From The Editor The Four-color Advantage
Getting price estimates from outside was the first tactic of all four-color press owners. Several managers told me that justification was easy once they showed management how much money was being spent for outside printing and how much they could save.
Many in-plants use one- or two-color presses to do four-color printing, and they are content to continue doing so. But managers who went from this method to a four-color press told me the gains in productivity and efficiency were immense. Registration and paper stretch problems all but disappeared. Washups and setups were reduced. And because everything is done in one pass, they can do more jobs in less time, which equals more income. The University of Delaware increased sales by over $300,000 in the first year after adding its five-color Komori. Also, by insourcing four-color work, you pay for the new equipment even quicker. Plus, a four-color press lets you do high-quality marketing material, which is where the real money is.