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What machine do you suggest please?
Unlike most users of the board my interest in vinyl graphics manufacture is, at the moment, only at hobby level. I already own a 1290 printer which I presently use for photo printing but I would like to expand it’s use.
However I would like to purchase my first cutter and start doing some work for myself.
My two main interests to start with are vehicle graphics on a small scale, URLs and such for my local vehicle club, and fridge(cabinet) magnets for business cards.
I would just love to start printing large photo’s onto vinyl and applying them to my vehicle but I realise that sort of level is a long way off for me.
My problem is I don’t have a clue as to what I should be actually buying at the starter level. I have had a look around from the Sticka machine’s right up to the jaguar computer/printer -plotter set up’s.
I haven’t set a budget for my first purchase but like most people, I would like to keep it tight and comparative to what I want to off start with.
I would really appreciate the advice of the members of the board as to what I should be looking at and where I should be looking to buy it from. (?) Do I buy new or second hand (?)
Thanks for taking the time to read my post and I look forward to someone starting me off on such a long road. 😀
Regards -
4 Replies
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andy, In your position I would buy new, start off with a 610 plotter, with this you can do most cut jobs to cars and light commercials. By buying new if you have any probs the supplier can help. Buying sh you may not be sure if its you or the machine or the software thats doing things wrong. Software is the next thing to get, can be relativley cheap for cutting applications. But as in all thing buy the best that you can afford/justify
Peter -
quote Peter Normington:andy, In your position I would buy new, start off with a 610 plotter, with this you can do most cut jobs to cars and light commercials. By buying new if you have any probs the supplier can help. Buying sh you may not be sure if its you or the machine or the software thats doing things wrong. Software is the next thing to get, can be relativley cheap for cutting applications. But as in all thing buy the best that you can afford/justify
Peterthats just what i was gonna say mate, its good advice and i strongly recommend it. buy a good make plotter that can have optical registration sensors added to it, or comes with it. this way, if you decided to buy a printer, you can use the cutter along with it and contour cut etc.
oh yeh, and if you can afford wider than 610mm wide buy it! i always feel the extra size/width comes in so handy as you quickly grow out of it.
p.s. dont be tempted with machines like the sticka… just my opinion..
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Thanks for the replies peter and robert.
Do you have any suggestions for a make or will any one do (?) -
i have been using cutters for 14 years mate, i started out on spandex machine, then moved onto roland. roland have great machines (not stika) but i have had too many headaches/unhelpfulness from them to last me a liftime. (sorry roland, but thats the truth)
since then i have moved onto graphtec. i have a 54 inch cutter and i think, we will be buying another in ney year but at 60″ wide.
i cant fault these machines or help that i get. so much so i approached them and asked would they like to become involved with the uksg. uksg group & thankfully they have done. they also offer discounted machines in the online shop. this isnt some sorta sales waffle, ive put my money where my mouth is and bought the top of the range model and will be doing the same again early next year.having said that, there are a great many machine makes on the market, roland, summa, mimaki etc are all good makes.
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