I remember when I first started at my job, we literally had about 80 different types of paper on the shelf. I’ve slowly whittled that down to about 7 or 8 paper types now. Makes inventory and ordering so much easier.
Awesome video, Dan! In no particular order, here are a few additional items I'd like to add to the paper discussion: * When ordering folio sheets to cut down, you may wish to consider if you want all four sides of your cut sheets to have clean edges. The interior side of a paper cutter's blade will always produce a cleaner cut than the pushed out side. Some papers (especially cover weight) can be pretty dusty on the operator's side of the cut, which might mess with machine sensors during production. * Always set your cutter's clamp pressure appropriately when cutting folio sheets. Too little pressure (or a dull blade) will lead to an uneven cut across the lift. If you fanned air through your sheets to help jog the lift, you may want to run your jogging block over the top of the stack a few times to get the air out before your cut. * If you're cutting a lot of folio paper, invest in some sort of flatbed jack to bring the paper up to your cutting table without throwing out your back. * Paper manufacturers have a certain sizing tolerance when making cut size versions of their papers. Always check that the sheets in your ream of paper are consistent in length and width before loading your machine; otherwise, your final print may bounce around. Around here, Cougar brand paper is notoriously saw toothed certain times of the year. * On that note, always check that your cover and text pages are the same dimensions before any booklet-making. If you have a dark cover and light text, any slight variance in the dimensions of the reams may stick out like a sore thumb. * Only UV coat the coated side(s) of paper. Uncoated sheets will look very splotchy if UV coated. * If you're working with watermarked paper, double-check that the watermark is consistently facing the same direction. * Paper vendors may have minimum orders for certain sizes and brands of paper and envelopes. Before settling on stocked papers, see if you have to purchase them in ream, carton, or pallet lots. * When changing out paper in your machines, always put your old paper away before loading the new paper. Piles of unmarked paper are never fun. :) * Be very mindful of the paper path and paper settings of die cut label stock in your copier. If you load it the wrong way, you might wind up with a label (or five) stuck to your rollers! * Finally, if you wind up with excess paper inventory that you can't seem to get rid of, see if there are any local schools or non-profits who can utilize it.
I remember working for a printer once and if there was a special paper stock a customer requested we would charge the customer for all of the paper used and unused and give them the option of taking what was unused with them once the job was completed. Most would just say, "keep the extra". I loved it because if we had a customer that wanted something special, then we could pull sheets for samples to give to the customer.
Excellent information for anyone..... FYI- what he is also talking about in reference to all topics (GSM, grain, coating) also applies to other types of printing such as Offset. Digital ready paper is basically a higher percentage of moisture in the paper.... Or so says a paper rep I know well and trust.... Nice work Dan....
I work for a place thy does both digital and offset printing. When I started there years ago. We walked through the plant. They said at that time. There was 15 to 20 million lb of paper on the floor. We print offset coated news print paper. One of the worst papers we have run was 26lb financial paper. No it isn’t like 60lb. It’s like the paper you get in a shoe box. We still run some newsprint. That can be a bit of a pain also. Enjoy the videos. I have been printing for almost 24 years now. But still learn everyday.
This comment applies to all the ones I have seen. Nice to see old school knowledge being applied to modern day technology. European A size papers are easy to work out from A2 to A3 to A4 and so on. Also using GSM (grams per square metre). I like the logic behind C1S etc . Keep them coming, I enjoy them.
Great video, well explained. I find the metric system easier to follow. Simply GSM for weight and Microns for thickness (calliper). I don’t know what’s the situation across the pond, in Europe the so called digital paper is a lot more expensive than offset paper. Most of toner based digital printers manufacturers don’t want you to put offset paper through the printer apart from Konica as far as I know. I love the last bit of the video about how sustainable paper is :)
I appreciate that you care about grain direction. Most of the special edition books that I own are perfect bound on the wrong grain direction and it drives me nuts
One stock that's our bread and butter is McCoy Silk 100# text. Silk is a hybrid of coated and uncoated stock, so it has a slight gloss that brings out images and colors really nicely, but it feels silky smooth in your hand. We use it for things like annual reports, self-cover sales booklets, calendars, etc. We buy it in 12x18 but I'm sure it comes in 13x19 too. A very nice sheet that sort of replaces the matte/dull/etc stock.
Hey Dan. We're getting white lines around our 8.5 x 11 slip sheets. 5 x 7 and 4 x 6 cards when we use the inline trimmer. We use 11 x 15.5 for 5x7 and 10x13 for 4x6. We use 12 x 18 for 2 up 8.5 x 11 slip sheets.
I remember when I got my first laser printer (in 1988, 300 dpi, $2000), I started learning more about paper and how much difference there was between various types. My favorite at the time was Hammermill Laser Bond (I think the current equivalent is Hammermill Premium Laser Print). I had a very high clay content and was brilliant white. It made the basic copier paper of the day look almost like newsprint. The smooth surface resulted in pristine prints too, whereas copier paper prints had very rough toner edges. Luckily laser printers, paper, and toner have all improved over the years so almost anyone can get very good quality prints fairly inexpensively. I do miss being able to get a case of letter-size copier paper on sale for $9.99, though.
I wish all printers were aware of how much grain direction and paper choices affect the final product when it comes to a finished book. I will get covers printed 3-up on a sheet with 2 going one direction and 1 going the other to maximize the sheet they are using. I will also get book blocks from digital printers that mix papers mid job (maybe ran out of stock) which result in changes to book thickness sometimes an 1/8th of an inch.
As always thank you for your videos, always informative. One question though. Where do you supply your paper from? I am having hard time finding supplier that have decent amount of options and its not charging crazy for shipping every time I order.
My shop runs Neenah Astrobright stock fairly regularly on Nuvera MX without any toner issues. It does jam a little more than our regular stock, and those neon colors show off any dirt or spots or toner haze. But other than that, it works fine. The huge majority of our stock is 24# Pixelle inkjet even though we actually run most of it through laser. It's treated rather than coated and works fine with toner. On the topic of renewables, we recycle every possible thing from wasted print to ream wrappers to cardboard to the shipping pallets. The end result is less landfill waste we have to pay to get hauled way, and the recycling companies pay us for what they get. Everybody wins.
Organizing to improve quality and get the fastest response. Keep it simple the way your business need. Also the paper need some care when humidity and temperature play and important role in image quality and running consistence. Two big thumbs Dan 👍👍
Most of my customers use Kelly/Spicer paper. I try to explain to my print shops that Kelly is a store not a manufacturer of paper. The quality can vary depending on the vendor. You actually care about grain direction, most print shops do not care about grain direction. They just want the cheapest paper to feed perfectly.
I remember having like 20-30 different types of paper in stock... Now we have 6 or 7 NOOS (never out of stock). Funny thing is that those 7 types fits the need of 97% of the customers.
Interesting to see the paper you used compared to me. We use a bunch of carbonless. 2, 3, and 4pt precollated. Then we also have quite a few special collations we do for customers. So we carry a lot of , CB, CFB, CF in white and colors. We run more carbonless in a month then bond. We also use a lot of colored bond. We average 100 to 140 cartons of carbonless a year. Just ran 5 cartoons of carbonless today. Keep up the good work. FD Brother from Ohio
well, the only problem here is VDP. you miss one sheet of the precollated and if not careful all the rest go to waste. i much rather print in bulk and afterwards collate my self.also keep in mind that carbonless paper usually stains the insides of a konica pretty fast, so for example drag marks would appear from feeder gears
@@geokaisa It happens once in a great while. but when padded it still pads in sets, if you fan through it you can soon pick them out. Been in business for over 50 years and run precollated for years.
Loving your videos. I'm new to the industry and have a lot to learn. One thing I've been struggling with is static on my folders, I've tried the tinsel but it doesn't do much... Any suggestions?
Having worked in a commercial print setting for some 25 years as a Prepress Specialist, working with offset and flexo presses, how do you differentiate digital "printing" vs a digital "press"? Or do you intertwine the two terms? My first experience to "digital printing" was years ago but in my definition, was a "printer" or using toner. Years after that, and for another employer, we purchased a digital, offset press where "digital files" were sent to the press and "plates" were created digitally on a plastic medium of sorts but it was still a plate with inks.
I would intertwine digital printing and digital press. Any electrophotography printing that can print a different variable image on each press sheet, I would consider digital printing. Direct to press offset printing like the QMDI or Ryobi DI, I would still consider offset printing.
In my shop up in Mass, used to keep a large assortment, years a go l got rid of alot of the paper stock and just kept the type l stock l used 99% of the time. anything special l would just order. Just kept 20 and 60lb text, NCR. and 80 and 100lb cover. l could get anything l need delivered next day. That way customers could see what you had and always pick somethign on the floor
I usually like the paper to sit on my floor overnight to warm up. Other than that I don't do much. I have not turned the heat on in the press room for 10 years. The equipment creates enough heat.
Hello! Great video! You didn't mention about the storage conditions of the paper which i find on digital printing is the most important aspect. What about the humidity and the temperature you maintain in the room? Do you use dehumidifier? I run a small konica c454e press and i found that on cold days and if the paper is a bit moist my fuser fails to bake the toner on paper. Thanks
@@justaprinter wow! Lucky you! Then it must be the building that is well insulated cause i cannot explain it in some other way. The paper tends to absorb moist from the environment naturally. Anyway, great videos
I don't follow that guide. My C8000 was picky with paper. Thats one of the reasons I switched back to smaller 3070 machines. They literally will print on anything.
Have you ever worked with letterpress printers and 600gsm sheets? I have a Chandler & Price Pilot and would love to know if digital printing on the presses you have work on that heavier 600gsm or thinner weights
We do letterpress and digital printing. Letterpress stock is made from cotton fibers, not paper fibers, and will not go through a digital press. So there's the heavier weight plus the material. If we do a combination job for someone, like digital + letterpress or foil, we funnel the client into something like 130# cover, usually Neenah Classic Crest. It's smooth but it will work for both processes.
Thanks for this video! I am a graphic designer here in Quebec, Canada and I subcontract all my prints. I am getting starting with my small print shop. I know about paper but never understood the grain of paper. You explain it very well! Do you have a video here or on Patreon that explains how to estimate/quote your printing?
Do you know of a digital press that can print 4 color on 13x26, 24pt board c1s? We normally print it offset but the quantity is only about 200. I can get the stock through a Canon 8400 but the ink blots. I’ve tried both sides and it comes out okay in solid black.
Hello Dan , I am a beginner in digital printing. Inspired by your blogs, I bought the equipment based on your printing house plus / minus, which fulfills the functions of your printing house to a large extent. My question is about paper. Leaflets and brochures printed on offset printers have a nice gloss, they look like they are not varnished. I looked at your prints (of course on film close-ups) and they also look like an offset printing house. Could you recommend please a paper where the flyers will look like offset printing? with a slight sheen. Best regards, Jerzy
@@justaprinter Tyhank You Dan , next ask this; is the dpi resolution about the quality of the printout? for example, Konica / minolta has a resolution of 1200 dpi, Ricoh MPC 5501 also has a resolution of 1200 dpi or that means that theoretically the quality of both machines should be identical. I understand that Konica / minolta has better paper trays maybe faster printing etc. But is there also any difference between the output from both machines?
@@justaprinter One more thing, on your advice I found a paper that prints almost perfect. Thanks for that. A few days ago, I received a message from a paper distributor regarding laser copier printing. A man with 30 years of experience as an offset printer stated that it is not possible to print in a similar quality on laser printers as on offset classic machines. What I managed to print yesterday completely contradicts this theory. I am not a trained printer, but when you print vector designs with Corel Draw, you can easily set colors, contrasts, brightness etc using the "efects" option. I don't know if you can set color contrasts etc in offset machines in the same way. I think that any changes require re-etching of the printing plates Do you agree with what I wrote about? best regards Jerzy from U.K.
I do some printing for some product packaging I sell. I bought a brother colour lazer printer for the purpose. When I print small text on glossy lables it is not crisp and is hard to read. Not sure if its the paper or the font (i have tried different fonts), or the printer. Could anyone give me some solutions.
Hi I’m new to printing world, I’m using Canon IR ADVANCE 6275i and everything is good except that the paper don’t come out of the printer straight and I got clients complaining about that. Can you recommend any ways to make the paper straight or at least reduce the waviness of the paper
@@justaprinter I went through many settings I don’t remember I came across something that change the pressure or the temperature. I can choose the thickness of paper , reducing it to 60gr while using 70gr paper helped a little to reduce the curl but not as I wanted
I also hate paper dimensions! I know it designates the grain direction but it's brutal when imposing a job and everything from a digital perspective is width first and then the height when using applications. 📝
well, we maintain about 10 different sheets and 3 envelopes. usually buy b1 format or 86x61 cm (europe). clients who want anything extra, either we order for them telling them the cost and explaining that they will get back the not used paper, so we dont stock it forever or we just tell them the gsm they need to buy and they should fetch it themselves. not the best practice i know, but keeps the weirdos away. i once spent over 40' trying to find the papers and envelopes for a baby christening.time badly wasted, since they never found anything they liked within 4 companies and about 600 pages of samples...
Britehue surface preparation method is not very friendly to a lot of toner based engines. Stick with Astrobright. If you have to use Britehue, make your first impression on the bottom ream side first.
good day, I see you are using 236 gsm paper for postcards, isn't the paper too light for that? We use 300-400 gsm paper for this, depending on the paper type. Besides Astro paper is still available.
In my experience there's some difference in paper thick between different brands of paper. I'm working in Mexico and we work with paper from all over the world and we know we have to measure the paper thickness to set up the printer, not just set it up when seeing the paper label information
Hi All, after we watching all the videos here, we decided to enter printing business in UK, but the problem is competing with existing print businesses. Which brand paper are you using for silk papers? Thank you
It's a day to day struggle in the printing world explaining to customers how ink (we use process inks and Pantone) will appear different on different substrates and between printing methods. Such a pain in the arse to have to color match at press or color correct in photoshop to meet customer expectations. Designers are just as bad. I'm not letting them off the hook. Many of them default to using a coated swatch from Pantone without a knowledge of what their product is printing on. An overwhelming majority of our flexo printing is done on a 100% Post Consumer Waste paper.
Nobody likes a picky color customer that doesn't know how to create a correct digital file that is ready for press. Oh man! I do my best to stay away from those.
Paper weights explanation are a pain - until you use Metric for weights, Grams per meter squared puts everything in place and is the basis used for copiers, every paper wholesaler needs to include that. We can still use Inches for size, plus of course Grain is important as you describe.
Thanks for the videos. I'm looking to purchase a DS64i for our business. If you or anyone else knows of any great deals on this machine or any machine like it let me know!!!
So as I was told by the paper supplier I use gloss is the last output in the calendaring process that’s why a 14pt gloss from the same brand is slightly thinner than a 14pt silk which is slightly thinner than a 14pt Matt in C1S or C2S I could be totally wrong here but going of what I was told as they have their own internal line of paper.
Do you have any news of job vacancy of Digital Print operator in your area? I'm now living in Kuwait and working in a top rated industrial printing company in Kuwait called Al Assriya Printing press. You can google about this company. Thanks :)
I remember when I first started at my job, we literally had about 80 different types of paper on the shelf. I’ve slowly whittled that down to about 7 or 8 paper types now. Makes inventory and ordering so much easier.
Great minds think alike!
Awesome video, Dan! In no particular order, here are a few additional items I'd like to add to the paper discussion:
* When ordering folio sheets to cut down, you may wish to consider if you want all four sides of your cut sheets to have clean edges. The interior side of a paper cutter's blade will always produce a cleaner cut than the pushed out side. Some papers (especially cover weight) can be pretty dusty on the operator's side of the cut, which might mess with machine sensors during production.
* Always set your cutter's clamp pressure appropriately when cutting folio sheets. Too little pressure (or a dull blade) will lead to an uneven cut across the lift. If you fanned air through your sheets to help jog the lift, you may want to run your jogging block over the top of the stack a few times to get the air out before your cut.
* If you're cutting a lot of folio paper, invest in some sort of flatbed jack to bring the paper up to your cutting table without throwing out your back.
* Paper manufacturers have a certain sizing tolerance when making cut size versions of their papers. Always check that the sheets in your ream of paper are consistent in length and width before loading your machine; otherwise, your final print may bounce around. Around here, Cougar brand paper is notoriously saw toothed certain times of the year.
* On that note, always check that your cover and text pages are the same dimensions before any booklet-making. If you have a dark cover and light text, any slight variance in the dimensions of the reams may stick out like a sore thumb.
* Only UV coat the coated side(s) of paper. Uncoated sheets will look very splotchy if UV coated.
* If you're working with watermarked paper, double-check that the watermark is consistently facing the same direction.
* Paper vendors may have minimum orders for certain sizes and brands of paper and envelopes. Before settling on stocked papers, see if you have to purchase them in ream, carton, or pallet lots.
* When changing out paper in your machines, always put your old paper away before loading the new paper. Piles of unmarked paper are never fun. :)
* Be very mindful of the paper path and paper settings of die cut label stock in your copier. If you load it the wrong way, you might wind up with a label (or five) stuck to your rollers!
* Finally, if you wind up with excess paper inventory that you can't seem to get rid of, see if there are any local schools or non-profits who can utilize it.
Yes, yes and yes! You need to start a channel. All great advice.
Great advice!
I remember working for a printer once and if there was a special paper stock a customer requested we would charge the customer for all of the paper used and unused and give them the option of taking what was unused with them once the job was completed. Most would just say, "keep the extra". I loved it because if we had a customer that wanted something special, then we could pull sheets for samples to give to the customer.
I did that before. Most customers choose what I have on hand since it is so much cheaper for them.
Another printshop tour, another great review. I still have many things to learn about printing and I'm glad to know so much from you.
Thanks Dan !
Glad you like them!
Excellent information for anyone..... FYI- what he is also talking about in reference to all topics (GSM, grain, coating) also applies to other types of printing such as Offset. Digital ready paper is basically a higher percentage of moisture in the paper.... Or so says a paper rep I know well and trust.... Nice work Dan....
Thanks John!
I work for a place thy does both digital and offset printing. When I started there years ago. We walked through the plant. They said at that time. There was 15 to 20 million lb of paper on the floor. We print offset coated news print paper. One of the worst papers we have run was 26lb financial paper. No it isn’t like 60lb. It’s like the paper you get in a shoe box. We still run some newsprint. That can be a bit of a pain also. Enjoy the videos. I have been printing for almost 24 years now. But still learn everyday.
Nice, thanks for sharing. Thanks a lot of paper!
In the 90s I ran a 26x40 offset press. We ran a lot of 32 point board. You can imagine the sound it makes going through the press
You are correct. I do know that sound. :)
Live your videos.. this is the first time I've been able to comment.
This comment applies to all the ones I have seen. Nice to see old school knowledge being applied to modern day technology. European A size papers are easy to work out from A2 to A3 to A4 and so on. Also using GSM (grams per square metre). I like the logic behind C1S etc . Keep them coming, I enjoy them.
Thanks!
Great video, well explained.
I find the metric system easier to follow. Simply GSM for weight and Microns for thickness (calliper).
I don’t know what’s the situation across the pond, in Europe the so called digital paper is a lot more expensive than offset paper. Most of toner based digital printers manufacturers don’t want you to put offset paper through the printer apart from Konica as far as I know.
I love the last bit of the video about how sustainable paper is :)
Agreed, GSM is so much easier.
I appreciate that you care about grain direction. Most of the special edition books that I own are perfect bound on the wrong grain direction and it drives me nuts
One stock that's our bread and butter is McCoy Silk 100# text. Silk is a hybrid of coated and uncoated stock, so it has a slight gloss that brings out images and colors really nicely, but it feels silky smooth in your hand. We use it for things like annual reports, self-cover sales booklets, calendars, etc. We buy it in 12x18 but I'm sure it comes in 13x19 too. A very nice sheet that sort of replaces the matte/dull/etc stock.
Agreed, silk is a very nice sheet!
Hey Dan. We're getting white lines around our 8.5 x 11 slip sheets. 5 x 7 and 4 x 6 cards when we use the inline trimmer. We use 11 x 15.5 for 5x7 and 10x13 for 4x6. We use 12 x 18 for 2 up 8.5 x 11 slip sheets.
I remember when I got my first laser printer (in 1988, 300 dpi, $2000), I started learning more about paper and how much difference there was between various types. My favorite at the time was Hammermill Laser Bond (I think the current equivalent is Hammermill Premium Laser Print). I had a very high clay content and was brilliant white. It made the basic copier paper of the day look almost like newsprint. The smooth surface resulted in pristine prints too, whereas copier paper prints had very rough toner edges. Luckily laser printers, paper, and toner have all improved over the years so almost anyone can get very good quality prints fairly inexpensively. I do miss being able to get a case of letter-size copier paper on sale for $9.99, though.
Agreed. Hammermill makes some good stuff. The carton of Hammermill on the skid in this video cost me $85!
Konica Minolta should give you a new mug. That Xerox one just doesn't fit the picture :))
Haha! Its a good reminder of my beginnings in digital. :)
I wish all printers were aware of how much grain direction and paper choices affect the final product when it comes to a finished book. I will get covers printed 3-up on a sheet with 2 going one direction and 1 going the other to maximize the sheet they are using. I will also get book blocks from digital printers that mix papers mid job (maybe ran out of stock) which result in changes to book thickness sometimes an 1/8th of an inch.
Oh man, I agree. Little things make a big difference!
As always thank you for your videos, always informative. One question though. Where do you supply your paper from? I am having hard time finding supplier that have decent amount of options and its not charging crazy for shipping every time I order.
My shop runs Neenah Astrobright stock fairly regularly on Nuvera MX without any toner issues. It does jam a little more than our regular stock, and those neon colors show off any dirt or spots or toner haze. But other than that, it works fine. The huge majority of our stock is 24# Pixelle inkjet even though we actually run most of it through laser. It's treated rather than coated and works fine with toner. On the topic of renewables, we recycle every possible thing from wasted print to ream wrappers to cardboard to the shipping pallets. The end result is less landfill waste we have to pay to get hauled way, and the recycling companies pay us for what they get. Everybody wins.
Nice! Thats great!
Organizing to improve quality and get the fastest response. Keep it simple the way your business need. Also the paper need some care when humidity and temperature play and important role in image quality and running consistence. Two big thumbs Dan 👍👍
Thanks!
Most of my customers use Kelly/Spicer paper. I try to explain to my print shops that Kelly is a store not a manufacturer of paper. The quality can vary depending on the vendor. You actually care about grain direction, most print shops do not care about grain direction. They just want the cheapest paper to feed perfectly.
Some people just don't get it.
Grain, it's all about the GRAIN!!! It would make your pressman and bindery team happy...specially the bindery team.
Absolutely! Cannot stand it when I pick up books that are bound against the grain.
Great info Dan!
Thanks!
What printer do you use to handle the Tango 19x13 digital book cover?
I remember having like 20-30 different types of paper in stock... Now we have 6 or 7 NOOS (never out of stock). Funny thing is that those 7 types fits the need of 97% of the customers.
Its so true. And good customers are fine with using what you have in stock. Those are customers you want to keep around. :)
Interesting to see the paper you used compared to me. We use a bunch of carbonless. 2, 3, and 4pt precollated. Then we also have quite a few special collations we do for customers. So we carry a lot of , CB, CFB, CF in white and colors. We run more carbonless in a month then bond. We also use a lot of colored bond. We average 100 to 140 cartons of carbonless a year. Just ran 5 cartoons of carbonless today. Keep up the good work. FD Brother from Ohio
well, the only problem here is VDP. you miss one sheet of the precollated and if not careful all the rest go to waste.
i much rather print in bulk and afterwards collate my self.also keep in mind that carbonless paper usually stains the insides of a konica pretty fast, so for example drag marks would appear from feeder gears
@@geokaisa It happens once in a great while. but when padded it still pads in sets, if you fan through it you can soon pick them out. Been in business for over 50 years and run precollated for years.
Interesting to hear!
I remember sales reps never used to think about how a job was finished compared to the paper. Fun times :)
I'm spoiled in that department. I talk to customers and can quickly steer them into a correct paper for the job.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
You bet!
Loving your videos. I'm new to the industry and have a lot to learn. One thing I've been struggling with is static on my folders, I've tried the tinsel but it doesn't do much... Any suggestions?
Make sure the tinsel is grounded. Maybe find a spot on your printer. to put tinsel. The antistatic unit on my c3070's are awesome at removing static.
My names Matty and I’ll test you in the next video to see if you remember 😉 totally understand if you don’t. Love this channel
Yes, I remember you from before!
It’s crazy how different are paper preferences in US and Europe...
I agree, they are quite different.
Beautiful
Thank you!
Having worked in a commercial print setting for some 25 years as a Prepress Specialist, working with offset and flexo presses, how do you differentiate digital "printing" vs a digital "press"? Or do you intertwine the two terms?
My first experience to "digital printing" was years ago but in my definition, was a "printer" or using toner. Years after that, and for another employer, we purchased a digital, offset press where "digital files" were sent to the press and "plates" were created digitally on a plastic medium of sorts but it was still a plate with inks.
I would intertwine digital printing and digital press. Any electrophotography printing that can print a different variable image on each press sheet, I would consider digital printing. Direct to press offset printing like the QMDI or Ryobi DI, I would still consider offset printing.
In my shop up in Mass, used to keep a large assortment, years a go l got rid of alot of the paper stock and just kept the type l stock l used 99% of the time. anything special l would just order. Just kept 20 and 60lb text, NCR. and 80 and 100lb cover. l could get anything l need delivered next day. That way customers could see what you had and always pick somethign on the floor
Absolutely! Keep it simple, it ends up being best for you and customers. Thanks for sharing!
It really stressed me out that you don't keep that old carbonless in order even though you aren't using it. Another great video
Haha, I was thinking that when I filmed it. I'll fix that tomorrow. LOL.
I had the same thought. I run that exact combo all the time.
Do you have a procedure for acclimating your paper? Do you have struggles with maintaining proper humidity levels, especially when heating with wood?
I usually like the paper to sit on my floor overnight to warm up. Other than that I don't do much. I have not turned the heat on in the press room for 10 years. The equipment creates enough heat.
Hello! Great video! You didn't mention about the storage conditions of the paper which i find on digital printing is the most important aspect. What about the humidity and the temperature you maintain in the room? Do you use dehumidifier? I run a small konica c454e press and i found that on cold days and if the paper is a bit moist my fuser fails to bake the toner on paper. Thanks
I don;t really do anything special. I never turn the heat on and only minimally use an air conditioner.
@@justaprinter wow! Lucky you! Then it must be the building that is well insulated cause i cannot explain it in some other way. The paper tends to absorb moist from the environment naturally. Anyway, great videos
Hey Dan, my Konica 6085 is picky w paper. Do you use the guide that Konica puts out that tells which papers have been tested and are approved?
I don't follow that guide. My C8000 was picky with paper. Thats one of the reasons I switched back to smaller 3070 machines. They literally will print on anything.
Have you ever worked with letterpress printers and 600gsm sheets? I have a Chandler & Price Pilot and would love to know if digital printing on the presses you have work on that heavier 600gsm or thinner weights
I have not. I think my printer is rated to only 350 gsm. It would be fun to have an old letterpress.
We do letterpress and digital printing. Letterpress stock is made from cotton fibers, not paper fibers, and will not go through a digital press. So there's the heavier weight plus the material. If we do a combination job for someone, like digital + letterpress or foil, we funnel the client into something like 130# cover, usually Neenah Classic Crest. It's smooth but it will work for both processes.
Thanks for this video! I am a graphic designer here in Quebec, Canada and I subcontract all my prints. I am getting starting with my small print shop. I know about paper but never understood the grain of paper. You explain it very well! Do you have a video here or on Patreon that explains how to estimate/quote your printing?
Yes, there is a video on RUclips about estimating book printing. I put several spreadsheet estimators on Patreon about estimating. Look those up!
Your the man Dan!
I don't know about that!
@@justaprinter our Printery just turned 100 years... and I still learn new stuff from you! Thanks M8T
Do you know of a digital press that can print 4 color on 13x26, 24pt board c1s? We normally print it offset but the quantity is only about 200. I can get the stock through a Canon 8400 but the ink blots. I’ve tried both sides and it comes out okay in solid black.
The c3070 would print 13 x 26, but not 24pt. I think it maxes out at 350gsm
Hello Dan , I am a beginner in digital printing. Inspired by your blogs, I bought the equipment based on your printing house plus / minus, which fulfills the functions of your printing house to a large extent. My question is about paper. Leaflets and brochures printed on offset printers have a nice gloss, they look like they are not varnished. I looked at your prints (of course on film close-ups) and they also look like an offset printing house. Could you recommend please a paper where the flyers will look like offset printing? with a slight sheen. Best regards, Jerzy
I use accent opaque for uncoated and Flo for coated paper.
@@justaprinter Tank You Dan , any advice from you is very very importand best regards Jerzy from U.K
@@justaprinter Tyhank You Dan , next ask this; is the dpi resolution about the quality of the printout? for example, Konica / minolta has a resolution of 1200 dpi, Ricoh MPC 5501 also has a resolution of 1200 dpi or that means that theoretically the quality of both machines should be identical. I understand that Konica / minolta has better paper trays maybe faster printing etc. But is there also any difference between the output from both machines?
@@justaprinter One more thing, on your advice I found a paper that prints almost perfect. Thanks for that. A few days ago, I received a message from a paper distributor regarding laser copier printing. A man with 30 years of experience as an offset printer stated that it is not possible to print in a similar quality on laser printers as on offset classic machines. What I managed to print yesterday completely contradicts this theory. I am not a trained printer, but when you print vector designs with Corel Draw, you can easily set colors, contrasts, brightness etc using the "efects" option. I don't know if you can set color contrasts etc in offset machines in the same way. I think that any changes require re-etching of the printing plates
Do you agree with what I wrote about? best regards Jerzy from U.K.
I do some printing for some product packaging I sell. I bought a brother colour lazer printer for the purpose. When I print small text on glossy lables it is not crisp and is hard to read.
Not sure if its the paper or the font (i have tried different fonts), or the printer.
Could anyone give me some solutions.
If you are not printing 100% C, M, Y or K. You might get a sawtooth edge because of the line screen. Or if you have a transparency.
Hi
I’m new to printing world, I’m using Canon IR ADVANCE 6275i and everything is good except that the paper don’t come out of the printer straight and I got clients complaining about that.
Can you recommend any ways to make the paper straight or at least reduce the waviness of the paper
Try different paper. Maybe different fusing settings, Can you adjust heat or pressure? Some machines are better than others with paper curl.
@@justaprinter I went through many settings I don’t remember I came across something that change the pressure or the temperature. I can choose the thickness of paper , reducing it to 60gr while using 70gr paper helped a little to reduce the curl but not as I wanted
Nice... new vid ,...
Thanks!
Do some papers wear out cutting blades faster than others?
Chipboard certainly does.
Hi Dan, where do you buy your papers or who is your suppliers?
I buy paper from Lindenmeyr Munroe
I also hate paper dimensions! I know it designates the grain direction but it's brutal when imposing a job and everything from a digital perspective is width first and then the height when using applications. 📝
Agreed!
I volunteer in a print shop and I see "lynx" or "Sappi" mostly
What do you use for business cards on your Konicas?
Whatever the customer wants. Either a 100lb or 14 pt cover
well, we maintain about 10 different sheets and 3 envelopes. usually buy b1 format or 86x61 cm (europe). clients who want anything extra, either we order for them telling them the cost and explaining that they will get back the not used paper, so we dont stock it forever or we just tell them the gsm they need to buy and they should fetch it themselves. not the best practice i know, but keeps the weirdos away. i once spent over 40' trying to find the papers and envelopes for a baby christening.time badly wasted, since they never found anything they liked within 4 companies and about 600 pages of samples...
Hahah, "Keep wierdos Away" I know exactly what you mean.
Britehue surface preparation method is not very friendly to a lot of toner based engines. Stick with Astrobright. If you have to use Britehue, make your first impression on the bottom ream side first.
Hmm, interesting. I'll have to remember that. I have one job a year that I keep that paper for.
I quite by random stumbled on this channel. Do you not have A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 paper where you are?
Nope, good old America does it differently.
good day, I see you are using 236 gsm paper for postcards, isn't the paper too light for that? We use 300-400 gsm paper for this, depending on the paper type. Besides Astro paper is still available.
In my experience there's some difference in paper thick between different brands of paper. I'm working in Mexico and we work with paper from all over the world and we know we have to measure the paper thickness to set up the printer, not just set it up when seeing the paper label information
Just depends on the postcard. For EDDM postcard, they go right to the postoffice and delivered so you can get away with lighter paper if you want.
Hi All, after we watching all the videos here, we decided to enter printing business in UK, but the problem is competing with existing print businesses. Which brand paper are you using for silk papers? Thank you
Good luck!
I use Flo papers made by Sappi
@@justaprinter Thank you so much :)
What kind of white paper you use to print with
The ones in this video.
How do I infamous print services? Do you have a website?
Sorry. I'm not taking on more work right now.
It's a day to day struggle in the printing world explaining to customers how ink (we use process inks and Pantone) will appear different on different substrates and between printing methods. Such a pain in the arse to have to color match at press or color correct in photoshop to meet customer expectations. Designers are just as bad. I'm not letting them off the hook. Many of them default to using a coated swatch from Pantone without a knowledge of what their product is printing on. An overwhelming majority of our flexo printing is done on a 100% Post Consumer Waste paper.
Nobody likes a picky color customer that doesn't know how to create a correct digital file that is ready for press. Oh man! I do my best to stay away from those.
Dan - what imposition software do you use?
He has mentioned in previous videos that he uses PDF Snake, which isn't available for purchase anymore.
I've seen some smaller printers use InDesign for imposition. Personally, I've been using Kodak Preps for nearly 17 years now. What are you using?
What John said. Someone suggested Quite Impose which is a plugin like PDF Snake is.
@@thegrimmperspective fiery impose- but I am having issues with it. No longer reliable.
The US paper weight is really confusing, as they have different ways to measure the weight.
Agreed! GSM is much simpler.
Paper weights explanation are a pain - until you use Metric for weights, Grams per meter squared puts everything in place and is the basis used for copiers, every paper wholesaler needs to include that. We can still use Inches for size, plus of course Grain is important as you describe.
Thanks for the videos. I'm looking to purchase a DS64i for our business. If you or anyone else knows of any great deals on this machine or any machine like it let me know!!!
Not that I know of, just keep searching online.
So as I was told by the paper supplier I use gloss is the last output in the calendaring process that’s why a 14pt gloss from the same brand is slightly thinner than a 14pt silk which is slightly thinner than a 14pt Matt in C1S or C2S I could be totally wrong here but going of what I was told as they have their own internal line of paper.
Hmm, interesting. I once toured a paper mill and it was fascinating!
@@justaprinter I’ve yet to tour a mill, would love to
Are we able to pay you for your time to answer some questions?
Join my Patreon, I'm happy to help.
Another video, unfortunately without subtitles is just another video. Please think of people to whom English is more foreign than close.
Let me know how to fix that. I thought you can just click the lower-right corner and select )auto-translate) Sorry!
Do you have any news of job vacancy of Digital Print operator in your area? I'm now living in Kuwait and working in a top rated industrial printing company in Kuwait called Al Assriya Printing press. You can google about this company. Thanks :)
I don't know of any. Sorry.
They teach paper in college
Holly shit i learned that working
And coated stock goes up to 28pt
Yes, I learned a lot about printing in school.
Could you donate the unused odd paper to your local charity and write down the cost? Ask your cpa
Then buy it back for a couple bucks.
Sorry 35 years printing everything from books envelopes commercial and packaging
Nice! You know more than me!
If you don't know about paper, why the video
I know more than some and less than others. Wanted to help teach those who are just learning.