Images October 2019 Digital Edition

www.images-magazine.com OCTOBER 2019 images 27 TIPS & TECHNIQUES The Ricoh Gen 4 can also jet ink with a much higher viscosity (density), so a thinner layer is required, resulting in a softer hand once the print is cured. Higher viscosity inks also allow for better durability in the wash. The flipside is that this print head costs more than the DX5: as you will require multiple print heads, this will increase the build cost of the printer. Speed versus cost The results of a side-by-side speed test at Resolute DTG’s technical department were an eye opener. We used an R-Jet 5 fitted with a DX5 print head, which produced between six and 10 dark shirts an hour. The cost of this printer new was £9,950. When printing the same artwork at the same size, the Ricoh Ri 6000 achieved 30 dark shirts an hour. The cost of this printer new is £23,950. So the Ri 6000 costs just under two and half times as much as the R-Jet 5 when purchased new and is capable of producing three times as many shirts in a given time. These numbers are summarised in the Production Figures & ROI table, (below), which are based on a profit margin of £5 per printed shirt. As the table shows, the difference in the return on investment period (ROI) between the two printers is less than 10 days when they are working at full capacity. Bear in mind, however, that the earning potential of the Ricoh Gen 4 machines is greater once the ROI has been achieved. How, then, does this information affect your decision over which new printer (and print heads) to purchase? In short, your investment should match your production requirements. My advice would be: don’t spend more than you need to, and match the printer’s throughput to your production volumes. For example, if you’re only ever likely to be printing 25 shirts per day then the ROI on the DX5 print head printer would be nearer to 80 days whereas on the Gen 4 print head printer it would be nearer to 192 days. But choose wisely: you can’t make a printer run any faster than it is designed to operate. If your budget can stretch to it, and you anticipate that your future production volumes will warrant it, consider a printer with industrial heads – it is likely to require less maintenance, and will give both ink savings and higher profit potential over the long term. www.resoluteink.co.uk PRINT HEAD NUMBER OF DARK SHIRTS (per hour) AVERAGE MARGIN (per hour) NUMBER OF DARK SHIRTS (per 5-hr shift) DAILY PROFIT (not turnover) PRINTER RIO CALCULATION (printer cost/ daily profit) ROI PERIOD (number of days) PRODUCTION FIGURES & ROI DX5 10 £50 50 £250 £9,950/250 40 Ricoh Gen 4 30 £150 150 £750 £23,950/£750 32 Is your business ready for a Faster and more versatile DTG process? Let Resolute introduce you to its new Green Button DTG systems Resolute DTG Ltd - Turnoaks Lane - Chesterfield - S40 2HA - Tel: 01246 202686 - sales@resoluteink.co.uk Resolute DTG - a KODAK manufacturing partner & Ricoh Gold partner. www.resolutedtg.com * Terms and conditions apply - available on request. DTG at the touch of a button UK exclusives from Resolute Combining the very latest technology Resolute create DTG systems that are as simple as Click - Print - Cure Ricoh printhead technology from Resolute DTG gives your business speed, reliability, quality and printhead warranty