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Ink jet printing is good business

January 5, 2008 I just finished running 28 posters for a local bank on my wide-format ink-jet printer. They will be put back-to-back in branches of the banks to promote something new... it’s the latest trend in banking. In the process, I used a good part of a roll of paper and a moderate amount of ink. I blanch when I have to order ink for this behemoth, as it has seven $100 cartridges of ink in its maw. I keep a complete set of those seven on-hand because there is no store I can run to when I run out. Staples and Office Depot don’t stock these inks, and I am far away from any big city. So, I have about $1,400 worth of ink in my office at all times. I also stock at least one extra roll of paper, at $200 per roll.

But, I feel all warm and fuzzy when I hand over 28 posters to my banker-client because ink-jet printing is good business. The out-of-pocket costs for the 28 posters are a bit hard to define due to the highly-variable ink usage. But, I can calculate the costs of paper, and I can approximate the costs of the ink, and when I add it up it’s a good business transaction. The profit margin can be excellent if you produce good work, handle it carefully, and deliver reliably, the ink-jet printing business is a great business.

There is a significant investment in the machinery and the computers to drive it. And, then there is the large cutting table and the X-Acto knives and big aluminum rulers and the self-healing table pad (a great product, by the way). When I add those costs together and calculate a cost-per-square-foot, and it’s still a good business proposition. This is not like buying printing presses and paper cutters and folders.

The ink-jet business is unquestionably a great business opportunity for graphic arts firms, but it can be a time-drain. Time is the kiler in ink-jet printing. To run the 28 posters at very high quality on my printer took hours, and hours and hours. Though I could devote a comptuer to driving the printer, I don’t (too cheap); I just let the computer I am using run the printer as a background task. It doesn’t tax the machine much, and I am only occasionally aware of any stammering or pauses caused by printing. The fact is that, once ripped, ink-jet jobs require only a moderate flow of information from the computer to the printer. The quality is superb, but at this moment in the timeline of technology, quality comes at the cost of time-to-print.

If you do the math on any of the popular large-format (48 inch) printers, you’ll see that it’s worthwhile to get one and produce ink-jet work for your clients. The ancillary costs are modest, and the profit margins are good. Buy a complete back-up supply of ink and paper, and buy a big aluminum ruler and a box of X-Acto knife blades – you’ll need them. You won’t need an armored car to take the profits to the bank, but you’ll be pleased with the profit margins.

Posted by Brian Lawler on January 5, 2008 | Comments (6)