Funny Money

[printcraft]

printcraft, got to get to work now, got 33000 17x22 that have to be quarter folded to 8.5x11 and delivered today (and they're still on press being printed)

ah the life of a pressman/bindery/estimator/office worker/guy who does everything in the shop!...oh god, I'm getting too old for this $h*t!

Slacker!

You should be answering phones and having a press and a folder running at the same time!

 

[femurphy77]

the next day, there was an article on the front page of the newspaper about the secret service paying a "visit to a local radio station!"

LOVE. IT.

 

[shootersix]

Slacker!

You should be answering phones and having a press and a folder running at the same time!

funny you mention that, cause I do answer the phones, I have 2 sales accounts, and our press can plow fold, so when I'm helping on press, I'm running the press and folder at the same time!

 

[mmpsteve]

wow ive been in the field for 36 years, next month will be 32 years at my job, plus 4 years in high school (2 of those I was in vocational printing 3-1 hour long classes a day), congrats on working in a field that's dying faster than great great grandma Gertie in the nursing home!

Print is not dying, it's just changing. I started in 1985 - small format offset quick print, and switched to total digital about 6 years ago, and could not be happier. Direct mail is our fastest growing segment. We farm out really long runs, but 90% stays in shop.

As to forging bills on copiers, when we got our 1st color machine back in the 80's, it was the first thing you had to try, just to see if you could. The equipment manufacturers told you that each print was micro-encoded with the machine S/N, so we never really went for it, but it was fun to play with.

I did have a fellow bring in a master sheet of real $1.00 bills one time, asking if we could cut it down. I believe he had a bunch of them, but only brought in one sheet. My counter girl brought it to my office to see if we could do it. We sent him on his way, and he was gone from the parking lot so quick I couldn't get his license plate!

 

[printcraft]

Print is not dying, it's just changing. I started in 1985 - small format offset quick print, and switched to total digital about 6 years ago, and could not be happier. Direct mail is our fastest growing segment. We farm out really long runs, but 90% stays in shop. ....

What did you do for envelopes? I haven't found a digital solution that doesn't look like trash. Then again I haven't looked recently.

 

[mmpsteve]

Xante Impressia, Printcraft. Not a perfect solution, but pretty darn good. It's basically a medium size Ricoh color copier with some modifications. Doesn't smash the envelope like some of the other envelope solutions, and get's a very good image. I've done everything from coin envelopes to 10x15 catalogues. Not a cheap solution, but it's been solid for 3 years with virtually no maintenance. There may be better options now, but it was the best I could find at the time, and I rolled it in with a Ricoh color machine lease. No more ink or solvents; hands stay clean, and I can do 10 different color combos in one day with no cleanup and minimal makeready.

What did you do for envelopes? I haven't found a digital solution that doesn't look like trash. Then again I haven't looked recently.

 

[shootersix]

Print is not dying, it's just changing. I started in 1985 - small format offset quick print, and switched to total digital about 6 years ago, and could not be happier. Direct mail is our fastest growing segment. We farm out really long runs, but 90% stays in shop.

As to forging bills on copiers, when we got our 1st color machine back in the 80's, it was the first thing you had to try, just to see if you could. The equipment manufacturers told you that each print was micro-encoded with the machine S/N, so we never really went for it, but it was fun to play with.

I did have a fellow bring in a master sheet of real $1.00 bills one time, asking if we could cut it down. I believe he had a bunch of them, but only brought in one sheet. My counter girl brought it to my office to see if we could do it. We sent him on his way, and he was gone from the parking lot so quick I couldn't get his license plate!

we’ve changed our focus also, late 90s to early 2000’s we had almost 30 employees, and 7 sheetfed presses, mid 2000’s we (not we, but the big bosses) decided to focus on medium to long run full color work, and now have focused on us having 5 employees! But we can run the hell out of full/full on gloss! But the only people who need that are newspapers, and those (circulation numbers) are dropping faster than the stocks did earlier this week but I’ll tell you this I really doubt anyone in Indiana can print as fast or cheap as we can! We have 2-8 color web presses (no more sheetfed) with flying splicers that can run 60m 8.5x11’s an hour! (Each) they both have uv dryers, so the inks completely dry when it comes off the press, we literally can hang plates, print, cut, fold and ship the same day! Just today we printed 33000 17x22’s they were still printing them as I started folding them, and at 4 they were boxed, skidded, labeled and out the door!

 

[mmpsteve]

Yes sir, now I understand your 'print is dying' comment. Those are hugely impressive machines you run, and also for very specific market. Totally different world than I operate in. I farm out larger runs to a company that has your type of press, but they have a sheetfed division too, so they do pretty good.

PS: sorry about the thread drift to the OP, but this is INGO We can take it to PM from here if we want to talk printing.

we’ve changed our focus also, late 90s to early 2000’s we had almost 30 employees, and 7 sheetfed presses, mid 2000’s we (not we, but the big bosses) decided to focus on medium to long run full color work, and now have focused on us having 5 employees! But we can run the hell out of full/full on gloss! But the only people who need that are newspapers, and those (circulation numbers) are dropping faster than the stocks did earlier this week but I’ll tell you this I really doubt anyone in Indiana can print as fast or cheap as we can! We have 2-8 color web presses (no more sheetfed) with flying splicers that can run 60m 8.5x11’s an hour! (Each) they both have uv dryers, so the inks completely dry when it comes off the press, we literally can hang plates, print, cut, fold and ship the same day! Just today we printed 33000 17x22’s they were still printing them as I started folding them, and at 4 they were boxed, skidded, labeled and out the door!