Wide Format Printing Usage Fees

DMS General
#1

I did a quick analysis of the last few weeks of usage on the EPSON 7880 and the numbers are discouraging. I look at the usage fees collected between replenishing rolls of paper. For example, if I drop off a 100’ roll of photo luster then at $2/ft there should be at least something close to $200 in generated fees by the time it’s used up.

I looked at the period between 11/1 and 12/2 and usage fees are about $130 lower than they should have been. I’ve tracked usage fees and the cost of consumables from when we fist set up the printer in Feb 2014. Back then we set the usage fee such that it would cover the cost of sustaining itself plus a small amount more to cover “shrinkage” and the initial cost of getting the printer up and going. On day one the balance was around -$700 representing the cost of an initial roll of paper, a full load of ink and the purchase of a set of refillable cartridges. Over the last 21 months that balance has fluctuated between about -$460 at best and -$960 at worst. Currently we’re at about -$746. Part of that is some money being put towards two printers that are currently down. Adjusting for that and we’re at approximately -$560 which is only about $140 better than where we began. We did have a theft situation back in 2014 that set us back, but even without that we should be a little further along than we are.

So, that’s where we are. To add to the situation I think we’re going to have to throw some money at the HP 1055 to get it operational. There’s a lot of demand for that printer so I believe it’s worth doing. Before I spring for that I wanted to let everyone know that the current pricing model is falling a little short in that it’s not enough to cover maintaining and supplying the printers. So, as I see it there are two possible solutions.

  1. Increase usage fees
  2. Decrease Shrinkage

I’m inclined to keep the usage fees as they are until the end of February at which point in time I will do a complete analysis of income and expenses associated with the printers and adjust the usage fees as needed.

Here’s how folks can help prevent a price hike:

  1. Pay for printing that you do. Be honest about how much paper is used and pay for that amount. This includes misprints and scraps.
  2. Use the correct box to pay. There are three cash boxes in the Arts room and only one is associated with the printer. Printer fees paid to the other two boxes don’t end up in the printer fund. Fees can also be paid via PayPal.
  3. Help prevent wasted material by following best practices. I cover these in the required training class.

To give folks an idea of what we have here, a 20x30 poster printed at Walmart is about $19. A 24x36 poster printed on the DMS EPSON 7880 is $6 at the current usage fee rate. This is an incredible savings and I’d like very much to maintain that for the membership.

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read all that and for the support I get in making wide format printing available at DMS.

-Steve Reeves

12 Likes
#2

Thanks Steve I’ve been putting $20 in the donation box at time and just keeping a tally of my usage in Evernote. Is this perhaps mucking up your accounting?

#3

If anything prepaying might mask the actual number of non pays but that’s
ok. There’s no way to make change there so what you’re doing is fine.

#4

When is the next class from the wide format color printer? I keep missing it.

And is it functional now, last i saw it had notes on it saying the color was incorrect.

#5

The EPSON 7880 is up and working fine. The HP 1055 is down with a faulty
print head issue.

There was a training class two nights ago and there will be another one in
about a week and half. I usually hold them every other Wednesday -
schedules permitting.

Thanks!

1 Like
#6

Which one is the the big color printer again?

#7

Both are color - the HP (dark gray one) is 36" and the Epson (white/light gray one) is 24".

#8

Ok the HP is the one im interested in….

Any idea of when that will be back up?

#9

They’re both color, but not quite the same. The EPSON is a pigment based
ink printer and prints photo quality. The HP is dye based and is better
suited to draft quality work.

The HP is going to require hiring a tech and it’s going to take me a other
week or so to make that happen.

#10

so which one is better suited to print on vinyl?

Sorry im guessing you cover this in the class :grinning:

#11

Im guessing pigment plus an overcoat of uv protectant.

#12

So far as I know neither print on vinyl. That requires solvent based ink
and neither of these are that.

#13

I find having access to the wide format printers to be a great deal and I am very unhappy to hear that other users of the printers not to be paying their fair share to support the printers. Hopefully your appeal will reduce the lack of payments but I believe it is realistic to anticipate that this will not totally reduce the “slippage”.

I suggest that we change the rules for printer usage slightly to require that each user of the printer email you with the time they are on the printer and how much material they use. We then organize other DMS members who share our concern about the printer to monitor the printer when they are at DMS. If they find someone using the printer, they get the users name and send an email to you stating when they saw the printer being used, who was using it and their plans for how much printer paper they will use. We post a sign above the printer stating “Please email the time you use the printer and how much material you use to [email protected]. Printer usage is being monitored by DMS members, please provide them with your name and printing plans when asked.”

I would be happy to perform this function every time I visit DMS. This way, printer users will know they are being more closely scrutinized and more likely to pay for the materials they use. You will also have a list of emails from printer users and printer monitors which should match up. If a monitor reports a user who does not email you, you can follow up with them and ask if they paid and how much for their use of the printer.

If you are agreeable to this, I would be happy to help you implement this plan.

#14

Instead of email lets just have a log. and maybe attach some kind of counter mechanism to the paper roller, you know, the kind that measures carpet etc as they roll it out.

i’m more inclined to recommend an electronic mechanism to at least track the usage rather than relying yet again on the “good will of others” since we know that doesn’t work otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

#15

Someday, DMS will get to a level of sophistication that paying members will have a login on the domain. this then allows them to assign permissions for users to print to certain printers. this also allows auditing of printer usage through the security policies. tie that in with an electronic measuring device that says X amount of paper was used at this date/time it is easy (theoretically) to perform some cross-checking when issues like this come up. That way you know who was on the printer when, and then how much they used if it was really sophisticated.

This same mechanism would help the laser cutters and 3d printing labs.

1 Like
#16

Steve, would emailing you when we put cash in the box help you? Seems like that extra step in accounting for cash donations would allow us to help people who are putting monies into the wrong box at a slight burden for you though you may consider it a net add.

#17

I came in today to drop off a new roll of canvas and found that the 100’
roll of photo paper that I dropped off on 12/2 was used up. The proceeds
between 12/2 and now (12:30pm 12/8) are exactly $117. Even discounting the
remnant of the last roll of canvas and any sheet printing that might have
gone on, that’s only a 58% rate of payment for the printing that members
are doing. That means that I literally paid DMS members about $80 to make
prints.

The printer is currently out of photo paper and is also very low on one of
the inks. I will have a replacement roll of photo paper up here in a few
days as well as replacement ink.

I won’t be leaving the roll of canvas that I brought. I simply can not
afford to give it away. I will continue to supply luster photo paper and
ink through the end of December. If the situation does not improve, I will
cease to supply and maintain the printers.

I was in the process of contacting a repair tech for the HP 1055 printer.
That is also now on hold.

I apologize for having to take such drastic measures and I’m extremely
sorry to those that have been honest and fair and that have tried to help
keep the printers sustainable.

#18

If needed, you can request access to the Creative Arts security camera. It has clear view of the wide-format printers.
If you want to proceed with this, just open a ticket :slight_smile: I’ll just have to get the chair’s approval.

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#19

I was just going to suggest this to Steve, the level of non-payment here is very bad. It’s not excellent we have folks treating this valuable resource so poorly and I’m willing to put in some time helping to review the camera feed.

1 Like
#20

You totally can go into the security camera if you would like @bscharff and make it a ticket item