what would be the best method to use Print or silkscreen?

[Peter Normington]

Size of sticker and base colour of truck?
One colour, is it not a vinyl option?

peter

[Warren Beard]

Hi Peter

3 sizes and each to fit a small, medium and large van/lorry. All vehicles are white. He wants to keep in stock and also does not think they can handle cut vinyl and application tape etc. a large sticker is his option for self application.

I know there are many problems with doing this (recesses etc.) and that is why the info is a bit vague as I don’t want to spend too much time on it if it’s a no go.

I basically want to know which avenue to look in to for cost effectiveness regarding printing.

cheers

Warren

[Peter Normington]

I would have thought digiprint would be the most cost effective, especially for the larger ones, but no doubt the screenprinters amongst us may have a different opinion, I suppose if you wanted to keep it in house, you could apply vinyl to a clear base for them?
but I cant see why they would think a large clear sticker would be easier to apply than cut vinyl with app tape, perhaps you need to educate them?

Peter

[Neil Churchman]

As a die hard screenprinter, I would think screenprinting single colour vehicle stickers would be the cheaper production method, although if you need to consider the vinyl going over ridges in the vehicle’s bodywork, then you would need to screenprint on to clear cast vinyl, which I my opinion would start to make it too expensive and more viable as a digital print job. 🙂

[Warren Beard]

I don’t know if I would want to make up 200 cut vinyl on clear graphics 😮

I have educated him but he still wants me to investigate it, basically his thoughts are instead of a magnetic sign which he says always gets lost he will simply stick a big sticker on, as it will only be on for 2 weeks maximum he thinks it will be OK.

I am going to print him one on my pigment printer and give it to him to try but would like to have some facts in my pocket so I don’t look like I don’t know what I am talking about.

This is really just a fact finding post 😉 😛

Thanks guys

Warren

[Robert Lambie]

I am with peter on the application side of things. the app tape on vinyl will help keep things flat getting fitted and cause less wrinkles bubbles than a panel would. it will probably mean you can put the job out cheaper too because you can afford to use a less expensive vinyl if most of the work will only be on the vehicles very short term.
may mean a few days getting the job together into kits for you. but you will Waite longer subbing it out.
you will also have a bigger bill hanging over you because you will be invoiced for the printing regardless and still be waiting on payment. that’s unless its COD of course.
what about repeat work. say he calls next month asking for some repairs and different kit sizes? if you manufacture you can do it there and then and no extra costs. screening will require setup costs for each size i would imagine. though cheaper on larger runs.
that’s printing is great to the point the sizing doesn’t matter as there is no setup if you hand over on disk. you are also able to have one kit printed or 100 without much difference in price.

[John Gregson]

Hi Warren,
Can you give us more info on sizes of finished stickers, 1 col on clear sounds like a screen job to me :lol1:

[Warren Beard]

The reason I ask about printing or screenprinting is that I have no idea how much screen printing compares.

Would it work out cheaper to use a cheap vinyl with app tape (and the labour) over subbing it out for a quantity of 200 prints?

a rough estimate on sizes would be

small = 1000mm x 270mm
medium = 1500mm x 400mm
large = 2300mm x 600mm

Like I said I am just trying to fact find so when I go show him his options I will know what I am talking about.

thanks for the input

Warren

[Lynn Normington]

Warren I would say in house short term vinyl with app tape, you are on the job and in charge, and if he screws a medium up for instance you can replace immediately, not phone your out source supplier to be told "well if you just want one I’m really busy and will take me about 3 weeks !!!!and the price will be !!!!

Lynn

[Nicola McIntosh]

screenprint i would go for to cut your costs and if it is a repeat order your screens will be kept, so future runs not a problem 😀

then while that is getting printed, you can be making more money doing other sign jobs 😉

nik

[Tobias Redig]

Might be a tad to big for screenprinting. A normal sheet is 1000x700mm. Can AFAIK get 1400x1000mm. We only use 1000x700mm though. Doubt it would be easier to fit a sheet that’s 2300x600mm instead of just cut lettering. I’d go with a crap vinyl and just cut it.

Can’t beat screenprinting once you start to have volumes though. Initial setup might be long, but the actual run will be short.