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Advice needed on a Print & Cut machinery to purchase?
Hi
I am new to this and we would like some advice and help we are looking to make our own vinyl sign for our own fleet of vehicle we have over 150 vehicles and we would appreciate if any one could advise us on which vinyl printer to go for solvent/ latex and the other items we need to set this up ie, vinyl cutter, laminate and any other items we need we will not use the printer or cutter some time for months or ever weeks and where we can buy the vinyl and other items we need
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7 Replies
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Without seeing the design, are you sure you’d need a printer?
Do you have any experience in printing and signage?
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Hi David yes we need a printer because our company logo is lighter at the top and go darker to wards the bottom I have attached a photo for you to see and we not have any experience in printing and signage all we have some experience in putting the sign on to our vehicle as we are currently paying £650 for a full vehicle sign and we think of doing its our self
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If that’s the signage I’d be inclined to shop around
Yes you’ll need a printer, laminator, plotter with an optical eye, and some level of design experience working with Vector files, and get to grips with the installation.
You can finance all of the gear, or purchase it outright, but unless you’re changing the signage every month or so, I’d go with my first suggestion and get some alternative quotes.
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I would agree with my good friend David’s advice. Go to an expert and get the best price you can for your graphics, you’ll also be helping to keep someone in business.
I
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I’ve a little more time to reply.
£650 per vehicles, weight that up against.
£10,000 for a new(ish) printer. Most need to be used regularly or the heads will clog, last head I replaced cost £1200 fitted. You can keep it on, and do regular cleans, print the odd job, but with ink costing £70+ a litre, it’s an expensive beast.
Your plotter, you’ll be wanting at least a 1370 plotter, with optical eye, and it’s going to have to be half decent for accuracy, so add in £3000 there.
Printed graphics need laminating, despite what the sales reps will tell you, so add another £2000+ for a decent one there.
Software, most are subscription based now, so £40 a month?
Stock, a decent polymeric vinyl and laminate, could be £300.
I’ve got that at £15,780 if you bought it all outright and then there’s the time messing about making it all work.
You’d need to be doing 2 of your vehicles a month, to make back the capital investment in 12months, and you’re still risking clogging a head.
Shop around, even ask the existing supplier is there anything they can do on price. Just be cautious of those using the cheapest rubbish they can get hold of.
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Wow I need to up my prices then!!! As said before I would shop around first before committing to equipment.
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Hi Ian
I have reported that to my boss and he give me permission to find some prices for used equipment we will need to do this in-house as he has a few other business in different sectors which he requires a printer for if you don’t mind me asking can you tell me which is a better printer to get for vinyl sign solvent or latex and can you recommend any place where we can purchase the printer and other items from as we will not been using the printer on a regular base might be a few times in a ever other month
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