Keeping Your Customer!

1
Keeping Your Customer!

• Ideas On What To Tell Them Before They Are
  Persuaded To Go In-House

Digital Prepress in the Narrow Web Market
Rob Smithson CEO, Trinity Graphic Flexographic
Trade School
www.weareflexo.com
www.trinitygraphic.com
San Antonio 2008
2
In The BeginningTrinity Graphic UK, 1967
Keith Smithson, Founder 41 Years ago
3
20 years on Circa 1987Trinity Graphic, USA Start
UpPrepress Workflow
Shoot Art on Camera 20 MIns
Process Film 15 MIns
Distort Image 15 MIns
Create Camera Ready Art
Make Analog Proof 90 Mins
Contact Strip 120 MIns
Scan Transparency 30 MIns
Process Film 15 MIns
Process Final Films 15 MIns
Back Expose Plate 5 MIns
Face Expose Plate 20 MIns
Step Repeat 60 Mins
Post Expose/ Antitack 20 MIns
Dry Plate 120 MIns
Ready For Print
Washout Plate 15 MIns
4
Non Digital PrepressWorkflow Circa 1987

• Minimum 15 Steps

• 560 Minutes or Over 9 Hours

• Includes Analog Proof, Film work
• and 6 plates

5
1987
Shooting The Supposedly Camera Ready Art
Processing The Film and contacting
6
Distorting
Creating the Traps and Chokes
Stripping
7
Step and Repeat Machine.. Punch Card Operated
(Florida Voting Style)
More Stripping Checking, Contacting
Films, Etc.
8
Making The Flexo Plates
Hand Proofing
Typing the Invoice
9
Pointer 26 degrees 51 29.95 N. 85 degrees 47
54.02 W.The 400,000.00 Fish
Worth the Investment?
10
Workflow 2008
Output Digital Proof or PDF 15 mins
Trap, Step Color Correct Send Tiff 90 Mins
Back Expose Plate 1 Mins
Create Digital Art
Plate Finishing 15 Mins
Thermally Wash Out 15 Mins
UV Expose Plate 10 Mins
Ablate Plate on CDI 15 Mins
Total 8 Steps 161 Minutes or Under 3
hours (Includes Proofing and Platemaking, with No
Film Required, 6 plates produced)
Ready To Print
11
February 2008The Essentials
12
The Other Stuff !

• Software / Updates
• Densitometer
• UPC Code Readers
• Micrometer
• Plate Cutters
• Consumables
• Service Contracts
• Real Estate

13
Your Customer is Quite Possibly Thinking This
is a No Brainer
I Can do All of My Own Prepress In House,
Saving Tons of Money!
There Must Be A Catch?
Guess What?.................There is!
14
Firstly, Your Going To Need
LOTS OF COLD, HARD
(Or some extended plate usage contract with a
complicated rebate program attached)
15
Qualified Staff
16
Training
Where can I get It?
1.Trade Shop?
2. FTS?
Learning Curve

• How Much can This Cost
• Downtime?
• Staff Conflicts

17
Non Solvent Digital Set Up CostsMaximum Plate
Size of 25x30

• Computer / Software
• Color Calibrated Digital Proofer
• CDI Unit
• Flexo Specific Software Package
• UV Exposure Unit
• Plate Processor Agreement
• Hidden Extras / Training10,000.00

Almost for Free!
250,000.00 (303,787.00 Total Payments over 60
Months)
18
Annual Cost Based AtTodays rates

• 2 Employees Benefits 100,000.00
• Equipment / Service Contracts 29,000.00
• Real Estate estimate 7200.00
• Utilities Estimate 2400.00

Total Annual Cost Before Making a single Plate
138,600.00
X 60 Months
693,000.00 These Costs Will Increase Each Year
19
Price of a Basic 8 color 10 Flexo Label Press
235,000.00 Cash
Cost to Purchase Press at the Same interest rate
of 7.95
285,560.00
Total 5 Year Outlay For Prepress Department is
967,780.00. Divide That by the Cost of an 8
Color Press at 285,560.00 3.389
Alternative Purchase 3 Printing Presses
Generating
Income!
With Over 100,000.00 to Spare!
20
Annual Cost to Produce Plates Based
Upon Equipment, Overhead and Plate Material Cost
of .16 Cents Per Square Inch For Digital and
Thermally Produced Flexo Plate
PRICE INCREASE ON THE WAY!
Annual Usage of 12 x 12 Plates 1000 Square
Ft. 2000 Square Ft. 3000 Square Ft. 5000
Square Ft. 10,000 Square Ft. 20,000 Square
Ft.
Cost Per 12 x 12 Plate
Per Sq. Inch
216.57 119.52 86.40 61.92 41.76 33.12
1.50 .83 .60 .43 .29 .23
21
Reasons For the Flexo Printerto Avoid Going In
House WithPrepress and Platemaking

• High Capital Investment
• Equipment Fast to be Redundant, Whats Around the
  Corner
• High Service Contract / Insurance Expense
• Shop Floor Conflicts
• Consistent Upgrades
• Constant Training Expenses
• High Soiled Work Costs / Waste Factors
• Tradeshops Dont Like the Idea

22
Always Ask Your Customer One Question!
Did You Ever Have To Pay A Bill From a
Tradeshop For a Project That Didnt Work, Or
Bought a Bad Plate ?
NO!
23
Why Would a Flexo Printer Consider Going In House?

• Control His System
• Quick Internal Response (Maybe?)
• Total Digital Workflow
• Control Costs (Can calculate s Lost)
• Poor Tradeshop Experience's
• Using a VERY Significant Volume of Plates
• Has a Fully Qualified, Experienced Staff
• Persuasive Selling Techniques of our Friendly
  suppliers

24
What Is The Answer?

• Partner With a Reputable Tradeshop
• Use Their Experience to Your Advantage
• Ask Them to Invest in Your Company With Staff or
  Equipment
• When the Printer Reaches his Usage Threshold for
  Material, Help Them Explore the Option of Going
  In-House
• Above All, Consult Your Tradeshop Before Going In
  House

25
Thank You!
www.weareflexo.com
www.trinitygraphic.com
And Keep Building Those Reefs, Theyre great
Places to Fish!