In late November of 2009 I was shown samples of the output from the ComCOLOR; basically it was Riso’s test sample file field kit. The images were awesome and I was blown away. With the quality I saw and the MSRP I figured there was a place for this system.
Thus out with my sample packs I went, I picked up a few accounts that were highly interested and two actually came in for a demo. I almost sold a ComCOLOR in December of 2009, however it never got delivered (that’s another story to tell, thanx RISO), and I’m kind of glad it didn’t. I had secured another demo prior to the Print On Demand Show in Phili of 2010. My client loved the speed and the output was acceptable for the end product he needed to produce except for one tiny thing…….. bleed thru of the image on two sided documents were not acceptable. Well, back to the drawing board, off to the Print On-Demand Show to look for the Holy Grail, I was sure I’d find the right paper at one of the largest shows on the East Coast. As I went from paper vendor to paper vendor, all had nothing to offer, ohhhh bother…….., this was not good. I then went to the small booth where Riso was showing the ComCOLOR and they sighed and exclaimed as of right now there was no paper that would limit the bleed through, however we have this awesome inkjet paper (11x17) but….it’s a little high with a cost per sheet of .12 cents (this is from memory now and at my age it’s a little tougher and tougher every day), ooohhh bother, .12 cents won’t cut it either.
So as the hours turned to days, the show was over and the days turned to weeks and the weeks went to months there was no Holy Grail for the paper. What I did realize after the show is that all of the print samples that I was showing was printed on premium ink jet paper that had a cost of .12 cents a page, don’t ya think there should have been a label or something, maybe a disclaimer??? Ooohhh bother, I should have been more diligent in asking about the media.
We’re now almost a year later and I have to tell you, I haven’t sold a ComCOLOR and haven’t seen one in the field, your guess is as good as mine to where they are hiding. I’m still trying to pitch the quality and speed however the MSRP price of these units are way over priced and probably the reason why you don’t seem em in every CRD or Print Shop. Now with Memjet heads finally coming to market in various systems like the Astro1, I think we can count the days of the demise of the ComCOLOR and possibly RISO.
Since August 9th there's been seven blogs on their www.risoprinter.com site, last year at this time before Murphy left they had a few blogs posting every week, plus they were tweeting the heck out of the product. It seems the ComCOLOR is grasping at straws; one blog based on MPS, another for single pass promo and secure MICR. In their latest blog they tout that Imaging Channel (not sure who they are, will research) had taken a “fresh look” at Riso’s Youtube video, if you ask me, maybe Imaging Channel should have tried one of these and then asked themselves if they would fork out 40K-70K for so so color.
Riso, I’d love to sell your product, however maybe it’s not ready for me or I’m not ready for it, or maybe we’ll never understand each other.
-=Good Selling=-
2 comments:
I am very disappointed to read your comments on this product. I am a Riso dealer and while I agree with you on a few points particularly regarding price point I have to question your knowlege of the product and the media it can run and the image quality. I have run the machines extensively and have not had the problems you describe.
Of course if you don't have the proper paper type settings and density settings you will get bleed thru. If you have the right settings you will not have these issues. If you get yourself the proper training on how to use the product and how to position the product then spend some time running the machine in a real world setting you will quickly learn what the machine is capable of so you can properly demonstrate it in the future.
By no means is this machine a replacement for a laser printer or a copier. But for a large church, print for pay or invoice printing this machine is a great fit. Disposable color if you will.
I sincerely hope that potential customers will not google the product and find your poorly concieved critique of the product as I think you are way off base. I usually have a great deal of respect for the things you post but you really lost me with this one.
Dear Anon:
BTW, wish everyone would stop with the ANON and just tell us all who you are.
You posted this "Of course if you don't have the proper paper type settings and density settings you will get bleed thru. If you have the right settings you will not have these issues."
How in the world can you make this statement when you don't even know the type of media I was running through the system? I was through every advanced setting in the controller, probably made 30 different books at 20 different print settings and used four different types of media. None of the settings nor the media would prevent the bleed through. You'll just have to take my word for it.
You posted "If you get yourself the proper training on how to use the product and how to position the product then spend some time running the machine in a real world setting you will quickly learn what the machine is capable of so you can properly demonstrate it in the future." For your knowledge I was trained by Riso, and spent many hours with a specialists going over all of the advanced print settings of the device. This is not my first Rodeo. I know what I'm doing and even leaned on others for help!
Here's a point for you, where were you when I posted two blogs about the ComCOLOR many months ago? What, since I praised the system that was ok in your eyes and prompted no response? I touted this system as "news color" and still no response from you.
The ComCOLOR is not everything to everyone; I have a hard time believing that someone will lay out $50,000 for this system in a print shop, if so the placements will be few and far between. A large Church, that's a possibility however it may be only the largest of churches were they are producing a minimum of 10,000 color pages per month and they have a cost of 10 cents per page for color (there's not too many of those around).
The blog was not ill conceived; it was more about trying to sell one of these and not being able to find the right media for the right job. The right media was the Riso inkjet paper that was too expensive and too heavy.
Like I said, the ComCOLOR may not be for me, nor I for it, however in the overall scheme of things and Memjet products now hitting the market, I can't see how anyone in their right mind would spend that type of money the technology offered.
I REALLY appreciate your comment and would like to speak with you on this in the future, thanx again for reading and writing!
Art
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