For a small band trying to make it to the big time, the prospects of landing a record deal can seem all but impossible. While it is true that the odds of becoming an international sensation are stacked against them, small bands do at least stand a decent chance of making a living doing something they are passionate about. Behind every music group that enjoys any level of financial success is a team of savvy marketers - usually the band members themselves. Promoting a band requires printing off flyers on a regular basis, replicating audio CDs that can be sold at small concerts and printing promotional materials that keep the band in the public eye as much as possible. With all of the self promotion that is required, any band hoping to make it to the big time is going to need to purchase an A3 laser printer. This is the bare minimum of what is required to execute the odd promotional campaign. Most bands have at least one artistic person in the mix who can do the artwork and design for the posters and CD jackets that need to be printed. In the early days, the band can simply use its printing setup or in the studio to handle all of these materials. A few months or years down the line, as the band's profile begins to pick up, then it will make sense to charter the services of a third party printing company. Until that day comes, printing at home is easier.
Burning CDs and printing labels
While you are still printing at home, there is also a good chance that you will be doing your CD duplication at home as well. Any modern computer or laptop can handle disc burning, which is how most small bands make copies of their audio CDs. Doing this from home makes sense for bands that have a decent print setup. An A3 printer is affordable and compact, and can easily be squeezed into a standard studio work station. After using the computer to duplicate the audio CD, the printing equipment can be used to run off a sheet of labels that can be affixed to the disc. This can look quite professional, especially if the artwork and graphic design are of a high enough quality. However, operating on such a small scale can quickly become time consuming and expensive. If you are burning more than just a few CDs per week, then it makes sense to outsource that work to a third party CD duplicator. You can still use your all in one printer to make labels and jackets for your CDs, since this is not a service that many duplicators offer. But even if you are not using your printing equipment for label making, there is still a good chance that you will be using it for other band related tasks. For example, the machine's fax and photocopy capabilities can come in handy at a moment's notice. You never know when you will need to have something like this at your band's disposal.
Printing lyrics sheets for audio CDs
For bands that plan on printing a great volume of promotional materials, it is a good idea to invest in something that can print on both sides of one sheet of paper. When printing off hundreds of copies of a two sided flyer, trying to keep track of which side needs to be fed in at which time can be really irritating. There are duplex printers on the market today that can handle a variety of specialised tasks that can be of use to a small band of musicians. Usually, dual sided printing comes in handy for printing brochures or the fold out lyrics sheets that are tucked into a CD case. If you are having your CDs replicated professionally, then you probably already have an appreciation of the time and energy that can be saved by streamlining a production process. Using a device that can print on both sides of a piece of paper without the user having to give the process a second thought means that you can simply start the print job and then go about other business. This sort of convenient option is available for most print devices, including the inkjet printer. Until the day that the band's operations are big enough to warrant chartering the services of a third-party print shop, purchasing a device with this kind of capability is really the only way to go. Settling for anything less greatly increases the amount of time band members need to spend on nonessential tasks, which takes a toll on productivity.
Printing and burning in bulk
Of course, with any band, the entire operation is really about the music. Sure, band members want to market their talents and make money, but without a core of solid musical tracks to perfect, record and distribute, there is really no reason for the band to exist. Every band needs to have access to high quality print devices just so that they can produce professional looking CD labels and posters that will generate interest in the goings on of the band. As far as CDs are concerned, it quickly becomes cost effective to have the CDs replicated by a third party vendor. You can produce several hundred discs through a replicating service for much less than you would spend on burning each one at your own computer. Burning CDs in bulk just is not feasible with a home computer. However, bulk printing is much more manageable, which is why many bands end up outsourcing their printing services long before they colour laser printer. This sort of device is a must for anyone who wants the collateral and labels that they print to have a professional quality. Logos, graphics and CD jackets will come out looking like they were done through a professional service despite the fact that they were turned out in a small office or studio where you and the other band members perform. Any printing device can handle a reasonable amount of bulk, unlike the average CD burner. For this reason, printing is typically one of the last things that a band ends up outsourcing.
