How do I check a commercial printer’s press hours and service history?

A press count is like an odometer, and like an odometer it can be misread. Ask the operator to show the counter on screen or on the machine, and take a photo with the date. Ask whether the counter was ever reset or the press moved from another shop. Then check the count against the press’s age and the shop’s annual volume. If the story and the number disagree, ask why.

The service history shows how hard the press has been worked. Request invoices, any service contract, and parts orders. Look for repeated trouble with the same unit, such as rollers, dampening, or the delivery section. Ask who services the press: the maker’s technicians or a local firm, and how fast they respond. A long delay for parts can mean lost days of production.

Finally, bring in your own technician. Ask for a trial run on a job type you care about and check registration, density and waste. If the press is leased or financed, ask what happens to that agreement on a sale. Your lender will want to understand the machine’s condition. Ask too about how the shop handles planned maintenance versus fixing things when they break, since a press that is cleaned and serviced on a schedule tends to hold its quality longer.

Key takeaways

• Photograph the press counter and compare it with the press’s age and the shop’s volume.
• Gather every service invoice and look for repeat failures.
• Hire an independent technician before you accept the owner’s description.