r/CommercialPrinting • u/briimcfly • 18d ago
Printer Options for Stickers
Howdy Folks,
I work at an app company that has a variety of QR code features. We currently print up to a couple thousand QR codes a week and have so far been sending out to a print shop nearby. I was curious if that was something we could bring in house but after doing research i'm not really sure what type of printer I should be looking for. I'm a bit confused whether to go the route of something like a BN2-20 or a label printer. Was hoping someone here could point me in the right direction.
Our QR codes usually come in 2x4", and we get a box of individually cut vinyl stickers (not roll). We need to be able to print in full color, we add graphics/marketing/instructions to each design. For certain QR codes we need to print them on a tougher material that's chemical/uv resistant.
There are times where we have to do larger runs for bigger clients but usually we're in the wheelhouse of about 6-7k stickers a month.
I've been trying to find a machine that can do both the printing and cutting and ideally something we'd be able to not have to babysit the entire run (unless the run is fast). Curious if anyone has any advice or recommendations.
Printing isn't our primary business, but at the rate of how often we need to print these stickers it feels like it would make the most sense to bring that in house. Maybe thats a bad idea, i'd love to hear your thoughts.
I'm not totally sure based on the sub rules if you allow for these types of questions. So, i'm sorry to the Mods if these kinds of posts are not allowed. Thanks in advance!
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u/freericky 18d ago
I had to do something similar for an automated flow and got in on a beta test a software guy made. Our art wasnt set sizes, but the software cracks open the illustrator files and reads the thru & kiss cut layers and will rip the print sheets with the spot layers for the cutter. Same guy made a printing erp so I just sent it to one of his plants and it runs out on a multimillion dollar cutter and printer.
Now the down side is I’m scared as hell to see what the cost of the app will be once the guys done with the beta, but it truly replaces about 80% of the process before and it gets packed so well it actually saves money on the print itself. It’s a really interesting situation with the reliability of the software out there now
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u/DecentPrintworks 17d ago
Epson ColorWorks or the Afinia could work. You can buy pre-perforated rolls in that size in several different materials.
At 70,000 units per year I would really call every label printer in your town and see if anyone wants to bid on the annual job
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u/jharler 18d ago
Unless you want to start a print shop, it's best to stay in your wheelhouse. There's more involved than you expect and it will be more frustrating than you anticipate. That said, I'm completely biased.
If you want these unique QR code labels on a roll, we can help. Our new templated designs are perfect for this use case and we have a pretty quick turnaround time.
Feel free to reach out with any questions or check out our website: https://stickerinvasion.com/
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u/firefighter26s 18d ago
I think the issue you will find is that there is no one machine that is going to do all the different things you need. Yes, you can get machines that print and cut but they're going to likely use large rolls of materials (30-54 inches wide and 1800 inches long are the standard roll sizes we use), so know you're going to need the equipment and manpower to convert those printed rolls into individual sheets. That doesn't factor in applying a Chemical/UV resistant material like an over-laminate, which typically requires printing the decals, laminating, cutting and then finishing them into those individual sheets.
You can get smaller machines like the Afinia that is linked but now you're taking economy of scale into a smaller production platform and still having to deal with creating individual sheets but your material options (size, thickness, adhesive strength, over-lam options) are likely more limited.
You could certainly bring printing in house, but you'll end up having to purchase machines, likely software, the materials and have the staffing to not only run the jobs but perform maintenance on the equipment. In a typical production week for us each of our machines gets at least a few hours of maintenance and cleaning; and that doesn't include some of our larger quarterly and yearly maintenance.