Short answer
Compare quotations only when all twelve items below are written down in both offers. Until then you are not comparing printers, you are comparing two documents. The single most useful habit is to ask for the configuration, the included accessories, the consumables and the support terms as separate lines rather than as one total.
The twelve line items
| Line item | Why it decides whether the offers are comparable |
|---|---|
| Printhead model and count | An XP600 head and an I3200 head are not the same part, and one, two or four heads are not the same machine. The model and the number both belong in writing. |
| Working width | A machine sold as "600 mm" may print 600 mm or 590 mm of artwork. Width sets which products you can take on. |
| Ink type and system | Pigment, dye, eco-solvent, UV or sublimation ink are different purchases. Ask whether the ink circulation, white-ink loop or stirrer is part of the price. |
| Consumables included | Film, powder, cleaning solution and their first quantities. An offer that includes a consumable starter set is not the same price as one that does not. |
| Software and RIP | Whether RIP software, a licence and its training are included, or billed separately after the machine arrives. |
| Accessories and fixtures | Powder shaker, curing oven, heat press, take-up unit, extra platens, vacuum zones, jigs. Frequently the largest hidden difference. |
| Installation and commissioning | Whether installation is remote guidance or on-site, and who pays travel and time. |
| Training | How many sessions, in which language, and whether operating staff or only the owner is trained. |
| Warranty scope | Which parts are covered, for how long, and which are excluded — printheads, ink systems, consumables and wear parts are often excluded. |
| Spare parts and lead time | Whether common spare parts are stocked, the delivery time for them, and who pays shipping. |
| Shipping, duty and clearing | Incoterm, who handles customs, and whether the price includes unloading at your door. |
| Payment terms and documents | Payment schedule, invoice type, and the export and conformity documents you will receive. Ask for the current document, issuing body, certificate number and covered models. |
Why two quotations rarely look alike
Printing equipment is configured to order. The same model name can be built with different printhead series, a different number of heads, different ink systems and a different set of accessories. Each of those choices changes both the machine and the price.
Suppliers also draw the boundary of an offer in different places. One quotation treats the powder shaker, the curing oven and the first film as part of the deal. Another lists the printer only, and those items appear later as separate purchases. Both statements can be true, and the two totals are then not comparable at all.
This is why a written, itemised quotation is worth more than a low headline number. It is the only version of an offer you can put next to another one and read line by line.
What belongs to the machine, and what does not
Dividing an offer into three groups makes the comparison fast. The first group is the machine itself: printhead model and count, working width, ink system, and the mechanical build and quality inspection behind it.
The second group is everything the machine needs in order to produce a saleable item: consumables, software, accessories, the finishing equipment for your process, installation and training. For garment DTF this typically means film, powder, a shaker and a heat press; for UV DTF it means film, lamination and surface preparation; for rigid UV printing it means fixtures and an adhesion test on your own objects.
The third group is commercial and after-sales: warranty scope, spare parts, shipping, duty, payment terms and the documents you receive. Buyers often compare groups one and two carefully and then discover that group three decides the real cost.
How to run the comparison in practice
Send the same written brief to every supplier: the finished product you make, its maximum size, the material, the expected output per day, and the destination country. Identical inputs are what make the answers comparable.
Ask each supplier to reply with the twelve items as separate lines, even when a line is "not included". A line that is present and marked as excluded is information; a line that is absent is a question you will have to answer later.
Ask for a sample printed on your own material before you decide. The sample tests the configuration, the ink and the profile together, and it is the cheapest part of the purchase to get right.
Then compare the totals — and read the exclusions again. If one offer is lower, the reason is usually visible in the lines, and it is often a line the other offer included.
What Hancolor puts in a quotation
Our quotations are itemised for exactly this reason: equipment, printheads, ink, consumables, software, accessories, installation support and warranty scope are listed separately, so two offers can be read against each other line by line.
Specifications on this site and in our quotations cite the page of the 2026 Hancolor catalog they come from, and speeds are given as catalog figures at a stated pass count. Actual output depends on artwork, material and working conditions, which is why the quotation states the configuration rather than a single performance promise.
The quality management system certificate, the machinery and EMC conformity attestation and the EMC test report are published in the company catalog, and the current document, issuing body, certificate number and covered models are available on request for procurement or import review.