Jump to content

ELECTRIC SIGN SUPPLIES
If You're Looking For Premium Electric Sign Industry Components From Trim Cap, LED's, Neon Supplies, Power Supplies, Pattern Paper.  Then Please Visit Our Online Store or Feel Free To Call Us For Inquiries or Placing an Order!!
Buy Now

SIGN INSTALLER MAP
Looking for a fellow Sign Syndicate Company Member For A Sign Install or Maintenance Call?
Click Here

For Sign Company's Who Work As Subcontractors
Before You Work For A National Sign & Service Company You Need To Look At The Reviews Of These Companies Before You Work For Them. Learn When To Expect Payment From Them and What It's Like To Work For Them, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. Learn and Share Your Experiences Yourself For Others

Click Here

Advice for a Novice


Recommended Posts

I live in a small town with no one in the area that makes vinyl signs. I have been thinking about getting a vinyl cutter/plotter for a few years now. Mainly for doing boat/snow machine numbers and truck lettering, and the odd sign for my store.

This will mainly be for personal use, I do not have the time to go right into commercial sign making.

Any suggestions for hardware and software? For the amount of use I would have, I could not justify a high budget.

I seen a bunch on ebay, but am wary about how good a job they would do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your budget to spend for software & cutter, total?

I was hoping to keep it below $500, but I know 'you get what you pay for' is too true most of the time, maybe around $1000 or so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was hoping to keep it below $500, but I know 'you get what you pay for' is too true most of the time, maybe around $1000 or so.

You get what you pay for is right.

I bought a CNC table 4'x8', I could have spent a few thousand more to buy a more applicable table of 5'x10'. But oh well, I'm a little more limited but still happy.

Same can go for your choice in equipment. $500-$1000 won't get you squat unless you buy cheap chinese junk that breaks. For the applications you named above you can probably get away with a 24" Graphtec for under 2k, and software you can use "Coral Draw" 200-$300.

After a few jobs your equipment will have paid for itself.

Personally I would buy at least a 4' plotter (Graphtec) spending a few thousand more and do more application than just vehicles. Why not do banners, window graphics, real estate signs and make more money?

As one stated here once before "Buy the more expensive and only cry once"

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Board Patron

when that $1000.00 junk craps out after a month and you can't get it repaired you will have to spend another 1000 for another piece of junk. Just spend the 2000 first and eliminate the hassle. You wanted the opinion of people who have "been there done that" so take advantage of our mistakes.

Installation & Maintenance Services

Brian Phillips | expresssignandneon@sbcglobal.net | P. 812-882-3278

Express Sign & Neon | 119 S. 15th Street - Vincennes - IN 47591

express%20neon%20sig.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Board Patron

We have older Rolands and from what I see they are just that, old! Still have them, I'm sure they weren't cheap. You won't find a hand or power tool in any of the guys tool bins, they'll laugh at you and shoot you down a ladder :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Board Patron
We have older Rolands and from what I see they are just that, old! Still have them, I'm sure they weren't cheap. You won't find a hand or power tool in any of the guys tool bins, they'll laugh at you and shoot you down a ladder :P

HUH?

Installation & Maintenance Services

Brian Phillips | expresssignandneon@sbcglobal.net | P. 812-882-3278

Express Sign & Neon | 119 S. 15th Street - Vincennes - IN 47591

express%20neon%20sig.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi there. From my experience you definitely get what you pay for. We have a 10 year old Roland and it's my workhorse. Try your local sign supplier - there's a good possibility somebody may have turned in an older model for a newer digital print model. Usually there's nothing wrong with them except somebody wanted to upgrade to digital printing.

Software ... I use FlexiSign Pro. I hear Corel is good too but haven't used it much. For what it's worth ... if you have a steady hand, patience, and good layout skills a Stabilo, ruler, and an Exacto knife will cut vinyl letters just fine. We have an older sign painter working for us who cuts a lot of things by hand although I'm working on his computer skills. In exchange he's teaching me hand skills. Life's funny isn't it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jake - where are you located? We're in Mississauga and while I'm not willing to let my own 24" Graphtec cutter go, I can probably steer you in a more suitable direction. There are many used cutters out there and beyond using CorelDraw, you probably want something like SignLab or FlexiCut.

Send me a PM if you want to exchange some info privately.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have an older sign painter working for us who cuts a lot of things by hand although I'm working on his computer skills. In exchange he's teaching me hand skills. Life's funny isn't it?

You know, life has a funny way of repeating itself and a lot of times, the old ways can become new ways again. It always works in cycles.

Slightly related.

I for a short period of time I was getting hired as a consultant to teach companies and schools how to use CNC machines. I would shudder, along with shop teachers, who's schools were buying a CNC machine for their shop classes' (wood & metal) for the purposes the student's could learn a safer way or high tech way to build parts and projects. At the same time they were putting away the band saws, lathes, sanders, table saws, hand planers and chisels and closing these shops. I had a problem with that, what are they supposed to do or learn when automation goes down? The student will scratch his head if you ask them to make a simple dovetail joint, or plane a surface by hand.

I used to make some pretty cool bowls in HS shop classes.

Anyway, welcome to the forum Kim

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Hello, My first plotter was a Roland camm 1 cm 24" I have used it daily for about 8 years now, and it's a true workhorse. It sounds like, for the type of signage you will producing, this plotter would be just fine. For starters you can always sub out the larger printing when it comes in. Also you can usually get a software package with a new plotter like flexi or signlab, all for under $2000...

Stay away from the off brands like the desay and cheap china made junk. Just my 2 cents...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
  • Create New...