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G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M 2 0 2 1 A P R I L G R A P H I C S P R O 8 5 to perfect their workf low and develop the best strategies for material handling and storage. While most materials can be easily stowed for use at any time, many consumables such as ink and substrates have a limited shelf life, and it's impor- tant to know use-by dates to guarantee performance and stay within manufac- turer warranties. It's also important to keep in mind the physical location of your printer and items such as your laminator or plotter so that your workow from design to print to n- ish is as smooth as possible. READY TO ROLL So, once your shop is all set up with its new printer, what can you look forward to producing right out of the gate? "During 2020, we saw a sharp increase in retail and residential signage as society as a whole shifted the way it operated," Lopez says. "Given new state and com- munity regulations, retail shops increased signage and displays to relay information on new business hours, take-out capabili- ties, and safety regulations required by the CDC. ere was also a big jump in resi- dential signage as families and neighbors practice social distancing, (and) birthdays, graduations, baby arrivals, and more were celebrated by printing and displaying cus- tom lawn and neighborhood signs." Keeping up with current trends and perfecting your ability to create industry staples such as banners and wraps should keep your roll-to-roll printer working steadily. THE NEXT STEP Pla nning for t he f uture is always a smart idea, so what will the future of you and your roll-to-roll print- er bring? First, you need to understand just how long that printer will last. With a little TLC, that can be a long time. "Printers are designed to last for very long periods of time," says Lopez. "e key is making sure that all the recommended maintenance is done on time and consis- tently. Overall life expectan- cy will depend on how often the printer is used." Adding a roll-to-roll printer means your shop can engage in offering graphics of all kinds. (Image courtesy Mimaki) A good industry rule of thumb is that your printer should last you at least seven years before new technology and options make it less profitable to continue without a replacement or upgrade. (Image courtesy Epson) continued on page 110 ENTRY-LEVEL VS. ADVANCED ROLL- TO-ROLL PRINTERS When upgrading your roll-to-roll printer, you can expect increases to most or all of these factors: 1. Cost 2. Printing width 3. Speed 4. Productivity gain 5. Operating software 6. Hardware sophistication 7. Floor space required for end-to-end processing and the printer itself 8. Operator training