chuq%plaid@Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) (05/15/87)
Date: 13 May 87 18:51:58 GMT From: jean@hrcca.UUCP (Jean Airey) Subject: Re: Xerography or Offset? Organization: Hickory Ridge - AT&T, Lisle, IL In article <18148@sun.uucp>, chuq%plaid@Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) writes: > From: desktop%plaid@sun.com > And if I stick with Xerography, do I want to continue shelling out $100/mo > in costs, or do I want to buy a machine and do it myself? > > The way I look at it, if I go offset I get lots of new capabilities, > including being able to use cardstock for covers, go to a saddle stitch, and > be able to reproduce photos (photos and book covers don't really do well in > a copy machine....). But I'm tied to a schedule, the turnaround is slower, > and I'm not sure what volume I need before the cost per page is better than > Xerography. > Having published several newsletters & fanzines -- I think that using cardstock/saddlestitch etc. is going to cost mucho $$$ -- at least it did in Columbus Ohio -- the option is nice, but the cost (for me at that time) was out-of-sight. Also, if you're going to use photos you *must* have them screened to run on an offset press -- and that's more bucks. I find that *certain* "dry copy" machines reproduce photos quite satisfactorily -- especially considering that I'm usuallly concerned about keeping the cost down. You can also buy a "white dot" screen that improves the photographic "dry copy" image. > If I stick with the copy shop, I'm probably trading off speed and > convenience (they collate for me, for instance) against cost. That depends on your copy shop. In Columbus (OH), one of the shops I used had *exactly* the same prices for "dry copying" vs. offset. They automatically went to offset if you were getting a certain quantity. They *always* charged more if I wanted things collated. With the quantity you're talking about, do you really want to sit around and put page 1 with 2 with 3? It's not bad if you throw a collating party, but by oneself is not the most rewarding thing to do of an evening. If your copy shop is doing the collating *free* I would say that you've got a good deal. > > But I don't know whether I can buy a copier in the 3000-5000 copy/month > bracket with 100% two sided capability in that kind of price range. I, too, wondered about buying my *own* copy machine -- but in talking to several individuals (including the people who tried to maintain the machines at work) I found out the following: You can't use the "copy/month" figure to figure out the machine you need when you're going to be running all those copies at once! I.E. if they say 3000 copies/month, they assume that you will be running about (30 day month) 100 copies/day. If you try to run your 3000 copies in one day you will probably smoke the machine (happened to ours at work). So what you have to look for is how many copies the machine will handle in a batch -- and that will probably be an expensive machine! I do know some people who bought their own offset press -- but getting plates ready & maintaining the press was too much hassle. Of course, there are still some high quality mimeo-type machines out there (rousing chorus of "TRADITION"). "Hope is very dangerous." -- Jean Airey: US Mail 1306 W. Illinois, Aurora, IL 60506 ihnp4!hrcca!jean ---------------------------------------- Submissions to: desktop%plaid@sun.com -OR- sun!plaid!desktop Administrivia to: desktop-request%plaid@sun.com -OR- sun!plaid@desktop-request Paths: {ihnp4,decwrl,hplabs,seismo,ucbvax}!sun Chuq Von Rospach chuq@sun.COM [I don't read flames] There is no statute of limitations on stupidity