Komori Press Questions I Get Asked (And The Mistakes That Taught Me The Answers)

I've been handling Komori press orders since 2017. Eight years, hundreds of print runs, and more expensive mistakes than I like to admit. This article answers the questions I actually get asked—by new operators, by shop owners considering a used komori offset printing machine, and by people just trying to figure out printer settings.

Some of these answers came easy. Some cost me real money to learn. I'll let you know which is which.

Is a used Komori offset printing machine worth buying?

Short answer: yes, if you know what you're looking at. Long answer: it depends on how honest the seller is and how thoroughly you inspect the press.

In 2022, I almost bought a used Komori Lithrone that looked perfect in photos. Everything appeared clean. The meter showed relatively low impressions. The dealer was friendly, responsive, had good reviews. We flew out to inspect it, and I noticed something the photos conveniently didn't show—the delivery pile had scratches running through every third sheet. Not a big deal until you realize it means the grippers were out of alignment, which meant the previous owner hadn't maintained it properly. That press would've cost me $15,000 in repairs within the first year.

Here's what I check now on any used komori offset printing machine:

• Print test sheets on both sides—not just coated stock, but uncoated too
• Check the impression cylinder for rust spots (someone 'forgot' to wash up before storage?)
• Run the KHS system through a full job change cycle—watch for hesitation in motor response
• Ask for maintenance logs, and actually read them, not just scan them
• Verify the serial number and age with a Komori technician

The right used Komori can be a genuinely smart buy. These presses are built to run. But "used" doesn't mean "out of the box." I learned that the hard way so you don't have to.

What does collate mean on a printer?

Collate means the printer assembles multi-page documents in the correct order. If you're printing 10 copies of a 15-page document, collated output gives you 10 complete sets, each one in order from page 1 to 15. Uncollated gives you 15 stacks—all page 1s together, all page 2s together, and so on.

I remember ignoring this setting early in my career. I was printing a 40-page quote package for a client—20 copies, single-sided. I hit print, didn't think about collate. The output was 40 neat stacks of identical pages. I spent the next 90 minutes hand-sorting 800 pages into order. Not my proudest moment.

Most office printers have this setting in the print dialog. Look for "Collate" in the Copies section. On many HP models, there's a visual indicator that shows you what the output will look like—it'll show a fan of pages versus a stack of identical pages. When you understand what collate means on a printer, you never accidentally make 800 pages of unworkable output again.

What is a DTF printer, and should a commercial shop get one?

A DTF (Direct to Film) printer prints designs onto a special film, which is then heat-pressed onto fabric. It's different from DTG (Direct to Garment), which prints directly onto the shirt. DTF's advantage is flexibility—you can print on polyester, cotton, blends, and even mugs or bags, with no pretreating required.

But here's the reality check: for a commercial printing operation running Komori offset presses, a DTF printer is not a replacement for anything you already have. It's a completely different revenue stream. The machines are relatively affordable—decent DTF setups run around $3,000 to $10,000—but the workflow is different, the consumables are different, and the market is different.

In early 2024, I watched a colleague add a DTF printer to their shop. They expected it to be a passive income machine. "Print and press, done." They didn't account for the learning curve of film handling, powder curing, and maintaining a printhead that clogged more often than our Komori ever did. Six months in, the machine was sitting in the corner covered with a tarp.

If you understand what a DTF printer is actually good for—small custom runs, promotional items, on-demand garments—then it can be a smart addition. If you're looking for a set-and-forget side business, keep looking.

Should I pay extra for rush delivery on press parts?

I'm going to be very direct here: yes, when the alternative is missing a deadline.

In March 2024, one of our Komori presses went down with a failed feeder board. A customer order worth $15,000 was scheduled for delivery in six days. The standard shipping on the replacement part was 8–10 business days. We paid $400 for rush shipping and got the part in three days. The press was back up, and the customer never knew we'd had a problem.

The math on that $400 is simple: $15,000 order versus $400 shipping. That's not a hard decision. But I've met plenty of managers who'd make the wrong call because $400 of overnight shipping "looks bad on the budget report."

What I've learned is that the money you pay for rush delivery isn't for speed. It's for certainty. You're buying the vendor's commitment that the part ships today, not "whenever we get to it." That certainty has a price, and you should pay it when a deadline matters more than the shipping line item.

Komori Genuine parts vs aftermarket—does it matter?

For consumables like blankets and rollers, aftermarket parts can work fine. I've tested several brands over the years. Some are dramatically cheaper and perform within acceptable tolerances. For the KHS system, electronic control boards, and feeder mechanisms, I stick with genuine Komori parts.

There's a reason for that beyond "warranty." Komori engineers design those parts with specific tolerances. The software on a modern Lithrone expects certain electrical resistance values and timing signals from its sensors. Aftermarket parts can be 95% compatible, and that missing 5% will show up as a ghosting issue or a paper feed sensor that doesn't register fast enough. It'll take you weeks to chase it down, and every hour of downtime costs more than the price difference between an aftermarket sensor and a genuine replacement.

I learned this lesson in reverse. I once approved a "compatible" circuit board to save $300. It worked for a month. Then intermittent faults started appearing. We lost time troubleshooting, time calling our service technician, time pulling the board in and out. We finally replaced it with a genuine Komori board and the faults stopped. The cost of the experiment: about $1,200 in labor plus $400 in lost production. The answer to the genuine-versus-aftermarket question is: know which parts can be aftermarket, and which ones can't.

What's the deal with the HP Envy 4520 printer?

I get this question more than you'd expect, and honestly it's not the kind of machine I'd typically use in a commercial print shop. But if you're asking about setting one up or troubleshooting it, the message is the same: check the ink system first.

The HP Envy 4520 is an all-in-one office inkjet. It has a notorious issue—if you don't print regularly, the ink cartridges can develop clogs very quickly. I've had customers call me in a panic because their Envy 4520 was printing blank pages or showing a cartridge fault. In most cases, the fix is as simple as running the cleaning cycle from the printer software or replacing a cartridge that's been sitting too long.

One tip I give people: on the HP Envy 4520, when you select "collate" in the print options, the printer shows a small diagram to help you select the right output order. It's a small feature but useful if you're not sure what collate means on a printer. The bigger principle applies anywhere—read your printer's instructions. And if you're buying a printer that has to sit idle for weeks, either print a nozzle check page every week or spend a little extra on a laser printer that doesn't care about sitting idle.

Bottom line: printing is a business of details. Whether you're evaluating a used komori offset printing machine for your shop or just trying to make sense of basic printer terms, the people who read the manual—or read one article like this—save themselves a ton of wasted time and money. I've made the mistakes so you don't have to.