The 7-Step Checklist for Ordering a Komori Printing Press (That I Wish I Had)

Who This Checklist Is For

This is for anyone who's been handed a budget and told to "find a good Komori." Maybe you're upgrading your shop, maybe you're setting up a new line for food service labels. Maybe you're an office administrator like me who suddenly became the printing equipment buyer (a story for another time).

I've been managing purchasing for a mid-sized company since 2020, and my first equipment buy taught me a hard lesson: the lowest quote is rarely the lowest cost. This checklist is what I use now. It has seven steps, and step four is the one most people skip.

Step 1: Define Your Production Reality

Before you even look at a machine, get specific about what you'll actually run on it. This sounds obvious, but I've seen it go sideways.

Write down:

• Substrates: What materials are you printing on? Standard paper stocks? Synthetic substrates for food service labels? Komori presses handle a wide range, but not all configurations are equal.
• Run lengths: Are you doing short runs of 500 or long runs of 20,000? This changes the press size and automation you need.
• Color requirements: 4-color process? Spot colors? Pantones? The number of printing units matters here.
• Daily volume: How many sheets or impressions per day? This drives speed requirements (measured in sheets per hour).

I made the mistake of not clarifying our substrate needs when I first started. We ended up with a press that was perfect for coated stock but struggled with the synthetic materials our food service label line required. Cost us a reprint on our first big order.

Step 2: Research the Specific Komori Model

Komori makes several series—Lithrone, Lithrone GX, Lithrone GLX, etc. Each has different capabilities. You need to narrow down which series fits your production reality from step one.

Key specs to compare:

• Maximum sheet size—does it fit your largest job?
• Speed rating (sheets per hour)—does it match your volume?
• Coating/drying options—do you need inline coating?
• Automation level—auto plate changers, non-stop features, etc.

I spent two weeks cross-referencing specs against our job library before we made our second purchase. That research saved us from buying a machine that would have been overkill for 80% of our work (note to self: always start with the data, not the sales pitch).

Step 3: Verify the Seller (This Matters More Than You Think)

Whether you're buying new from a distributor or used from a dealer, verify who you're dealing with. This is where I got burned my first time.

Checklist for seller verification:

• Are they an authorized Komori distributor (for new machines)?
• For used presses: do they specialize in Komori? Do they have a service department?
• Can they provide references from the past 12 months?
• Do they offer a warranty? What does it cover?
• What's their installation and training support?

When I first took over purchasing in 2020, I found a great price from a dealer who "specialized in all brands." Turned out they didn't have a single Komori-certified technician. The installation was a disaster. We had to bring in a third party to fix the alignment (mental note: never again).

Step 4: Audit the Total Cost (The Step Everyone Skips)

This is the step that will save you thousands—or cost you thousands if you skip it.

Price of the press is just the beginning. Here's what else goes into total cost:

• Installation and rigging: Depending on press size, this can be $5,000–$25,000+
• Electrical work: Commercial printing presses draw serious power. Does your facility have the right setup?
• Compressed air: Most offset presses need a clean, dry compressed air supply
• Training: Operator training for a new press model
• Financing costs: Interest rates, lease terms
• Ongoing consumables: Plates, chemicals, blankets—specific to this press model

I audited a purchase once where the base price was $85,000 but the all-in cost hit $112,000 after installation, electrical upgrades, and a week of training. The buyer who only looked at the base price would have blown their budget by 32%.

Step 5: Request and Evaluate a Sample Run

Never buy a printing press without seeing it run your actual job. Not a demo of something similar. Your job.

Ask the seller to:

• Run a job using your file and substrate
• Produce a full run (not just a few sheets—look for consistency over 500+ impressions)
• Pull sheets from the start, middle, and end of the run
• Compare color consistency across those sheets

When we were evaluating a used Lithrone for our food service label line, the sample run revealed the press had a consistent 0.2mm misregister on the back side. The seller hadn't noticed because they always ran one-sided jobs. That discovery saved us from buying a press that couldn't do our core product. A lesson learned the hard way.

Step 6: Check Service and Parts Availability

A printing press is a long-term relationship. If it breaks down and you can't get parts or a technician, your production stops.

Before committing:

• Ask for the average response time for service calls
• Check if parts are in stock locally or must be shipped from Japan (for most Komori models)
• Get a list of common wear parts and their current prices
• Find out if there's a local certified technician within driving distance

I had a vendor once who was 4 hours away. When our press went down, it took three days for a technician to arrive. Three days of downtime, three days of missed deadlines, three days of explaining to my VP why orders were late. Rushed the decision? Yep. Paid for it in stress and direct costs.

Step 7: Negotiate the Terms (Including the Soft Terms)

Price is one thing. Terms are everything. And I don't just mean payment terms.

Negotiate on:

• Warranty coverage: What's included? For how long?
• On-site training hours: How much operator training is included?
• Installation timeline: Is there a penalty for delays?
• Buyback/upgrade options: Can you trade in when you're ready to upgrade?
• Shipping terms: FOB? Delivered? Who handles insurance during transit?

When we bought our second Komori, I negotiated two extra days of on-site training. That training saved us countless hours when the operators learned setup shortcuts they wouldn't have figured out on their own. The cost to the seller was minimal; the value to us was enormous. Simple. Worth it.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Based on what I've seen (and done myself):

• Rushing the sample run. Running 10 sheets and checking registration isn't enough. Run 500. Check every 50th sheet.
• Trusting a single reference. Get three. And call them. Ask about downtime specifically.
• Assuming installation is included. It often isn't. Get it in writing.
• Ignoring the electrical requirements. Seriously. Check amp draw and phase requirements before signing anything.
• Skipping the training negotiation. Training is an investment that pays for itself in the first month.

I've made three of these mistakes myself. The total cost of those mistakes was easily $8,000 in rework and delays. The checklist is cheap insurance. Use it.