10 opportunities to cut costs in Custom and On Demand manufacturing – Cost Saving 2: Press room

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Automate orders onto the press – zero staff from file to press

We have seen press room staffing reinvented in some sites, and huge savings realised, fast. The goal here is to 1) queue, batch, and get files onto the press in a zero-touch way and then 2) embed all the rules of what products are printed on what presses on what substrate and imposed to the right finishing option all automatically.

The objective is to stretch your sights as far as no staff involvement or costs between the file and the moment ink meets paper. This means that for this type of workflow that prepress can be removed and a big reduction in the size of the print press room achieved. It also means that all the rules around how orders are manufactured are stored inside workflow and so staff can’t hold the business hostage or absences interrupt production. While it’s challenging to eliminate people entirely due to the maintenance and support required for the printing presses, the aim should be to eliminate all variable costs associated with getting work onto the printing press. One of our clients, for example, eliminated all senior press operators, retained a single Press Room Manager for each shift, and rehired casual workers to supply consumables to the presses and handle paper removal. This move resulted in the removal of hundreds of thousands of dollars in press room costs.

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Cost-saving options for the press room are essential for businesses aiming to streamline operations and enhance efficiency in print-on-demand manufacturing. By optimizing press room activities, businesses can reduce overhead, improve production timelines, and maximize their overall output.

Next > Imposition: Optimise press impositions

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10 opportunities to cut costs in Custom and On Demand manufacturing – Cost Saving 1: Orders

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What’s new in ZenSmart this month Sammy Brent, CIO • 20 June 2026 • We

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We have delivered print on demand automation solutions that have made a profound difference to some of the largest and most diverse factories in the world. Our vision is to make this capability available to all print on demand sites, from photo to merchandise, apparel to giftware – and sites from big to small, without the big up-front price tag. Your success will be our success.

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