Moving a Printing Press or Print Shop: Machines, Paper and Ink

The landlord has given the print shop two weeks. The Heidelberg is bolted to the floor, the paper is stacked to shoulder height, and a church has just placed an order for programme booklets due on Sunday. Moving a printing press is not like moving a sofa, and the job that is already in production does not stop for it.

Printers who handle a move well do two things: they plan around their deadlines, and they treat the heavy machines separately from everything else.

Start with a list of what you own

Walk through the shop with a notebook and split everything into three groups:

1. Heavy machines: offset press, guillotine cutter, folding machine, large plotter, big laminator.
2. Medium equipment: desktop printers, small cutters, binding tools, computers, generators.
3. Consumables and stock: paper reams, rolls, ink, plates, chemicals, finished jobs.

The first group decides the size of the vehicle and how many people you need. The third group decides how much you must protect from rain and dust.

Deal with the heavy machines first

A cutter or press can weigh a lot more than it looks. Never assume a few helpers can lift it.

• Find the manufacturer's manual or contact the supplier or a technician who knows the machine. Follow the manufacturer's guidance on how to disconnect, secure and lift it.
• Have the technician remove or lock moving parts, such as cutter blades and loose rollers, before it is moved.
• Take photos of cables and connections before you unplug anything. It saves an argument later.
• Use proper equipment where it is needed, such as a hand pallet truck or a trolley with straps. Do not drag machines across the floor.
• Check that the floor at the new shop can take the weight and that the doorway is wide enough before the machine leaves.

For a very heavy machine, plan a truck rather than a pickup van. Sphere lists trucks up to 27,000kg and pickup vans up to 2,400kg, so match the vehicle to the machine and the load together.

Paper is heavier than people think

A stack of A4 reams adds up quickly. Pack it in small, strong cartons rather than a few giant ones, so people can carry them without hurting their backs. Keep paper off the floor and cover the load with a tarpaulin, because damp paper curls, jams and ruins a run.

Roll paper should stand or lie as the supplier recommends. Wrap the edges, because a dented roll will not feed properly.

Ink, plates and chemicals

Keep these apart from paper. Close every container tightly, stand them upright in a crate and pad around them with old cartons. A leaking tin of ink on a stack of finished brochures is an expensive lesson.

Read the labels and follow the manufacturer's guidance for anything flammable or corrosive. If you are unsure how a chemical should travel, ask your supplier before moving day.

Protect jobs in progress

Finish and hand over what you can before the move. For jobs that cannot wait, pack them in clearly labelled cartons and keep them in the cab or on top of the load. Tell customers early that there may be a short delay, rather than letting them find out when they come to collect.

Plan the order of work

1. Do the move on a day when you have the fewest orders due.
2. Disconnect and move the machines first, while people are fresh.
3. Load the heaviest items first, against the front of the load area.
4. Pack light cartons and finished jobs on top.
5. Unload in the reverse order at the new shop and put each machine where it will sit, before you open the cartons.

Our office relocation checklist is a useful companion for the computers, desks and files.

Settle access before the truck arrives

At the old shop and the new one, ask about gate times, parking and whether the stairs or lift can carry the weight. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer, and bring your own helpers for the machines. Read more about office relocation in Lagos or truck hire in Lagos.

How to do this on Sphere

1. Open the Sphere app and choose a truck or a pickup van depending on the machines.
2. Add the pickup and drop-off addresses.
3. Describe everything: the heavy machines, the number of cartons of paper, and the access at both ends.
4. Propose a price. Nearby verified drivers accept it or send a counter-offer, and you pick the offer you like.
5. Confirm the time and the loading plan with your driver.

Sphere operates in Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan.