i-Image in the house!

[bulldog]

I saw the difference in Danny's prints between the Lawson and the M&R (heck I may have seen his old lawson as well)

I will say that there seems to be a big step up between prints that were generated on the old unit to the new unit.  Plus, I believe that Danny wrote on the note to Rich that he set the print up that I saw without touching a single micro.  -- Nice print BTW, I love your use of the white stripe around the art to make it look 3d.  (and the US/14 on the bouy)

I'm preparing to write the check on one for our shop... here's several things that have gone through our heads:

1. setups will be MUCH faster...
2. film takes a long time to print, then move, then image, etc.
3. if we use permanently blocked out screens, and don't need to micro much if at all, I bet we can get away with never using registration marks or anything else to tape.  So we save the $$$ in tape cost.
4. Film does cost money... I figured out the other day that we go through rougly $150-$200 in film and ink EVERY month.
5. even if you're fast, registering a film onto the screen takes additional time.

on a 4 or 5 color tight registration job, today it takes us 40-50 minutes to set that job up on press.  if I can set that same job up in 5 or 10 minutes max, now we can print that many more jobs.

PLUS, less training for the screen room operator.

I'm sure there's other benefits that I'll realize once we start using it, but those are my thoughts right now.

#4...I know you'll save money on film. But wouldn't you use roughly the same amount of ink? Or whatever the I-Image uses...I'm assuming that is some sort of special ink. What does that cost?

[Doug S]

I for one was scared to death that I had screwed up when I pulled the trigger and signed the dotted line for the I Image.  We are a mom and pop shop and probably the least justified in adding the dts.  All in all we probably average 75 screens a week so ROI wouldn't make since here no matter how you mix the numbers especially if you base it on consumables alone.  The prepress ease of things now versus before makes it priceless.  My prereg system was pretty spot on the majority of time using film as long as I spent the time to line up the films properly but I was finding less time to do that due to our increased workload. 

If all we did was screen print then dts wouldn't have ever even crossed my mind but considering the variety of things we do and the lack of labor available today "leaving just me and my wife" we have to streamline every aspect of the different areas of business we are involved in.  That's where the return comes in.  Having the I image for roughly 2 months now, I can tell you that I wouldn't go back.  M&R has been great during the whole change over which makes the purchase that much better. 

Anyone who is ever in SE Arkansas who wants to see 1st hand how it works is more than welcome to stop by.

[Homer]

3. if we use permanently blocked out screens, and don't need to micro much if at all, I bet we can get away with never using registration marks or anything else to tape. So we save the $$$ in tape cost.

haha oh no you didn't....

[IntegrityShirts]

I bought a helicopter with cash and it gets me to my shop 20min faster each day. It was a no brainer, I just did it, wouldn't ever go back to driving!

[GraphicDisorder]

3. if we use permanently blocked out screens, and don't need to micro much if at all, I bet we can get away with never using registration marks or anything else to tape. So we save the $$$ in tape cost.

haha oh no you didn't....

 

[244]

I saw the difference in Danny's prints between the Lawson and the M&R (heck I may have seen his old lawson as well)

I will say that there seems to be a big step up between prints that were generated on the old unit to the new unit.  Plus, I believe that Danny wrote on the note to Rich that he set the print up that I saw without touching a single micro.  -- Nice print BTW, I love your use of the white stripe around the art to make it look 3d.  (and the US/14 on the bouy)

I'm preparing to write the check on one for our shop... here's several things that have gone through our heads:

1. setups will be MUCH faster...
2. film takes a long time to print, then move, then image, etc.
3. if we use permanently blocked out screens, and don't need to micro much if at all, I bet we can get away with never using registration marks or anything else to tape.  So we save the $$$ in tape cost.
4. Film does cost money... I figured out the other day that we go through rougly $150-$200 in film and ink EVERY month.
5. even if you're fast, registering a film onto the screen takes additional time.

on a 4 or 5 color tight registration job, today it takes us 40-50 minutes to set that job up on press.  if I can set that same job up in 5 or 10 minutes max, now we can print that many more jobs.

PLUS, less training for the screen room operator.

I'm sure there's other benefits that I'll realize once we start using it, but those are my thoughts right now.

#4...I know you'll save money on film. But wouldn't you use roughly the same amount of ink? Or whatever the I-Image uses...I'm assuming that is some sort of special ink. What does that cost?

Ink cost is roughly .03-.07 per screen.

[Gilligan]

I bought a helicopter with cash and it gets me to my shop 20min faster each day. It was a no brainer, I just did it, wouldn't ever go back to driving!

I was thinking the EXACT same thing.

Brandt, you should buy all of your guys sports cars... the drive to work would then put them in a better mood and they would be more productive for you.  No brainer!

Also Brandt... do we really want to talk about "letting go of the past"... I mean you are STILL on DS running your keyboard about fat bob anytime you can.  Don't get me wrong, people need to be warned, but you are certainly not one to suggest that someone "let go" of something with that crusade you have going on there.

[3Deep]

Around 70k impressions last I looked. No means are we a big shop. Just goes to show you if my itty bitty shop can afford this type of stuff so can the big ones who run ROI's so often their fingers are blistered.

Some itty bitty shop's don't have the same capital as other's, sure your a small shop, but your capital is like a mini Bill Gates the way your spending your $ and I have no problem with that, you got it you spend it....now my shop we would be broke in a month or deep to our eyeballs in payments trying to be what we know we are not DEEP POCKETS

darryl

[GraphicDisorder]

I bought a helicopter with cash and it gets me to my shop 20min faster each day. It was a no brainer, I just did it, wouldn't ever go back to driving!

I was thinking the EXACT same thing.

Brandt, you should buy all of your guys sports cars... the drive to work would then put them in a better mood and they would be more productive for you.  No brainer!

Also Brandt... do we really want to talk about "letting go of the past"... I mean you are STILL on DS running your keyboard about fat bob anytime you can.  Don't get me wrong, people need to be warned, but you are certainly not one to suggest that someone "let go" of something with that crusade you have going on there.

My guys are already in a great mood and I can just supply pizza to improve any mood issues.  Sports cars are on them.

Fat Bob was stealing.  Sam was embellishing to seem like a genius, he wasn't charging you kids money and not giving you product.  I see that as a completely different deal (some how same thing on your planet).  "Any time I can" is an embellishment as well (OK SAM), considering I have made 3 posts this year on that site, just looked for you.  Only 1 post the year before (which was about embroidery machines).  So if "any time I can" is 4 posts in 2 years, yes sir you right. 

It's interesting that what some of you guys perceive can generally be found an exaggeration on your parts.  Which is what Sam was thrown to the wolves for... HMMM, theres a term for that.

[blue moon]

please sort your personal issues via PM's. Voicing your disparagement once is enough, move on from there. I will start cutting stuff if things don't get better.

pierre 

[islandtees]

please sort your personal issues via PM's. Voicing your disparagement once is enough, move on from there. I will start cutting stuff if things don't get better.

pierre

I agree. Who cares who can pay cash or has to finance. Who cares its a no brainer.
You need the information about the machine to make a wise choice. I can pay cash for 2 machines right now. BFD!!!!
That doesn't mean I go out and buy one to say I have it. I want to be sure it would work right for my shop.

[GraphicDisorder]

One thing is for sure.  CTS/DTS has become a pretty passionate topic on this forum.  Seemingly more so than more important things in the shop or how to run a business to start with. 

[screenprintguy]

For us, "me" it was all about quality of LIFE. So I had to wait a little longer to get my Harley, but the headaches and other stuff that went around carrier sheets and all that would have kept me from riding anyway,so we got the CTS. Now it's up'd our efficiency to justify and see the need to add another auto within the next few months, so as a small shop owner, it was an awesome addition! Gary-Islandtees-- not sure if you remember me, I came to your shop a few years ago, bought a bunch of newman frames from you. I've seen your nice operation, and how busy you guys look, if I were you, I would seriously consider a CTS! Hope all is well with you and Laura!

Mike

[tonypep]

The bean counters upstairs would look at it this way: if we had 40-60 to invest and looking at max ROI the DTS would lose over another auto. Plain and simple as we are needing to farm out some work.
That's just us. Kudos for all who have and or buying one. Is it technical masturbation? Hardly. Just not for everyone. That's all I have to say about that.

[Homer]

here's where I am -if anyone gives a damn:

we need one for quality of life and ease of making screens so "any idiot can do it". We have a higher turn over rate in employees than I like. -if it's me not knowing how to hire or the training or whatever -we just do.... I want to be able to take a greenhorn, show him the basics and have them turning out screens in less than a day. We use a FPU now and I just can not trust the greenhorns enough to get it lined up right. is the FPU hard to use? absolutely not -BUT- it's a major part of my system, if they eff that up -the pressman is going to spend extra time with micros and he'll go bananas, so I need a SIMPLE solution to this, and I think DTS might fit us.. walk in, grab the screen, hit print, boom done -no real skills are needed...very little training on such an important task...and we have a starlight too so exposure will spelled out and super simple...

BUT, we don't make a ton of screens, 100 a week, roughly....maybe not even that many. ROI, honestly I don't care what that time frame is....that is a non issue for me....I just need to learn about the machines and all the fancy do-dads and what to avoid and so on...

 I need Rosie from the Jestsons....