When you seek out carton printing equipment that is apropos for your specific application, objective and industry, it’s important to follow certain “best practice” guidelines to ensure your investment will deliver over the long haul. In kind, there are also some notable things to avoid when deciding on a carton printing solution. Here are a few for top-line consideration:
- Do not buy based on price alone: An expensive machine may just as likely not suit your needs as the cheapest one on the market. You must consider a host of other factors before buying a carton printer simply because it is on clearance, or is the highest priced so it “must” be the best. Even if you use the old rule of thumb to go for the mid-range priced item, but avoid all other considerations, the unit may still fall short of your needs and expectations. Due diligence is key.
- Do not select the carton printing system with the most bells and whistles: Such a device may have all the functionality that might ever be possible on a carton printer but you may not need that level of functionality or require training to even learn how to use it all. That unused functionality is also just something extra that may break down and cause downtime. Do select a printer with all of the features that you need and do not discount the fact that “simple” can be highly effective and productive.
- Do not work with a company that does not have a good reputation to back them up: Brands are popular for a reason. They help people make purchase decisions based on the reputation and image that brand has earned in terms of reliability and dependability. While new companies do offer new ideas and innovation, they may not have yet perfected it. Do select a company that has an established favorable track record of high quality, dependability, and customer service.
- Do not pick a generic printer for your carton printing needs: Generic carton printers are for businesses that have the most basic of needs with no real need or desire to scale up or down. You, however, may need more unique solutions or customizable, robust functionality. Do opt for a carton printer company that can grow and adapt with your company’s objectives and reaction to market conditions.
- Do not discount the importance of technology, yield, and imaging: When you do not research the science of carton printers, you do not fully understand the role of yield, imaging, and performance in a way that you can use to compare models and brands. Not having this knowledge means you may not be making the most educated decision when you buy. Do learn about how carton printers work and what the different yield and imaging capacities mean for your specific application before you write that check.
- Do not avoid asking questions about maintenance and repair: One of the biggest mistakes made when weighing carton printer purchases is to not ask about operating costs related to the life of the machine in terms of ink, maintenance frequency, and the cost of repairs and parts replacement. You may think the upfront cost is the biggest factor, but it is the lifetime costs that can really put a dent in the budget and affect the supply chain relative to production schedules. Do ask questions and consider the impact of operating costs before signing on the bottom line.
In Summary Here are the highlights from this blog post:
- Do not focus on the upfront cost in terms of being high, low, or mid-range. Consider what you need and weigh that against the cost.
- Do not focus simply on upfront costs, but also consider lifetime costs.
- Do not go generic but do not go overboard on machines with functionality you don’t understand or will never use.
- Do not go with a generic company or product; brands define reputation.
- Do not buy without first educating yourself on technology, yield, and imaging.
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