Inkjet’s Age
7 Questions
to Ask Yourself
Before Purchasing a New
UV Inkjet Press
By Ron Ducharme
Purchasing a new narrow-format UV inkjet press can seem a lot like buying a car. Th e purchasing
process may seem long, and can be quite confusing. Like choosing a car, you must conduct
thorough research before choosing an inkjet press that will suit your business needs. Going
through this process without understanding what technology or features to look for can result
in a poor purchase. Whether your company is purchasing its fi rst press, replacing an outdated model,
or adding to its fl eet, the decision can feel a bit overwhelming. Doing some research and understanding
your business needs will lead to a smart buying decision.
Do your homework
With a bevy of printer choices available to the
printing market, it’s crucial to weigh all the options
and understand the specifi c needs of your
company before making an investment. Whether
it’s formatting, the number of printers you
need, or cost-restrictions you may have, knowing
this information ahead of time will help avoid
disappointment and frustration during the purchasing
process. Choosing the right UV inkjet
press doesn’t need to be a headache. To prepare,
ask yourself the following seven questions before
embarking on the purchasing process.
• What new industries will this help my company
capitalize on? Keep an eye out for industry needs
and trends. For example, craft breweries are
growing in popularity. Create a list of how you
could bring your printing service to that industry
and others of similar realm. Would a UV inkjet
press be an appropriate purchase?
• Do I need a fl exographic station? Do you see
yourself needing to fl ood coat white or print a
static background on a regular basis? Hybrid
printers are usually manufactured with a
customized number of fl exographic stations,
followed by a digital unit, creating one comprehensive
machine.
• What are my color requirements and preferences?
How oft en do you use colors outside the
standard CMYK? For example, colors such as
orange and violet bring out stronger fl esh tones
and a broader gamut. Producing colors at these
spectrums could potentially help you break into
markets and partner with new companies that
you may have not reached before.
• What cure method is the most appropriate?
Th ere are two cure options for UV inkjet printing–
UV and UV LED. Th ere are advantages and
disadvantages to both. Conventional UV is also
very hot, so the types of media you can run with it
are limited. On the contrary, UV LED requires no
warm-up time and is not as hot as conventional
UV, allowing for greater media fl exibility.
• Will I need a chill roll? Th e main reason to
purchase a chill roll is to use in conjunction with
the UV lamp. Regarding fi lms, heat is the biggest
challenge, so the chill roll mitigates that issue.
• Do I want inline fi nishing? Do you want this
fi nishing to be inline with the printer? For some,
the answer is yes and for some it is no. To determine
the best inline fi nishing for your company,
you will want to consider speeds. If your chosen
fi nishing process is slower than the printing, then
you’d need a larger accumulator or you’d need
to slow down printing to let fi nishing catch up.
Sometimes it’s best to just do offl ine fi nishing so
you don’t have to shut down the printing or vice
versa.
• What level of service do I need from the OEM?
You must realize there are new responsibilities
that come into play when purchasing new tech-
Ron Ducharme
Product Manager at
FLEXcon
Ron Ducharme has more than 35
years of experience in marketing
development, and works with FLEXcon’s
customers, co-suppliers, and
end users on a daily basis to develop
new technologies that will benefi t
the manufacturing industry.
Continued on page 31
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