Clicks and Cost

[TXPrinter]

I read elsewhere on the web that the Ilumina® 502 Digital Color Press comes with no click charge unlike many other digitial presses. Is this correct? Also, does anyone have an estimate on what the cost is for "consumbales" per letter sized page, one-sided "normal" coverage (I guess 5% (?)) excl. paper of course, electricity and labor. (Hope its not a bad question). Rather try to figure out more about the Ilumina® 502 Digital Color Press before contacting Xante. (Did see a one-tray model on sale elsewhere for $10,000). Thanks for any input.

[jdkmfish]

Do not forget to include your costs for drums, fusers, etc.
and of course toner.

I would estimate, based on having this machine for 3+ years,
that your cost for an 8.5 x 11 with light coverage, 5% would
be between .30 - .35 per sheet.

Of course if you have heavy coverage, you would be over $ 1.00 per sheet
plus you would need to change most, if not all of you drums, possibly fuser
and transport, to get a decent quality on any heavier stock
or full coverage, and forget about oversize prints,
because you will never get those to work for you
on a consistent basis, and if you did the cost would be astronomical !

[Keith]

That's about right. I owned mine for about 3 years. I've estimated that what it would cost to print 1000 or so 4/4 6x9 post cards with very heavy coverage on the Xante, I can make the lease payment on my Xerox. But the nice thing about no click charges- you don't pay for white space. So the click charge can drop below .05 cents on items like invitations (like those Park Avenue panel cards that you run 1up) envelopes, letterhead, etc. I've printed on items as small as 2.75"x4.25"! When you don't have click charges, guess who get's to fix it... you.

[TXPrinter]

Thanks for the replies. Got some thinking to do.

[damfino]

Get a Okidata 9650 (which is what the Xante actually is, plus some minor enhancements) for $3000. and you are good to go.

Xanata tags their consumables with RFID chips to lock them in as your supplier. Go Okidata and you can shop for the best open market price, saving 25-35% or more. I refill my own toner cartridges for $300 for all 4 colors for a savings of at least $600. to $800. My click cost - $10. per M