As far as micro-registration goes, pricing is an issue for myself as a start-up. The press here below seems to be one that a beginner could be interested in. It obviously has no micro-registering ability, but they make it sound as though it will do fine, just as long as you have a keen eye, patience, and utilize the very basic strategies to getting really good registration between colors. So, would you all say that this particular press will do just fine for someone as long as they use every available technique for accurately registering when not having the convenience of micro-registration or even a joystick system? Would one even be able to create detailed/complex graphical designs or would you absolutely be limited to stick figures and simplistic fonts? Anything else about this specific press below, that one should know-besides it being a tabletop unit and being difficult to resale and finding or building a sturdy enough table to hold it steady?
As far as micro-registration goes, pricing is an issue for myself as a start-up. The press here below seems to be one that a beginner could be interested in. It obviously has no micro-registering ability, but they make it sound as though it will do fine, just as long as you have a keen eye, patience, and utilize the very basic strategies to getting really good registration between colors. So, would you all say that this particular press will do just fine for someone as long as they use every available technique for accurately registering when not having the convenience of micro-registration or even a joystick system? Would one even be able to create detailed/complex graphical designs or would you absolutely be limited to stick figures and simplistic fonts? Anything else about this specific press below, that one should know-besides it being a tabletop unit and being difficult to resale and finding or building a sturdy enough table to hold it steady?
Well I think there is a LOT of people out there who has never used micro-registration, and they'd been in the business for years.
Micro will make your life much easier, but I think you can live without it.
It is like when you learn to drive automatic and when you try a manual transmission you find it awful. At least that is what my wife thinks.
Regarding that press, I would spend a little bit more in a Riley Hopkins.
This is a very solid press.
I attached some pictures of my Riley 4/1 Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3
But as always, I just might be wrong
For that much money I'd be looking around for an older used Hopkins or something a little more professional, even without micros. At least you might get your money back from reselling it when you get some cash together to buy a decent press. As noted earlier, there are those who print without micros, but no matter how closely your screens are registered to one another, or how accurately you can mount the screens in the clamps from one printhead to another, 1/16 or 1/32 of an inch off is still off, and just as hard to register as if it were 1" off. You'll be tapping your frame with a hammer back and forth, in and out, trying to get it just so, and I can tell you from experience, it's as much luck as skill sometimes. It took me 4 hours once to line up 3 friggin' screens on a press with micros so bad I couldn't even use them. If I had to go through that kind of frustration on very many jobs, I'd quit.
It depends on your target market. You can do one and two color jobs without any macros. My target market has been small businesses and local high schools and have done really well. So you really have to ask yourself that question who is your target market.
I guess if your target market is CMYK process designs then I can see why you would need a macro registration machine.
The first thing you need to ask yourself is who is your target market. Our company started off with a press similar to yours and paid it off right away with a few jobs. Its like getting your first car. Its not aways the best but it will get you where you need to go.
Once you mature in the market then you can get yourself a nicer machine that has all the other features. Just make sure you learn how to use the other features. So make sure who ever you buy the newer press that it comes with customer support if you have questions on how to use the registrations.
Iam new to the trade and I just bought a 4x2. I have been told over and over that the key to a good registration is being deligent up front, take your time and use tech support from where you purchused the press. Take your time and learn the right way now! Take a course if you can, it will pay back in the long run.
Diligence in setting the job up on the front end is critical, and something micros cannot fix if things are off in your film, or if you have screen issues, such as warped frames or really loose mesh. The best press in the world won't make a tight registration job fit if all the prepress isn't correct. And, as some have pointed out, you can do high-end work on a press without micros. It used to be the only way. Nevertheless, I don't know of anyone who has reverted to a non-micro press out of choice. When I set jobs up on my press, I tap the frames into alignment with the end of a wrench, tighten the clamps alternately and a little at a time to minimize frame twist in the clamps, then check registration and make any adjustments with the micros.
You have to work with what you can afford, but there are so many variables to overcome, from art preparation, film output, mesh tension, press registration accuracy, and so on, that having micros on a decent press takes some of the work and frustration out of the job.
for that press it really isnt that hard to make a micro reg system, before i had them on mine it would take close to an hour to align a job. now with them it takes only a minute or 2, now that i have them i cant ever see going with another press that doesnt offer them.
for that press it really isnt that hard to make a micro reg system, before i had them on mine it would take close to an hour to align a job. now with them it takes only a minute or 2, now that i have them i cant ever see going with another press that doesnt offer them.
outta metal,um basicly 2 peices that bolt to the arm and to the screen clamp, in between it has full motion to allow the sceen to move in any direction. it isnt hard just took time to perfect it and then weld them up
I started printing about 5 years ago with a 6 color tabletop press. It did great for me and registration wasn't too bad. But I will say the biggest difference between a press with micro and a press without is setup time. Once I got a press with micro-registration and figured out the process, it knocked my setup time down dramatically. Now, I can register a 6 color job in about 10 minutes (give or take). My old press would take me up to an hour and a half to get it just right.
I never used the micro much on my newer press. On my old one I just used the old hammer method. Worked fine for me, I do have a good eye for registration...but was also using a laser printer and vellum, dealing with shrinkage...no real bad problems. Usually lots of older presses on Craigs List, maybe check there before buying new!
No Micro-registration, but... 
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