Time to jump ship?
A sign of the changing times, and this one caught me a little by surprise. From www.rardingraphics.com today was an email offering the following shop for sale and the reason—going digital:
Small Print Shop Package - Asking $7,900 obo
This Midwest shop is going digital. Offset presses, windmill and folder no longer needed
Located in Midwest USA.
A forklift and dock are available.
A package price for all of the equipment is preferred, although individual offers will be considered. All Offers Welcomed. Photos available for all machines.
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Ryobi 3302M, 1980s, two colors. In good running condition
Ryobi 3302M, 1980s ,two colors, In good running condition.
Ryobi 2800CD, AirTech Powder3
Heidelberg Windmill 10 x 15, Red Ball. Assorted accessories go with the machine.
Challenge MasterFold 2000 20” x 26” folder in good condition
and possibly other miscellaneous equipment
I can understand dumping the offset presses, but the Heidelberg and the folder? Do they think that digital is the ultimate answer to all their production needs? Should someone start hoarding the vast numbers of small format offset presses being junked just in case they become the SP-15s of 20 to 30 years from now and command incredible prices? I doubt it, but interesting speculation. And that poor soon to be neglected Heidelberg platen will outlast any of the digital junk being brought in to replace it.
I think a lot of the people going digital wind up missing a couple of important things:
You never “own” the machinery—and you don’t want to, after the lease runs out, the service contract may go another 5 years—if you’re lucky. All the while, you pay x cents for every copy made. When the company stops supporting the machine, you HAVE to buy/lease another.
Since you never own the machine, you never have it paid off either. One of the great things about older equipment is that once it’s paid off, it’s yours forever, and even in the land of small offset, a lot the machines still have decent support, and will likely be able to be kept running for another 20-30 years. Those digital presses/copiers won’t.
For all that, a lot of shops are de-rating their capabilities, making it harder for a designer (especially in smaller markets) to produce something “outside the box”.
Just think how many of us could operate even after a “dirty bomb”.
I would never go totally digital.
I would add the equipment to be able to offer more services, but never throw away what you have.
I am adding a small offset press to my shop, only to be able to do work I was giving to trade shop to do.
But, I am still will have my letterpress equipment to jobs that are easy to do on the V-50 and 8x12.