Evaluating Color Toner Devices at PRINTING United Expo

For many in-plants, color toner equipment is the cornerstone of production. These devices can handle the foundational jobs in-plants run: brochures, booklets, mail, flyers, invitations — the list goes on.

PRINTING United Expo is the ideal place to investigate the many color toner options out there on the market. The event, taking place this year in Las Vegas, Sept. 23-25, offers in-plants the opportunity to compare equipment specs and ask vendors questions in a short time frame.

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Printing Services installed this Canon imagePRESS Lite C265 after spotting it at PRINTING United Expo.

Getting Ready for the Show

In the leadup to the Expo, there is one best practice that reigns supreme among in-plant managers: doing your research before you get there.

“You have to go to that show with a purpose of exactly what you’re looking for, because I was only there a day, and I bet we didn’t see half of it,” says Krista Moritz, University of Florida’s Print Services manager.

“It can be overwhelming,” adds Drew Burgering, manager of Columbus State University Printing Solutions, in Columbus, Georgia. “It's like, well, I don’t even know where to start. So, have an idea what type of stuff you want to look at; they group them together pretty well.”

Tina Wolfgram, printing manager at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, has her prep work down to a science.

Tina Wolfgram

“I look to see the vendors that are going to be there and … what machines do they have that might be a good fit for me,” Wolfgram says, “not even really knowing if those machines are actually going to be on the floor, because you never know what they're going to bring. Then I have my spreadsheet or to-do list of all the booths I want to hit and make enough time so that I can talk with each one of those vendors pretty diligently about the machines that I'm looking for or looking at.”

It can also be valuable to network with other in-plants to find out what’s working for them.

“If you know you're going to be looking, talk to your peers, talk to somebody,” Burgering says. “‘Do you have this machine?’ … ‘What else did you look at when you were looking at it?’ ‘Why did you pick it?’”

What to Ask Vendors

After figuring out which booths to visit, create a comprehensive list of questions for vendors. These questions can vary from in-plant to in-plant, but they should all center around determining what’s a good fit for your particular operation.

Standing with the new Xerox Iridesse at University of Florida Print & Mail Services are (from left) Krista Moritz, Marshall Gray, Margaret Brito-McVey, and Skip Snyder.

A big theme is service options.

“I feel you have to have local representation of that company — a repairman, salesman, that can come to your site and look at things,” says Moritz. “If you don't have that, I would be wary.”

Christina McDonald, Print Solutions manager at Seminole County Public Schools, in Sanford, Florida, adds that price range, footprint, and efficiency top her list of questions on the show floor.

Wolfgram says she is mostly focused on evaluating print specs like page size and registration, as well as if there are upgrades available.

“There's all different kinds of modules that you could put on there,” she says. “So, find out what extra capabilities it has, because some [models] don't have some of those. If a three-hole punch is something you absolutely have to have, you may need to look at something different.”

Drew Burgering

On the other hand, Burgering finds it helpful just to listen to what the sales team at the booth has to say.

“I look for the salesmen that I know for the different companies, and then have them do their sales pitch on me,” he says. “… I just ask, ‘Here’s what I’m looking at. Show me your greatest thing that you’ve got going on now.’”

Comparing Products

Asking questions and getting answers is just part of the process. If the device you’re interested in will be on the show floor, take full advantage. Vendors often have equipment set up to run files.

The Canon imagePRESS V800 press at Seminole County Public Schools.

For McDonald, this is a great time to see how machines would fit into her shop’s workflow.

“We're looking at the speed, what the output is,” she says. “Of course, they have it [in] pretty much as perfect condition as it can be, so it’s not going to have all the normal everyday issues that we have, but we're looking at the flow of how it is. Some devices might have the output trays on the opposite end of what we're used to.”

At University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Printing Services, student worker Rosa Porcello runs the new Canon imagePRESS Lite C265.

Wolfgram says she pays careful attention each part of a demo: “How it's registering, how it's delivering, how it's coming out the end. Is it flopping all around or is it laying nicely? How fast it's running — does it seem like it's keeping up to speed?”

Relying on a vendor’s preprepared files for demo evaluations means they likely tailored the file to look great on their machine. However, bringing a real job file you’ve run before can help you get a better sense of how a printer will actually work for your operation.

“If you want to do that, then you need to coordinate with the vendors beforehand,” Wolfgram advises. “I have had vendors reach out to me that know that I'm going to be looking at something and ask for files ahead of time so that they can be ready for when I get there. Then I will set up a specific time to go demo what I need to see, which is really nice.”

Red Flags

There are some red flags that in-plants should be on the lookout for. Wolfgram advises making sure you speak with an operator or technician at the booth, not just the salesperson.

“While, yes, we have to talk to the salesman to actually make a purchase, try to talk to the operators that are there, because the salesmen are not running those machines,” Wolfgram says.

Getting time with a technician goes hand in hand with a red flag Moritz sees: vendors just looking for a quick sale.

The Xerox Iridesse at University of Florida Print & Mail Services.

“If they weren't wanting to come help you, go to your site, or sit down more and talk to you a little bit more, I’d think they’re just trying to sell you something,” she says.

McDonald also warns managers to be wary of vendors who are dismissive of their operation’s capabilities.

Seminole County Public Schools' in-plant runs this Xerox Versant 280 with the metallic vivid kit.

“I'm in a K-12 in-plant, so some of them very quickly will just [say], ‘Oh, well, you have a small budget’ or ‘You don't print enough,’” McDonald says. “There’s been conversations like that before. And so, we'll go past those vendors and keep looking at what else there is. That doesn't mean we won't circle back to those vendors. We just won't spend our time at the show talking with those vendors.”

It’s clear that, at PRINTING United Expo, the best approach for selecting a color toner device is to do your research ahead of the event, come prepared with questions, and put both the machines and the vendors to the test to prove they will be a good fit for you. Register to attend today.