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EnglishHow Does Delphax Help Customers Choose the Right Inkjet Solution?
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Delphax simplifies the inkjet selection process by replacing guesswork with your own production data. Instead of asking you to compare spec sheets, the company walks you through a three-step evaluation — free print samples, an ink cost analysis, and a TCO/ROI assessment — built around how your shop actually runs. This approach suits commercial printers and mail operations that already have a device in place and want to know whether switching would pay off, rather than buyers shopping on price alone.
The Three-Step Evaluation Process
Delphax frames the decision as three concrete steps, each producing something you can hold or read rather than a sales pitch.
1. Print Samples
You request physical samples printed on Delphax equipment, so you can judge image quality and ink behavior on your own stock instead of a brochure. This matters most for envelopes, direct mail, and packaging, where substrate and handling vary widely.
2. Ink Cost Analysis
Delphax compares ink consumption and cost against your current setup. The company's own customer story illustrates why this step exists: a direct mail operation replaced two unreliable tabletop inkjet envelope systems with a Delphax Elan 170, and running costs dropped to roughly one-tenth of the old setup — about $130,000 in ink savings over five years, according to Delphax. Your numbers will differ, but the analysis is designed to surface that gap before you commit.
3. TCO & ROI Analysis
The final step builds a total-cost-of-ownership and return-on-investment picture around your operations. Delphax states that its team helps you compare real production data — labor, setup, and waste — against your current device, so the comparison reflects your workflow rather than a generic benchmark.
What Data You Bring to the Conversation
The evaluation only works if it uses your real numbers. Based on what Delphax describes, expect to supply or discuss:
| Input | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Current device(s) and their reliability | Establishes the baseline you're replacing |
| Labor and setup time | Often the hidden cost in high-volume envelope work |
| Waste and spoilage rates | Directly affects cost per piece |
| Ink and printhead spend | The line item most likely to shift dramatically |
| Print volume and mix | Determines whether a production press fits |
If you run a mail shop or commercial print operation with recurring envelope, direct mail, or packaging work, this data-driven route is the intended fit. If you're a low-volume or occasional printer, the same three steps still apply, but the ROI case will be thinner — the analysis will show you that too.
What the Elan 170 Tells You About Fit
The Elan 170 is the product Delphax positions for envelope and direct mail work, and its published specs give you a concrete reference point for the evaluation:
- Speed: 150 ft/min, equivalent to 18,000 #10 envelopes per hour
- Resolution: up to 1600 x 1600 dpi with a 2.1 picoliter drop size
- Ink: water-fast CMYK pigment inks that resist smudging from water or handling
- Applications: envelopes, direct mail, packaging, and more
Delphax targets commercial printers and mail shops with this device. Use these figures as the yardstick when you compare your current output and quality — if your existing systems already match them, the ROI case rests on cost and reliability instead.
How to Start
Delphax lists three entry points — Print Samples, Ink Cost Analysis, and TCO & ROI Analysis — as the way to begin. Pick the one that answers your most pressing question first: samples if quality is the doubt, ink analysis if consumables are the pain point, TCO/ROI if you need a business case for ownership. The company's stated goal is to make the choice uncomplicated by grounding it in your production data, so the more accurate the numbers you bring, the more useful the result.