uksignboards.com | How long is a piece of string?

General Printing Topics

How long is a piece of string?

Posted by Alex Book on 28 June 2007 at 16:33

😀

Its one of those questions!

I’m trying to work out expected ink costs for my (soon to be) large-format printing business, but I’m really struggling to work out average ink usage.

So if anyone could spread some light on, for example, if I were using a HP5500 printing on banner material (kentmere) with a nice new set of ink cartridges, how many metres could i expect to print before it runs dry? 😕

Obviously it should be worse case scenario, ink heavy graphics etc.

Any help would be very much appreciated thanks!

Gordon Forbes replied 18 years, 4 months ago 7 Members · 8 Replies
8 Replies

Fred McLean

Member
28 June 2007 at 16:42

does the machine maker not have ink coverage info for a certain DPI print?
Martin Pearson

Member
28 June 2007 at 16:59

The piece of string that I have in my toolbox is exactly 917mm in length, this is with the string laid out flat and just enough tension on it for there to be no kinks but not enough tension for it to be stretched at all. Hope this is of some help.

Just for some sort of comparison the piece of string in my pocket is only 612mm in length when measured the same way and at the same temperature but it does have a knot in it so it would actually be a bit longer if the knot were not there.
David Rowland

Member
28 June 2007 at 16:59

when you own a printer for 6 months, you begin to forget about ink costs as you cannot calculate it… however it is pretty good 😉
Alex Book

Member
28 June 2007 at 17:18

quote Fred Mc:

does the machine maker not have ink coverage info for a certain DPI print?

They don’t have anything I can make sense of no.

@martin
All very interesting thanks! 😀
Martin Pearson

Member
28 June 2007 at 17:25

Sorry Alex but you did ask and I just couldn’t resist :lol1:

I don’t own a printer myself so couldn’t give you a sensible answer but I would have though your supplier would have been able to give you some useful info on such things like Fred had said.
Ian Johnston

Member
28 June 2007 at 17:32

q: "how longs a piece of string"

a: twice the lenght from the centre to the end :lol1: :lol1:
David Rogers

Member
28 June 2007 at 17:39

quote Dave Rowland:

when you own a printer for 6 months, you begin to forget about ink costs as you cannot calculate it… however it is pretty good 😉

Agreed. I’ve had mine for under a week…and to be honest – the £300 for a set of inks was paid for in the first couple of jobs. (Used about 10% according to the info…and that included all the crap we printed off ‘experimenting!’)
Not even remotely worried about running costs as the margins are so high.

Dave
Gordon Forbes

Member
28 June 2007 at 18:06

Ask em for a cost They can tell you the cost of the printer can’t they.
If they can’t tell you then ask them why you should buy it from them.

Goop