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inin Blog
Deciding on the best industrial printer for your company’s tasks and printing needs is no easy task, but the professionals at AMI are here to help! We aim to assist you in getting the right printing hardware to excel in your industry. We are going to discuss the differences in thermal inkjet printing and DOD piezo printing options. Understanding your industry and needs will ultimately decide the case code printer that is right for you.
One of the biggest factors to consider is the price of case coding printing hardware, the technology and any consumables, especially when dealing with large character printing can certainly be a deciding factor for a manufacturer. For large character printing, it is essential to consider capabilities of printing message size and content, printer price, ink price, yearly production volume, maintenance and other costs. We will further discuss why these factors are so important and how they can affect the overall cost of your printing technology.
Choosing the correct font, height of the message you are printing, and the character count of your message are all variables that can alter your overall production cost significantly when printing on a large scale. The difference in cost for varying fonts and slight changes in font size can be staggering for a large company that codes and prints at high rates. These incremental differences have profound effects on the overall cost of printing.
Printers have various fonts to choose from and even choosing a simplified font like Arial can decrease a company’s cost by 1.5-2 times. Even using other common fonts such as Times New Roman can have profound cost differences, even when printing in the same size. Companies should consider these factors and decide on a simplified, legible font that effectively conveys information without being too extravagant or increasing the overall cost of the printing process significantly.
Case coding usually requires at least a 12mm font on line 1 which is a significant use of more ink than say a 2-3 mm height on most primary packaging of what is deemed non-essential information. Naturally when increasing the height of the print, in conjunction with the font variable, a producer can see vast differences in cost. Considering the main impetus of this case coding and printing is for ease of legibility and scannability, a required font size of 12mm ensures that information can be conveyed from an appropriate distance and bar-code scanners can function properly.
What message will you be printing on your cases and packaging? Whether it is characters, barcodes, or logos- the size and quantity can have drastic effects on overall pricing and ink usage. To get the estimated number of prints per cartridge/bottle, contact an AMI team member with the precise message you want to print. Include the height of the characters, font and give a sample of the message you will be printing.
Another large factor in determining annual costs is the production volume for a calendar year. This information, when given to a case code supplier, can help a business calculate their estimated printing costs based on production. Of course, all other pricing variables are still in play. Daily production, the amount of production shifts per day, shift duration, and the seasonality of production are all important factors in determining the ultimate cost of printing.
Perhaps the cost that is most in the forefront of potential printers’ minds is the cost of the printing unit itself. As we discussed, the many variables and factors that contribute to ultimate cost need to be determined for a specific business. Thermal Inkjet printers by and large are less expensive than their DOD, Hi-Res piezo counterparts. The thermal inkjet printers do not have the internal built in print engine, their print head comes with the purchase of every new ink cartridge. This use of a TIJ printer has terrific results and is wonderfully suited for smaller production applications. Whereas mid and large tier manufacturers may want to consider hi-res drop-on-demand piezo printing with their integrated print engine. As always, the best choice will come down to your manufacturing needs and capabilities.
Another factor for consideration is the cost of the ink itself. Thermal inkjet cartridges have a smaller capacity and thus are swapped out more often than their piezo counterparts, which have larger cartridges, sometimes bulk system. This is, of course, due to the differences in printing technology as previously discussed. Another unique aspect that prospective manufacturers should use to calculate their end cost.
Maintenance is a routine and important factor to consider in overall pricing of printing technology as well. Thermal inkjet printers do not require any service which is a great benefit. Piezo DOD printers that utilize cartridges also have no mechanical parts that require attention, however bulk system piezo printing does require maintenance. Hi-res piezo also calls for a spray clean approximately every six months. Consider these factors in your ultimate decision.
Determining the correct print technology for you and your business requires a fair deal of consideration. Take into account all the aforementioned variables and consult a professional at AMI that can help you find the right printing technology for you. Smaller production and overall smaller printing may be perfectly suitable for thermal inkjet printing technology. For large production, piezo DOD printing may be the most cost effective option for you.
AMI specializes in a range of print equipment technologies and our knowledgeable staff can assist manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers alike. Call 1-800-345-6667 or have someone call you.