Perhaps you own a small print shop and are looking to expand your services, or you are new to the market and are considering buying an existing wide-format business or starting one from the ground floor up. Whatever your situation, there are a number of points to consider and a lot of homework that needs to be done before putting up your “Open for Business” sign.

也许你拥有一家小打印厂，希望扩大自己的产业，或者你是市场新手，正在考虑开拓的宽幅打印业务，或者从底层做起。不管你的情况如何，在张贴你的“开门营业”招牌之前，有许多要点要考虑，还有许多前期工作要做。 

Buying an existing shop requires less work in start-up costs and finding a location. Starting a wide-format business from scratch will take more time, but it could allow you more flexibility in choosing a location, equipment and the work you want to produce.

购买一个现有的商店需要启动成本和工作地点。从头开始一个宽格式的业务需要更多的时间，但它可以让你在选择地点、设备和你想要生产的工作方面有更大的灵活性。 

The CET Color Q5-250h UV hybrid printer offers media versatility and space-saving architecture.

CET彩色Q5-250h UV混合打印机有材料通用性和节省空间的架构。

What Goes into a Business Plan?

什么是商业计划?

The first thing you need to do is create a business plan. This plan should have an ROI (return on investment) model. Create a spreadsheet and a letter explaining the new business plan. Include actual numbers with a timeline that shows how, in time, the business will start to make money. The business plan should review the basics such as payroll, rent, overhead (electric, heat, etc.), marketing, capitol (equipment), future expansion, expected material costs, vehicles, and anything else needed to make the business successful.

你需要做的第一件事就是制定一个商业计划。这个计划应该有一个ROI模型(投资回报)，创建一个电子表格和一封信来解释新的商业计划。包括实际数字和时间表，标明在哪个时间段可以盈利。商业计划应该回顾基本信息，如工资、租金、管理费用(水电费等)、市场、资本(设备)、未来的扩张、预期的材料成本、车辆以及使业务成功所需的任何其他东西。 

Dave Conrad, director of sales and marketing, Mutoh America, Phoenix, Arizona says the business plan should look at basics like market strategy, competitive analysis, a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats), short- and long-term goals and what you will do to attain them.

亚利桑那州凤凰城美国武藤（Mutoh America）的销售和市场总监戴夫•康拉德(Dave Conrad)表示，商业计划应该着眼于市场战略、竞争分析、SWOT分析(优势、劣势、机会和威胁)、短期和长期目标，以及你将如何实现这些目标。 

“This is your blueprint for the business,” Conrad says. “It is important to understand where you are, what you have and what opportunities you have to grow to where you want to be. A well thought out business plan is your launch pad for the business.”

“这是你的业务蓝图。”康拉德说，“重要的是要了解你的位置，你拥有什么以及你有什么机会成长，经过深思熟虑的商业计划是您开展业务的起点。”

CET Color’s Q5-500 4' x 8' UV-curing flatbed printer provides the latest Ricoh printhead technology with 1,280 nozzles per head.

CET Color s Q5-500 4' x 8' uv固化平板打印机提供了最新的理光喷头技术，每个喷头有1280个喷嘴。

Should You Buy or Lease Your Location?

你应该购买还是租赁你的办公场地?

“Cash is king, and unless you have it growing on trees, it is a wise decision to rent your facility to get started,” says Conrad. “So many factors will come into play you may not have control over and not having to worry about common area maintenance and the day-to-day upkeep of a property will free you up to focus on your business and growing it.”

康拉德说:“前期钱是万能的，除非你有很多启动资金可以买下办公的地方，不然租房子开工是个明智的决定。你会遇到很多无法控制的因素，租房子可以让你不必担心公共区域的维护和物业的日常维护，这会让你腾出时间专注于你的业务和发展。” 

Javier Mahmoud, vice president of sales and marketing at CET Color, Atlanta, Georgia, declares that depending on cash flow, if you can buy a brick and mortar location … buy.

乔治亚州亚特兰大市CET Color负责销售和市场营销的副总裁哈维尔•默罕默德(Javier Mahmoud)宣称，根据现金流，如果你能在实体店买到东西，那就买吧。

Alphagraphics, a shop in Roseville, California, recently installed this Mimaki JFX200-2513, a 4’ x 8’ UV-curing flatbed printer flatbed offering durable prints for both indoor and outdoor use.

加州罗斯维尔的Alphagraphics商店最近安装了这款Mimaki JFX200-2513，这是一款4 x 8 uv固化平板打印机，可在室内和室外使用，打印效果持久。

Who Should You Hire?

你应该雇佣谁?

Conrad suggests hiring people with knowledge of this business and marketplace. “For the production floor you don’t want to spend months training and creating waste, upsetting customers and backing up your workflow. Be sure the operators are well-trained and can hit the ground running in order to get things off the ground early and fast. The face of your business and the product you produce should be of utmost importance. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so hire wisely.”

康拉德建议雇佣了解这个行业和市场的人。康拉德说：“对于生产车间，您不希望花费数月时间进行培训，制造浪费，扰乱客户并备份工作流程。前期要确保操作者受过良好的训练，并能顺利的完成工作，以便尽早、快速地将产品送到客户手里。你的业务和产品的外观应该是最重要的。你只有一次机会给人留下第一印象，所以要明智地雇用你需要的人才。”

The Mimaki UCJV300-160 is a versatile UV-LED inkjet printer with the combined functions of both printing and cutting.

Mimaki UCJV300-160是一款多功能的UV-LED喷墨打印机，兼具打印和切割功能。

Should You Buy or Lease Your Equipment?

你应该购买或租赁你的设备吗?

“Because equipment tends to go down in value over time, most people lease. Unless you’re a not-for-profit organization, most shops will lease,” notes Mahmoud.

默罕默德说：“因为随着时间的推移，设备的价值往往会下降，大多数人会租赁。除非你是非营利组织，否则大多数商店都会出租。” 

Michael Maxwell, senior manager, Mimaki USA, Suwanee, Georgia, says they see leasing as the preferred method of financing because it enables customers to protect their cash, overcome budget limitations and acquire the right printing equipment for existing jobs as well as future growth.

乔治亚州苏瓦尼市美国Mimaki高级经理麦克尔•麦克斯韦尔(Michael Maxwell)表示，他们认为租赁是首选的融资方式，因为它能让客户留住自己的现金，克服预算限制，为现有的工作和未来的增长购买合适的打印设备。

“Mimaki Financial Services offers affordable monthly payment plans that can be customized to meet almost any budgeting needs," Maxwell says. "A comprehensive online Resource Center provides the tools necessary for pre-approval, credit decisions, document preparation and contract commencement. Customers will know within hours—rather than days—of their credit approval status,” he explains.

麦克斯韦尔说:“Mimaki的财务服务提供人们负担得起的月度支付计划，可以根据几乎任何预算需求进行定制。一个全面的在线资源中心为预审批、信贷决策、文件准备和合同启动提供了必要的工具。客户将在数小时内，而不是数天内，知道他们的信贷审批状态。”

Daniel Valade, product manager, color products and cutters at Roland DGA, Irvine, California, points out that most people get started with a five-year equipment lease. “The decision to lease or buy typically depends upon a number of factors, however, including the buyer’s available funds and financial situation. It should be noted that when it comes to leasing, some leasing companies will work with customers so they can upgrade their equipment before the current lease is up. This can be beneficial if the leasee outgrows his or her current equipment, requiring machines that allow for increased productivity or greater versatility.”

加州欧文罗兰DGA彩色产品和刀具的产品经理丹尼尔•瓦拉德指出，大多数人的起步期是五年的设备租赁期。租赁或购买的决定通常取决于许多因素，然而，包括买方的可用资金和财务状况。需要注意的是，在租赁方面，一些租赁公司会与客户合作，以便在当前租赁到期之前升级设备。如果出租方的设备已经超出其现有设备的使用范围，需要能够提高生产率或更多功能的机器，那么这可能是有益的。

Depending on the type of business and the markets you plan to serve, you may need to look at a variety of printers with a variety of ink types, according to Mutoh's Dave Conrad.

武藤的戴夫•康拉德(Dave Conrad)表示，根据你计划服务的业务类型和市场，你可能需要考虑使用多种墨水类型的打印机。

Your First Printer and Initial Output Expectations

您的第一台打印机

Maxwell believes it’s important to find out what your target applications are before discussing an entry point. “Different technologies serve an array of applications—what suits one may not suit another; getting a good handle on target applications, production volumes and a growth forecast is necessary,” he says. “Will the primary applications be indoor or outdoor? Signs and banners? Soft signage? Rigid graphics or printing on objects? What’s the minimum width required? What are the projected volumes in 3, 6, 12 months and beyond?”

麦克斯韦尔尔认为在讨论切入点之前找出目标应用程序是很重要的。麦克斯韦尔尔说：“不同的技术可以满足各种应用需求，适合不同的应用; ，要好好处理目标应用程序，产量和增长预测是必要的，主要应用是室内还是室外？标识和横幅？ 软标识？刚性图形或对象打印？所需的最小宽度是多少？3,6,12个月及以后的预计产量是多少?”

Conrad notes its best to buy for next year. “If you are setting up a sign shop to print banners and displays, but know you’ll be growing into vehicle wraps a year from now, don’t skimp on the 54-inch printer when you really need a 64-inch wide printer. Stepping over nickels to pick up pennies is not a good habit to get into. If you have the ability to finance with a good program or if you have the extra capital, be sure to invest in the equipment you need now that will also handle expected output demands over the next year or three so you are not struggling to keep up with client projects,” he explains.

康拉德说：“最好是明年再买。如果你正打算开一家标识店来打印横幅和显示器，但你知道一年后你将会把业务扩充到汽车包装等领域，当你真的需要64英寸宽的打印机时，就不要使用54英寸的打印机了。如果您有能力通过良好的计划融资或者您有额外的资金，请务必投资您现在需要的设备，以便在未来一年或三年内处理预期的产量需求。”

Valade says that when purchasing your first printer, you should consider who your customers will be as well as your output requirements. “In the case of an existing business that’s expanding, rather than just starting up, additional factors should be considered. If a print service provider already has clients, it’s important to think about how quickly your printer purchase will help you ramp up production and/or expand your product offerings. Conversely, if we’re talking about a startup shop, productivity needs may not be as urgent. In both cases, however, there are fundamental factors that buyers should take into consideration, including printer width, speed, cost of operation, reliability, durability, and ease of use. You’ll want to purchase a quality printer that’s ideal for the products/services you want to provide and will serve your needs as your company grows.”

瓦拉德说：“当你购买第一台打印机时，你应该考虑谁是你的客户以及你的输出要求。对于正在扩张而不是刚刚起步的店铺来说，应该考虑其他因素。如果打印服务提供商已经有了客户，那么考虑购买打印机的速度将帮助您提高生产或扩大产品种类，这一点非常重要。相反，如果我们讨论的是创业公司，生产力需求可能就不那么迫切了。然而，在这两种情况下，购买者都应该考虑一些基本因素，包括打印机的宽度、速度、操作成本、可靠性、耐用性和易用性。你会想买一台高质量的打印机，它能够为你提供你想要的产品与服务，并且随着公司的发展会满足你的生产需求。”

One can get started in wide-format digital printing with a relatively modest investment. (Image courtesy of Mutoh America, Inc.)

人们可以对宽幅数字打印相对适度的投资。

What Types of Printers Should You Look at and Why?

你应该看什么类型的打印机?

Conrad says depending on the type of business and the markets you plan to serve, you may need to look at a variety of printers with a variety of ink types. “UV-curable inks for specialty and promotional printing and package design, eco solvent inks for outdoor signs, banners and wraps, dye sublimation inks for t-shirt or apparel and home décor—all of these are options that you need to evaluate to make the right choice for your business. Maybe you can use the eco solvent printer for your signs, banners, wraps, displays as well as vinyl transfer for your T-shirts or apparel business until you grow into another separate dye sublimation printer in the future? A UV-LED hybrid can accommodate your rigid and your roll media for indoor signs and packaging prototypes until you can afford a true flatbed to designate strictly to heavy production runs. All of these are factors you need to address.”

康拉德说：“根据你计划服务的业务类型和市场，你可能需要考虑使用各种墨水类型的打印机。uv固化油墨用于专业和宣传打印和包装设计，生态溶剂油墨用于户外标识、横幅和包装，染料升华油墨用于T恤或服装和家居装饰，所有这些都是你需要评估的产品，为你的企业做出正确的选择。也许您可以使用生态溶剂打印机为您的标识，横幅，包装以及乙烯基转移为您的T恤或服装业务，直到你在未来成长为另一个独立的染料公司。UV-LED混合设备可以容纳您的刚性和卷筒介质，用于室内标识和包装原型，直到您能够负担得起真正的平板，所有这些都是你需要解决的问题。”

Maxwell points out that the type of ink (water-based/aqueous, eco-solvent/solvent, UV cure, latex, etc.) and platform (roll-fed, tabletop or flatbed) is determined by the types of applications to be produced. “There is a wide array of equipment to suit just about any application in accessible price ranges. For a roll-to-roll printer, eco-solvent is a good first choice because it is versatile in application (indoor or outdoor use), can print onto hundreds of media types, and can be run in an office environment. If a flatbed is the choice, UV-cure technology in a dedicated flatbed platform (not a hybrid) would be our recommendation. Entry-level dye sublimation printers are also available for transfer applications such as short-run textiles (soft signage, fashion designs, etc.) or transfer to hard surfaces (awards, promotional items, etc.).”

麦克斯韦尔指出：“油墨的类型（水基/水溶性，环保溶剂，UV固化，乳胶等）和平台（滚动式，桌面式或平板式）取决于要生产的应用类型。市面上有各种各样的设备，几乎可以适用于任何价格范围内的应用。对于卷到卷打印机，生态溶剂是一个很好的首选，因为它可以在室内或室外使用，可以打印到数百种媒体类型，并可以在办公环境中运行。如果选择的是平板，我们建议采用专用平板平台，而不是混合平台的uv固化技术。入门级的染料升华打印机也可用于转移应用，如短期纺织品(软标识，时装设计等)或转移到硬表面(奖励，促销项目等)。”

“If you don’t already have a roll-to-roll type printer, invest in a hybrid. This will satisfy both flat goods (substrates) as well as roll printing such as banners,” explains Mahmoud.

默罕默德解释说：“如果你还没有一卷到一卷式打印机，那就投资一种混合打印机。这既能满足平板商品(基材)的需求，也能满足条幅等卷筒打印的需求。”

“This will depend upon the type of products/services you want to offer. Do you want to specialize in unique applications, or will you need a printer that can handle a wide variety of applications,” notes Valade. “For a typical startup sign shop, an affordable, reliable eco-solvent printer, such as Roland’s value-packed VersaEXPRESS RF-640, or an equally affordable TrueVIS SG series printer/cutter, will cover the applications currently in highest demand (i.e., signage, banners, POP, decals, labels, vehicle graphics). For people looking to do more unique applications or print to unusual substrates, a quality UV printer, such as those offered within Roland’s VersaUV series, will allow you to print and customize a greater variety of items and print directly onto those objects.”

这将取决于你想提供的产品服务的类型。你是想专注于独特的应用程序，还是需要一台能够处理各种应用程序的打印机?对于一个典型的创业标识商铺来说，一个经济实惠、可靠的生态溶剂打印机，比如Roland的VersaEXPRESS RF-640，或者一个同样经济实惠的TrueVIS SG系列打印机/切割机，他们都将覆盖目前需求最高的应用(例如，标识，横幅，POP，贴花，标签，车辆图形)。对于那些想要做更多独特的应用或打印到不同寻常的基材上的人来说，一个高质量的UV打印机，比如罗兰的VersaUV系列，将为你打印和定制更多的产品。

Valade adds that customization is a huge growth market, and UV printing is leading the way. “With sublimation being another high-growth market, buyers may also want to consider purchasing a quality dye-sublimation printer, like a Roland Texart RT-640, to decorate soft signage, apparel, hard goods with vibrant, eye-catching graphics.”

瓦拉德补充说：“专属定制是一个巨大的增长市场，UV打印正在引领这个市场。随着升华技术成为另一个高速增长的市场，购买者可能也会考虑购买一款高质量的染料升华打印机，比如罗兰Tex art的RT-640，用充满活力、引人注目的图形来装饰软标识、服装和硬质基材。”

Buyers may want to consider purchasing a quality dye-sublimation printer, such as Roland’s Texart RT-640, to decorate soft signage, apparel, hard goods with vibrant, eye-catching graphics.

买家可能会考虑购买一台优质的热升华打印机，如Roland的Texart RT-640，以充满活力，引人注目的图形装饰软标识，服装或其他硬质基材的产品。

What Finishing Equipment is Needed?

需要什么整理设备?

“You will need a laminator for producing outdoor durable graphics. If you’ll be offering dye-sublimation or heat transfer products/services for creating custom apparel, you’ll need a heat press,” states Valade. “For those who will be UV printing onto rigid or semi-rigid substrates, a CNC router or digital table cutter will help you stand out from the competition by making custom shapes out of the substrate itself.”

瓦拉德说：“您将需要一个层压机，用来生产户外耐用的图形，如果你要为定制服装提供染料升华或传热产品服务，你需要一台热压机。对于那些将UV打印到刚性或半刚性基材上的人来说，数控切割机将帮助你在竞争中脱颖而出，因为它们可以根据基材本身定制形状。”

“Eco-solvent printers pair up nicely with cold or heat-assist roll laminators for car wraps, mounting and other simple finishing applications,” explains Conrad.

康拉德解释说:“在汽车包装、安装和其他简单的表面处理应用中，环保溶剂打印机与冷或热辅助卷筒复合材料很好地结合在一起。”

“Most folks have a laminator, a flatbed cutter and some form of stitching option,” says Mahmoud.

默罕默德说:“大多数人都有层压机、平板切割机和某种形式的缝合选择。” 

When Can You Expect to Make a Profit?

什么时候能盈利?

Having a realistic idea of when your new business will make a profit is important. Conrad says a big part of your business planning should look at your break-even point and beyond. “Don’t set your plan to strict goals since your business will change and evolve as you go. Be diligent enough to stick to your plan but flexible enough to react to new market opportunities for increased growth or market penetration.”

康拉德说：“对你的新生意什么时候能盈利有一个现实的想法是很重要的。你的商业计划的很大一部分应该着眼于你的盈亏平衡点，甚至更长远。不要把你的计划设定成严格的目标，因为你的业务会随着你的发展而变化。要足够勤奋地坚持你的计划，但要足够灵活地对新的市场机会做出反应，以增加增长或市场渗透。”

Maxwell says that there’s great variance and too many components to provide a comprehensive answer. Location (overhead costs), labor rates, financing, machine and ink type, consumables, software, media, finishing, etc., can affect production costs to varying degrees. “Low cost-of-entry doesn’t always translate into better value because of hidden consumables, service or other printer-related expenses,” he says.

麦克斯韦尔说：“有很大的差异和太多的组成部分，提供一个全面的答案。位置(间接成本)、人工成本、融资成本、机器和油墨类型、耗材、软件、媒体、精加工等都会不同程度地影响生产成本。由于隐藏的消耗品、服务或其他与打印机相关的费用，低进入成本并不总能转化为更高的价值。”

Maxwell adds that “Once a printer/ink type is determined, we recommend preparing an ROI that takes into consideration monthly costs for equipment, labor and overhead, and calculate that to return a ‘cost-per-day’ to run. Then determine a realistic ‘sellable-per-day’ square footage rate from that data, to get a good idea of production needs, costs and return. This is a highly simplistic model but it will help start the conversation about how much is needed to sell in order to achieve a good ROI. Printer manufacturers and experienced dealers can be very helpful in developing an ROI expectation based on an individual business.”

麦克斯韦尔补充说：“一旦确定了一种打印机或墨水类型，我们建议准备一个投资回报率计算，考虑到每月的设备成本、人工成本和开销，并计算出每天运行的成本。然后根据该数据确定一个真实的“每日可销售”的表格，以便更好地了解生产需求，成本和回报。这是一个非常简单的模型，但它有助于开始讨论需要多少销售才能实现良好的投资回报率。打印机制造商和经验丰富的经销商可以非常有助于开发基于单个业务的投资回报率预期。”

Roland’s VersaEXPRESS RF-640 printer/cutter will cover the applications currently in

highest demand, says Daniel Valade.

丹尼尔•瓦拉德(Daniel Valade)说：“罗兰的VersaEXPRESS RF-640打印机/切割机将覆盖目前需求最高的应用领域。”

What is the Estimated Cost of Entry?

预计起步资金是多少?

“In most cases, a shop can get started with about a $50,000 investment in equipment,” Valade notes. That would include a printer/cutter (or a printer and stand-alone cutter), a laminator, a heat press (for dye-sublimation applications) and any other required hardware,” he adds.

瓦拉德指出，在大多数情况下，一家商店可以从大约5万美元的设备投资起步。这将包括一台打印机/切割机、一台层压机、一台热压机(用于染料升华应用)和任何其他必要的硬件。

Conrad says you can get a 54” or 64” printer, laminator, RIP software, startup sign materials like vinyl and banner and laminate, your PC/monitor and ink and materials for under $40-50k. “If you are looking at high production printers with better features like dual print heads, faster print speeds, wider print widths or even dye sublimation where you may need other heat presses or calendar devices or steamers, that can run the cost up quickly.”

康拉德说：“你可以买到54或64台打印机、贴膜机、RIP软件、乙烯基、横幅和层压板等创业标识材料、你的电脑/显示器、墨水和材料，价格在40-5<span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 微软雅黑, "