Summary: The Business Case in Short
When purchasing a new printer, the price discussion is often leading. “Model A (1 roll) costs € 1,500. Model B (2 rolls) costs € 2,000. Give me Model A, saves € 500.” This is classic “Penny wise, Pound foolish”. In an average office, two types of paper are used: A0 (914mm) and A1 (594mm or 610mm). Or: Standard paper (80gr) and Presentation paper (120gr). With a 1-roll machine, every time you switch format or type, you must:
- Walk to the printer.
- “Unload” (rewind) the old roll.
- Take the roll out and put it in the box.
- Get the new roll and slide it onto the spindle.
- Load the new roll.
- Wait for it to align. This process takes 3 to 5 minutes. If this happens 3 times a week, it costs you more in labor costs on an annual basis than that extra € 500.
The Annoyance of the Swap
The problem is not just the time. It is the barrier.
- The architect wants a quick check print on A1.
- There’s an A0 roll in.
- He thinks: “Never mind, I’ll just print it on A0 and cut off the white part.”
- Result: 30% paper waste.
- Or he thinks: “Never mind, I won’t print it and just look at it on the screen.” -> Errors are missed.
The Solution: Dual Roll (Automatic Switching)
A printer with 2 rolls (like the HP DesignJet T1600dr or Z6dr) is “Set and Forget”.
- Roll 1: A0 Bond Paper.
- Roll 2: A1 Bond Paper (or Satin Photo Paper).
- The driver (or HP Click) recognizes the size of the PDF.
- Is it A0? -> Roll 1.
- Is it A1? -> Roll 2.
- You don’t have to do anything. The printer switches itself (retracts roll 1, loads roll 2) in 10 seconds.
Business Fundamentals: The TCO Calculation
Let’s do the math honestly.
- Engineer labor cost: € 60/hour = € 1 per minute.
- Roll swap takes 4 minutes = € 4 per swap.
- Swaps per week: 5 (conservative).
- Cost per week: € 20.
- Cost per year (45 weeks): € 900.
- Extra cost for Dual Roll machine: € 400 - € 600.
- Payback period: Around 6 months for an average office (5 swaps per week). For a busy engineering firm or construction trailer with 10 or more roll swaps per week, the payback period drops to less than 3 months. After that, it’s pure profit. And we haven’t even included the paper savings (no more waste).
Smart Switching
Modern printers are smart.
- If Roll 1 runs out during a large job, it automatically switches to Roll 2 (if it has the same paper).
- This enables unattended printing (see our blog on Unattended Printing). 2x 100 meters = 200 meters of printing without intervention.
Europlan Service: Configuration Advice
We look at your printing behavior.
- Do you print 99% A0? Then 1 roll is fine.
- Do you print mixed sizes? Then 2 rolls is a “no-brainer”.
- We install the machine so it chooses “Paper Source: Automatic” by default.
Conclusion: Convenience Serves the Person
Make it easy for your employees. A roll swap is an annoying interruption to the workflow. Eliminate that friction. A happy employee is a productive employee.
Do you want to see the Dual Roll swap in action?