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A major step forward
Step 1 to becoming a sign maker was, joining this group, and learning as much of the theory as I could.
As you guys know I’ve pretty much lingered on Step 1 😳So finally I’ve taken the next step and tomorrow I should be the proud owner of my first plotter (Same as Dewi’).
Which I had chance to see the other week, when I met him and his family, we had a good chin wag and I
left pretty much setteled on buying the same.So this weekend, although I won’t actually be cutting, I will be trying to do plots on paper with the pen.
(I know it’s not the same but its a start 🙂 )So there you are Step 2 underway, thanks to help from Rob and Dewi and many others.
I know theres still a hell of a lot to learn, but I’m sure with the help and support of everyone here I’ll
eventually learn enough to be able to call myself a signmaker.Cheers all.
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19 Replies
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Go for it Pete
We’re all with you 😀
Wish you success in the new venture and well done for taking the plunge
John 😀
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Thanks John, its quite nerve racking really as I’ve always been an employee previously.
Now I’m on the path to self employment I’m looking down at the rickety rope bridge and hoping
I’ll make it to the other side 😮 which still seems miles away.On a different point John, I’m still looking for Ally primer. I’ve found Ally paint in the screw fix
dogalogue but I wondered which brand you normally used?Cheers
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Great to hear things are moving for you Pete! 😀 😀 😀 Remember about downloading the drivers from the GraphtecGB website as the ones on the disk are Japanese 😕 Strange, but it helps to know it (I thought I’d forgotten how to read English 😉 )
As I say, really pleased for you, getting the plotter going is a massive step forward! Any problems with setting up (I had a couple of niggles, mainly because I didn’t read the manual properly) give me a call and I’ll try and help best I can. I’m at the shop most of the time now, but my mobile is 07754070066.
Cheers, Dewi
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Enjoy the freedom that being you own boss gives you if you love this trade then you will want to make a success of it. (You won’t want to go back to working for someone again thats for sure!) Watch out for the people who owe you. Don’t let them take advantage. They will try especially when you are busy you forget to chase money! Give a good service and charge for it. Try not to work on cut price jobs, your price is right let the idiots who want to go bust do the cheap jobs. Spend money on advertising wisely nicely designed adverts & vehicle graphics always give a good first impression.
Good luck and enjoy
Alex
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well said Alex, I couldn’t agree more !
Good luck Pete, if you follow those guidelines and are dedicated, helpful and friendly you will make a great success of it.
Dont forget to keep us posted with things as your empire grows thought 😀
Nigel
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Good luck Peter. these should be very exciting times for you. Lots to look forward to and plenty of optimism to see you through. I wish you every success and I am sure you will enjoy being a sign maker as much as I have over the last seven or eight years. 😀 This is an occupation that is very creative and satisfying. Being your own boss and in control of your own destiny is brilliant and rewarding – but don’t tell everyone or there will end up being too many signmakers out there 😉
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BEST OF LUCK MATE! 😀 Im sure you will do very well on your own! 😉
glad Graphtec done the business again also.. 😉 im sure you will be very happy with your new plotter mate. ive never had any probs with my own and it runs from when we open in the morning to late at night, flat-out! 😛
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Good luck with your new venture Peter, theres not much I can add as most of ithas already been said. Keep us posted as to how you are getting on, and as you already know there are plenty of people on hear willing to help where they can and offer words of encouragement.
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Hi Pete
Ali primer can be got from Travis & Perkins
John
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Hi Pete
Good luck from me also. I started out as SE coming on three years ago – best move I made.
You know where we all are if you need any help or advice.
Best wishes
Alan
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Thanks guys, I can feel the love
(In a nonbiblical sense of course) 😉 -
Got home last night to a poorly daughter and my new plotter, guess who got the attention 😳
(I’ll make it up to her when I make my first million 😆 )Seriously though, while not exactly plug and play, it has proved relatively painless to set up.
It’s hooked up to my Mac at the moment, although I intend for it to work off a PC as well.
The drivers that allow the plotter to be driven direct from Illustrator seem to be working fine
for my current requirements.
I guess the real test will come once I have a design which needs tiling or something similar.I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to cut anything for ages, but then I remembered some
offcuts of laminating film we use at work. Hey presto fake vinyl, I now have my daughters
name decorating the bathroom mirror (which brought a smile to her face – told you I’d make
it up to her and before making that million).
My wife wasn’t as impressed but there you go, can’t please everyone 😉 .So any suggestion as to what I should practice doing, while I decide where to get
my vinyl and application tape from?Thanks for reading.
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Hey good luck Pete,
I’ve got a Graphtec plotter, had it from new, FC4100-75, about 3 years old, it’s about time I traded the ol’ girl in for a newer model….Talking of which, I’ve also got a wife who’s not always the most impressed with the things I get up to 😉
Most importantly is I’m also a MAC USER!! 😀 😀
just don’t mention it to much on this board though, they’re all jealous of our fine machines & keep grumbling on about how fantastic their bloody Win XP PCs are. 🙄
Later Dude,
Steve
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quote :I’ve got a Graphtec plotter, had it from new, FC4100-75, about 3 years old, it’s about time I traded the ol’ girl in for a newer model….
Talking of which, I’ve also got a wife
Whoo! Treading a thin line there Steve!
I thought you were going to say its about time you traded her inDon’t let the missus read your post 😆
John 😉
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Good to hear you got the plotter and its up and running Pete 😀
I’ve got a few small suggestions for practising 😉 Maybe a few sample signs, an ‘Opening Soon’ banner, a wall-mountable price list and a few sample A Boards…. if you can deliver them to the shop when you’ve done 😉 😉 😉 😉
Seriously though, sounds like you’re on your way. I did a similar thing for my first cut, I made a name plate for mini Dewi’s room which he was rather impressed with at the time. I also tried a few small shape cuts, and practised my weeding, as well as doing the I think obligatory ‘TEST’ about 30 times 😉
Best practise imho is to do that butcher guys sign, grab the cash, then buy more vinyl 😉
Cheers, Dewi
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John 😉
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Hi Steve, I have to admit that it came as a shock to me that ppl would use anything other than a Mac 😮 ,
worse still that the used software like Corel.
However pound for pound I’m begining accept that perhaps now PCs are the way to go, as for Corel well
the jury is still out on that one, it seems that there are more sign maker friendly features in it than in
illustrator, so that may be another area for conversion (hmm) .
Perhaps we should petition Rob for a Mac forum 😉 and invite Nik and John along too 😀Dewi I’d be happy to produce some Quality signage 😉 for your shop, but do you have enough
choccy digestives to make it worth my while.
The butcher is happening soon btw, just as soon as I get my Europoint account set up!
(Hint, hint Rob! 😉 )Cheers all, Peter
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Hi Peter,
Europoint Account!!! What’s one of those? 😕 I’ve been waiting 6 months for mine (Rob…. can you hear me Rob 😥 )
To be honest I think it’s something to do with the London branch not wanting to deal with people out in the sticks 😉I don’t mind Coreldraw 11, & that comes as Mac & PC versions on the same disk, only problem being only sys 10 compatible, I’m hanging on to sys 9.1 for a bit longer. Corel 11 on PC has evolved alot, now it has almost the same power as illustrator, Quark, Indesign etc I’m almost impressed 😮
Cheers, Steve
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I am surprised you have reservations about Corel, in the right hands Corel has features that will save your bacon even if you do have a pukka sign programme particularly if you often get eps or pdf files from other parties. I also think that having a full version of Acrobat is an essential nowadays as, along with Corel cutting vinyl from a pdf file with fonts embedded can be achievable. I have come to the conclusion that if you get files from others no one programme can give a signmaker the flexibility so often required.
Alan
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