Help and advice with Invoice printing - please!

[Twokids]

Hi


I have recently started a side business suppling bulk to the retail trade.


I have discovered that I need to produce multipart invoices and delivery notes ( one copy for customer, one for delivery driver etc etc ).


Problem: As far as I can see only an impact printer ( dot matrix or whatever ) can produce multipart, but if you try and source an impact printer most retailers look at you as if you are nuts and try and convince you they are 1980's technology and I should be buying inkjets/laser printers etc.


Am I getting something wrong here?


As far as I can see using a laser or inkjet I cannot produce multipart printouts - the best I can do is print 4 or 5 copies of
every document and somehow staple them together ( nightmare ) and it would be complicated to produce them in batches of five colours
( white for the customer , pink for the warehouse, green for the delivery driver etc ) and very complicated for the customer who may have to sign 5 separate forms on delivery instead on one multipart carbonated form ( double nightmare ).


How does everyone else cope with this? Is there a new method using conventional printers that I don't know about?


... or does everyone have an impact printer in the corner for printing multipart forms?


If the answer is that an impact printer is necessary - can anyone recommend a product / supplier?


Any help gratefully received.


Thanks

 

[chris1317]

The Epson Fx series should do the job, il see if I can find you a link

Chris.

Epson brocure link

http://www.epson.co.uk/contact/brochure/Dot_Matrix/Dot_Matrix_Range.pdf

PC world business
http://www.pcwb.com/servlets/Catalogue?id=(747650)&shop=EPSON&userid=

Savastore
http://www.savastore.com/products/hardware/printers/dotmatrix/

Misco
http://www.misco.co.uk/categories/~1050204~/Dot Matrix Printers.htm

 

[Twokids]

Thanks Chris.


It does look like having an impact printer and multipart is the only soloution then?

 

[chris1317]

I think its got to be as it prints onto the bottom sheets by pressing onto the top one.

You do not get that effect with an inkjet or laser printer.

Im no expert though so there may be alternate solutions out there

Chris.

 

[Alpha]

Twokids

welcome to the forums.

You have already quite correctly gone through the possible sytems. I must admit that many companies over the past 15 years have moved away from impact printers as they are often slow, cumbersome and not very

With the abilty to send invoices/ other documents via internet or other media eg EDI the requirements for multipart got less and less.

The question is can you analyse the workload and printing costs that this will cause for you and be able to look at other methods of document workflow.

 

[webit]

I'd have a poke about on eBay but I would have to think about service and spares

 

[Twokids]

Thanks everybody for your help! I have a much clearer idea of what to do now.

Great forum.