Adding a Large Format Printer : Support Centre

A large format printer is added to the system defaults, there are 2 steps to complete;

Setting the default sizes, dimensions and paper settings.
Setting the running costs and inks for the printer.

This article will provide an overview of setting up a new large format printer in the system.

Adding a Large Format Printer

1. Click the Settings cog (top right corner), then select ePrint MIS.

The window is arranged with a navigation pane on the left-hand side of the screen.

2. Click Plant and Presses, then Large Format, then Add New Record.

3. The first screen requires all the sizes and general default settings to be created. The table below will provide a general overview of these settings.

Note: Items marked with an asterix (*) are required in order to save the details of the printer.

**Note: This screen is displaying imperial measurements, therefore it is important to ensuring the measurements are accurate according to your region.

	FIELD	DESCRIPTION
	Name Description	The name of the printer is required and is the name that is referenced throughout system. The description is optional, it is useful where there is more then one large format printer or the printer is listed several times with different cost settings applied.
	Min. Sheet Height (Length) Maximum Sheet Width Maximum Sheet Weight	All these fields are required. Measurements are entered according metric or imperial according to the region of the system. The values are according to what the machine accepts for ; - Minimum sheet height (length) - Maximum sheet width and - Maximum weight of the sheet that the printer will allow.
	PRESS RESTRICTIONS	The press restrictions are set as default within the printer setup. They can be enabled or disabled within each estimate/job.
	Grip Side Orientation Grip Depth Side Gutter Depth	- Grip Side Orientation - options include, None, Long side, Short side. Select which side the printer grips the substrate on. - Grip Depth - the physical amount that the machine grips as the roll/paper feeds into the machine. - Side Gutter Depth - The edge of the roll or sheet that will not be printed on.
	Non Print Image Side Area Default Gutters	- Non Print Image Side Area - the area in both height and width (the area at the edge of the sheet that cannot be printed on). - Default Gutters - the desired space between the items that are printed. This can be adjusted within each estimate/job
	Set up Spoilage Running Spoilage (%)	This is the estimated spoilage that may be expected on each job. Values are entered according to either metric or imperial measurements according to the regional settings of the system. - Set up spoilage - the amount of sq meter/sq footage that is lost at the beginning of the sheet/roll. - Running Spoilage - is entered as a percentage. It may include the amount of spoilage lost due to a paper jams for instance.
	Default Paper/Stock 1	This is the default paper/stock that is used most of the time when printing to the machine. You can set use up to 5 default paper stocks. If you do this you will have to remove any that are not used in the individual estimate/job. For example you might select a commonly used print substrate as the first default and then a commonly used laminate as the second default. If in the estimate/job you print on the substrate but don't need to laminate you can remove the laminate in that specific estimate/job.
	Default Print Sheet Size Default Job Size	Select the Default Sheet Size - the size of the paper/roll being fed into the machine and Job Size, which is the size of the completed job. As this may change from job to job a selection is not required.
	Default Cutting Table	Select the Default Cutting Table that is used in association with this printer, it must be setup in the Plant and Presses for a selection to be made.
	Set as Default Press	Check this option to set it as the default press for the system. If you have several machines you may not want to make any one the default to prompt you to select the correct one for each estimate/job.
	Calculate the total area of material including wastage	This is designed only to be used when printing on sheets on a flat bed machine using the square meter or square feet calculation. When estimating, if this option is selected the system will calculate the material cost based upon the total sheet size used including the waste area. When you print on a roll using the linear calculation the system automatically calculates for the whole width of the roll to be costed into the material cost so it is not necessary to select this function for roll to roll machines calculating on a linear basis.

4. Click Next.

5. The next screen addresses the the default costs and inks associated with the large format printer.

When initially setting up a large format printer it is recommended to enter the values at cost price, then create some test estimates before determining mark-up values.

	FIELD	DESCRIPTION
	Set up Charge ($)	If you want to charge customers a setup charge when this machine is used enter the value here. It is a one off charge to cover the cost for the press operator to set up the machine.
	Minimum Running Charge ($)	The minimum running charge is the minimum amount the system will charge for the production time. If the press cost is calculated to be $200 and your minimum charge is set to $300, the $300 cost will be applied and the $200 calculated cost will be over-ridden.
	Mark Up (%)	The mark up % can be applied to the use of this machine. It can be entered as a default, alternatively set the markup on each estimate/job.
	PRINT QUALITY
	How many meters/feet can you print per hour	This enables you to set different machine speeds based on the quality you are printing at. If you always run at the same quality you can enter the same answer into all three fields and then ignore this function in the estimate/job screen.
	Press Hourly Charge Rate ($)	The Press Hourly Charge is the cost that is applied to the machine for its use on an hourly basis. It includes the running & labour costs of the machine (machine purchase cost, electricity, maintenance, operator cost).
	INK COVERAGE	The entries in this section will be determined by whether the machine prints single sided or double sided.
	Default Ink Coverage Side 1 (%)	The default percentage of the substrate/paper that is going to be printed on side 1. This can be adjusted in each estimate/job.
	Default Ink Coverage Side 2 (%)	The default percentage of the substrate/paper that is going to be printed on side 2. This can be adjusted in each estimate/job. If the machine cannot print double sided enter a value of zero.
	Special Ink Coverage Side 1 (%)	The default percentage of the substrate/paper that is going to be printed on side 1 using a special ink such as a white or metallic ink that would cost more than the standard inks.
	Special Ink Coverage Side 2 (%)	The default percentage of the substrate/paper that is going to be printed on side 2 using a special ink. If the machine cannot print double sided enter a value of zero.
	Select the Inks to be assigned to this Press	Click on the plus symbol against each ink value to select an ink from your inventory list to assign to the machine. If your inventory is not uploaded you can add it here, after clicking the plus symbol, click Add New Ink. For information about setting the ink yields see this article: Ink Yield
	Select the Special inks to be assigned to this press	A selection must be made, similar to the selection of coloured inks in the previous setting, this setting is dedicated to special ink such as white or metallic. If the machine does not use white ink, create an inventory item called Dummy Ink and set the values to zero.