ends (DFEs) start to have a greater impact on the purchase decision because they directly affect the total cost of the job.

Are you going to be doing work for a wide variety of customers? Or is this purchase to satisfy the needs of a specific customer? If you are purchasing primarily for the needs of a single customer whose volumes will justify the purchase of the press, you may want to look to press vendors who either have off-the-shelf solutions or are willing to customize the press for that customer's application or applications. This also opens the possibility for inline finishing solutions, which vary widely by manufacturer.

Once you understand the basics of the market and applications you'll be targeting, the next step is to consider how all of the press specifications fit into this equation. This starts with file formats the press can process.

File Formats Processed

What file formats can the press handle? This is both a workflow and an applications issue. For example, all digital presses can handle VDP jobs using PostScript, but PostScript is not the most efficient way to handle high-volume or complex jobs.

If you are getting into 1:1 print personalization, the file formats your DFE can process will make a big difference. You might look for a press that can handle page description languages such as Xerox' Variable-Data Intelligent PostScript Printware (VIPP), HP Indigo's JLYT (pronounced Jay-layout), or Creo's Variable Print Specification (VPS), that are optimized for high-volume environments. If you are going to run PPML (an open standard for producing VDP jobs), which operates in a similar fashion to the vendors' proprietary high-speed VDP processing languages, there are variants on this language that are not supported in all presses. Some presses support PPML/VDX (variable data exchange standards), while others support PPML/GA (graphic arts).

If you are looking to do transactional documents, AFP workflows (or, coming soon, Open AFP) may be required for the most efficient processing. But if you are going to be doing both transactional and commercial work, you may want a press that can process either both AFP and PostScript, or work with an architecture, such as Xerox VIPP, that can handle both since the controller will cache high volumes of page elements so that each element doesn't have to be re-RIPed each time.

There are workflow considerations, as well. If you are looking to move toward a fully integrated workflow, you might want the press to handle JDF. If you are dealing with high volumes of customized documents, you might want to look into Optimized PDF, which is a caching function within PDF that allows you to reuse some elements, so the entire PDF doesn't have to be RIPed each time.

Digital Front End

All digital presses come with some kind of digital front end, or DFE, which are basically command and control centers for the presses. Each manufacturer has its own DFE.

In the DFE, you can do things like manage jobs, control the queue, impose pages, and select and assemble components of the job, and these tasks vary significantly by manufacturer. Some press controllers have embedded imposition architectures and tools. Others have output management controls that allow you to send jobs to different presses. Some have sophisticated color management. Others can ingest VDP files in different ways than others. Some can handle page description languages (such as PPML) that others can't.

The more complex your applications, especially if you are planning to do high-volume VDP, the more critical your choice in DFEs. For example, some DFEs will pull together the necessary images and build graphics on the fly so that the press receives a fully composed document. If the press were responsible for handling functions alone, it would not be able to print anywhere close to the maximum rated speed.

Of course, the necessity of these and other functions goes back to applications and volumes. If you are a distributor planning to do only relatively short runs of less complex jobs, the DFE is far less important.

The DFE isn't just important for VDP jobs. Every DFE has its own special features that optimize workflows for different applications. Xerox's DFE, for example, has a feature that allows manufacturers to impose a Z-sort at the controller that maximizes postal efficiencies for postcard printing. Essentially, the job is printed in the way that the cards will eventually be mailed for lowest postage rates. For manufacturers looking to move into direct mail, this feature could have a direct impact on profitability.

For more on choosing a DFE, click here.

Print Quality

For clients who demand the “best” print quality, even from their shortest runs, even this is subjective. All of the high-end digital presses have near offset quality, and which is “the best” often in the eye of the beholder. If you will be doing a lot of photographic images, the smaller toner particle size of the HP presses, as well as the liquid toner (which partially absorbs into the paper, thus giving it more of an offset look) is often favored by many clients, but even here, there is no hard and fast rule.

If you will not be doing high volumes, and short-run general commercial is the way you are going, there are some excellent lower cost machines to choose from. The Canon Imagepress and Oce CPS models are winning rave reviews for their print quality at prices far less than more robust digital production presses.

Number of Print Colors

A related issue to print quality is the number of print colors. Unlike offset presses, most digital presses are four-color. HP presses are offered in up to seven colors, but the fifth units in other presses, such as Nexpress, are used for coating.

Some presses have better color matching systems than others. If corporate colors are important to you, you'll want to do a lot of sampling. One thing to keep in mind is that especially for short-run jobs, changing out the fifth or sixth color can be deadly to prep time. You can quickly kill your margins on short-run jobs by swapping out match colors. Hence why most digital presses are four-color only. For most applications, color matching is secondary to turnaround time and the value of the overall application, such as 1:1 messaging or inventory management.

One solution for manufacturers anticipating a high percentage of their jobs requiring corporate colors or special color requirements is to purchase a press with a Hi-Fi color system. Currently, the only presses offering this option are from HP (using its HP Indigo Indichrome color system).

Running Speed

The higher the volume of jobs and the longer run the jobs will be, the more important the press running speed. But it's important to remember that the rated press speed is just a number. It doesn't mean that you'll be running jobs at this speed. If you will be doing complex VDP jobs, if you don't have a front-end workflow that optimizes the assembly and processing of these jobs, your once super-fast press can bog down. And if you'll be doing a high volume of short-run jobs, the front-end processing of those jobs can kill your productivity, even if, once the jobs are in the print queue, they can be output quickly.

If you have complex or high-volume jobs, look extra carefully at PDLs and print controllers.

Fit with Larger Production Workflow

Where will this press fit within the larger production workflow? Will you be running it in isolation from your other press workflows? Or will you have multiple presses working together? For example, if you will be setting up a Web-to-print solution, you may be outputting to both offset and digital presses. Or if you are purchasing the press to take the burden off larger offset equipment, and you are therefore operating the press in a production environment in which the workload is shuffled around, the DFE will once again play an important role.

Will jobs be coming in from customers in the traditional way? Or will you be moving into larger automated workflows like Web-to-print? If the latter, is your Web-to-print solution JDF-enabled? If so, you might want to purchase a JDF-enabled press, even if you aren't planned to transition to JDF right away. What level of software sophistication do you need to support these applications?

Finishing

Finishing is another major consideration in choosing a digital press. For most workflows, manufacturers and distributors will want to look at offline or nearline options, since this allows for the greatest production flexibility. However, if you will be doing a lot of work for a single customer with specialized needs, inline solutions may be the most profitable solution (one manufacturer, for example, considered purchasing a press with inline finishing to service a key customer, but the volumes the customer anticipated producing were less than $60,000 per year, so the idea was scrapped).

When looking at a basically captive customer solution, you will need to work backwards. Not every manufacturer offers the same inline solutions, so the choice of press will be determined by your finishing needs. Xerox is widely considered to be the industry leader in inline finishing, but for specific applications, don't overlook other vendors. For example, HP resells a Dorn UV coater optimized for customers doing photo applications or postcards; and in the label space, its dedicated finishing solutions allow customers to do embossing, engraving, and add metallic inks on the back of its label press.

One manufacturer confirms just how important the “working backwards” concept can be. It purchased a digital press to create a specific client application, and based on the color needs of its clients, it purchased a press that, it felt, would have the best photo replication capabilities. What it didn't check, however, was whether the output of this press could be re-run through another laser printer for subsequent variable imaging. It couldn't, so he had to find other applications to pay for its substantial investment.

Even if you will be doing a wide variety of work for different clients, many presses, especially monochrome presses, are built with simple inline finishing capabilities, such as stapling, collating, and bookletmaking, that can be useful in this environment. There are also time-saving features, such as feeds and inputs that allow you to insert pre-printed pieces, such as color pages or different stocks, into the piece on the fly. For manufacturers planning to run certain types of applications (such as high volumes of books), such time-saving features could be a significant differentiator between one press and another.

Other inline/finishing features that can have an impact on productivity include inline aqueous or UV coating available on presses such as the Kodak Nexpress and Xerox iGen3.

Runnable Stocks

Every press has its own list of stocks that will successfully run through the press. Some presses will run paper-based substrates only. Others will run paper and paper-substitutes, such as plastic papers. Others will run films and foils. The range of substrates required goes back to the issue of your intended applications.

If you are running a lot of direct mail, for example, you want a press that can handle heavier substrates for postcards. If you are running books or financial applications, you may want a press that can run very lightweight stocks for high-volume page needs. Don't overlook the small-footprint printer/copiers. There are a number of shops that have chosen small-footprint copier/printers from manufacturers like Sharp and KonicaMinolta that, they felt, could handle broader ranges of substrates than the “traditional” digital presses.

This issue exists with monochrome, as well as color presses. For example, the Nipson Varypress line uses flash fusing so that these devices can image a wide variety of stocks and substrates, including attached cards/laminates.

Remember to look at the weights, as well as the types, of stocks. Make sure you understand the minimums and maximums you can run, because this will have a major impact on the applications you can produce. Do your due diligence. Test the stocks you plan to run on the actual equipment. One manufacturer found out quickly that some of the heavier stocks it planned to run would not work well on the presses of several vendors it was considering.

On the monochrome side, stocks can play a particularly important role, especially if you are running a lot of halftones. The ability to run coated and chrome coated stocks can really punch up a monochrome application.

Your customer base will also determine what pressure is placed on what stocks you can offer. If you are working with a lot of agencies, for example, they may want to stretch the envelope. What if they want to run linens? Or textured stocks, like vellums? When it comes to stock requirements, consider your customer base carefully.

Price Tag

In any discussion relating to the purchase of digital presses, the issue of the price tag looms large. Many features would be great if manufacturers and distributors had unlimited budgets, but reality is often quite different. If you haven't established the need of the market, many productivity-enhancing features could push you into cost brackets that aren't feasible. This is where it's important to evaluate the amount of existing work that can be done of the press to justify the purchase. Along these lines are leasing vs. purchase options, incentives, financing, and other options that can increase or decrease the appeal of an individual price tag.

Also consider the possibility of purchasing a used press. For many short-run applications, older presses will do just fine, especially before your volumes really hit their peak. But for those launching into VDP, newer models compatible with the latest software, PDLs, and standards may be required.

Running Costs

The cost of the press is more than the initial price tag. Running costs, including click charges, consumables, maintenance, and other fees impact the overall cost of the press.

Format size is also an issue here. If you are running a high volume of a certain application, and a larger press size will allow you to print more up on a sheet, your running cost just dropped. Format size can save you run time and even the cost of an additional press, once your volumes reach a certain level.

Vendor Support

If the speeds and feeds of presses determined productivity, you could stack up all the numbers and compare them side by side. But many of the purchase criteria related to digital presses (such as workflow) don't work that way. While every press vendor offers some sort of workflow, every manufacturer's or distributor's shop can have different nuances and needs. As a result, the skill of the vendor to understand the workflow and applications is a critical selling point.

This is doubly true when it comes to VDP. Digital front ends, larger workflows, Page Description Languages, RIPs, and how all of these work together to handle the complexity of graphics, images, and other data driven elements on the fly can vary substantially from vendor to vendor. Some handle these better than others.

This is a particularly relevant issue for shops considering solutions from press vendors from outside the traditional graphic arts industry. It's important to evaluate whether the DFEs, workflow, and applications development support will meet your needs for the kinds of products you are developing.

Technical Support

You also need to consider technical support. How many technicians does the vendor have? How quickly will those technicians reach you if you need them? This can be a critical issue for manufacturers and distributors in more remote locations.

This is also a major issue for shops looking into transactional applications. Turnarounds on these jobs tend to be extremely tight, and clients have zero tolerance for missed deadlines. It's not unusual for contracts to require turnarounds of 24 to 36 hours. One manufacturer that invested heavily in transactional applications had a simple criteria for its vendor. Its technicians had to be available all three shifts, seven days a week, and offer a one-hour telephone and two-hour “on the floor” response time on any of those shifts.

Putting It All Together

Putting this all together, what are some of the overarching conclusions we can take away?

Evaluating the proper digital press for your customer base and applications requires a backwards approach. Before beginning to evaluate press specifications such as formats, speeds, colors, and features, you must first understand…

• Your potential markets
• Your potential customers' needs
• Intended applications
• Finishing requirements

Only once these things are fully understood can the press specs be evaluated. Even these must be evaluated in context. This starts with the larger workflow, including the impact of considerations such as PDLs and digital front ends. In other words, if you are saddling your production manager with the decision about what press to purchase, you are taking the wrong approach. It has to be a team effort, with representatives from marketing, business development, production, prepress and IT.

Once you've narrowed the search down to several models, it's time to do thorough testing. One manufacturer succinctly concludes the discussion as follows: “If you are going to get started in digital printing, you have to take a hard look at the equipment, then do heavy testing. It's great to look at the sell sheets and sample sheets, but until you are testing the press with your files, you can't really understand how it will work for you.”

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