What PRINTER for real estate brochures- should we buy?

[JAck Pysz]

Hello All,

I run a real estate office, we do have a big copier/printer already for documents but what I was looking for to print is the following:

11x17 color booklets of up to 8 pages. Many times it will be just 11x17 folded in half( 4 pages) . It will be a full color print on a glossy paper. The content will be photos of the homes. We dont print them in bulk, it would be typically up to 10 copies per house. so, say maybe 400 copies altogether a month.
The reason I would like to do this in house is that every time we print it we need just a few copies, and every time it is something different. It's getting harder to get this from the local print shop as we bother them everyday with just a few pieces to print.
Also, If I printed 11x17 all color on all 4 pages(after folding) what would be an approximate cost of print in house?
I am not worried about folding or stitching as with only 10-15 pieces a day we can do it manually. I really appreciate help and ideas.....JAck

 

[Shant Melo]

Hey Jack,

I am technology consultant with a large printing manufacturer. It seems like what you need is an office MFP(Multifunctional printer) that has the capabilities of producing Booklets/Brochures. You may also have to consider the thickness of the paper because generally office printers are not capable of printing on very thick paper as you may receive from your local print shop.

It is the most logical for most businesses to just lease a printer since it includes maintenance, toner, and parts. The way you calculate this payment is by the volume of your monthly prints. They calculate this by charging you per click/print.

If you make 8 page booklets at 400 copies

8 page booklets x 400 copies = 3,200 total prints a month

Cost per click (for example) .06 cents

3200 x .06 =

$192 for maintenance per month + Printer Lease payment (for example) $350 a month =

Total monthly = $542.00

Don't forget about the technology the printer has for office use. Scanning capabilities to streamline document processing and organize your office.

 

[JAck Pysz]

Thanks. We are currently leasing a big MFC, which generally speaking is a great and fast machine. However it is not doing a great job on a glossy(especially heavier paper)....
We are doing a local shop, it`s just becoming increasingly difficult to bother them with a few pieces at a time. I will give an example, they charge us $4.00 per eight full color pages that are glossy and are very , very sturdy, (like business card)....

 

[Shant Melo]

Well, you stated above that on average you do 400 copies a month. If so, $4.00(per copy from print shop) x 400 copies = $1,600.00 monthly printing budget.
You may lease a light production printer with thicker gloss stock capabilities (up to 360gsm) and save at least a few hundred dollars with your current budget. I am a consultant with Ricoh (World Market leader in printing)), We have machines that would print on thicker stocks, fold, saddle stitch, trifold (brochures), and still save a lot of $$ from your current budget of $1,600.00