Interest in Vinyl Decals?

[UndercoverPunk 5,000+ posts]

it's called a plotter.

really???

(sarcasm //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif ) (i

 

[UndercoverPunk 5,000+ posts]

Um... Im not sure of the exact model or name, I will look at it tomorrow, but i know its pretty big. He uses Flex Sign Pro? Pretty neat program, and a ton of stuff can be done on it... But it better be for a retail of $3500...
He's been doing this for about 10 years, and I just learned to run it today... It stands about 4 feet tall...

He has some jacked up material... I've seen carbon fiber look a like, chrome, just about any pattern/color imaginable...

Wow... is it oldschool? or just huge? oh well if it cuts it cuts. They do have a lot of varieties of vynil, I usually just stick to the regular looking stuff cause the crazy wacko **** usually isn't available in 8 year. The CF stuff just wasn't convincing enough for me personally.

My dad uses... casmate something or other...

 

[Untouchable11 10+ year member]

Wow... is it oldschool? or just huge? oh well if it cuts it cuts. They do have a lot of varieties of vynil, I usually just stick to the regular looking stuff cause the crazy wacko **** usually isn't available in 8 year. The CF stuff just wasn't convincing enough for me personally.My dad uses... casmate something or other...

Yeah, my buddy bought a bunch of the carbon fiber stuff, and I personally thought it looked like ****... And yes, special patterns take FOREVER to order...

And oh yeah, its old school, I think, as I haven't seen the newer styles out...

 

[UndercoverPunk 5,000+ posts]

Yeah, my buddy bought a bunch of the carbon fiber stuff, and I personally thought it looked like ****... And yes, special patterns take FOREVER to order...
And oh yeah, its old school, I think, as I haven't seen the newer styles out...

No I ment that usually the fancy pants stuff is only available in 3year (durability), I usually use the higher quality stuff (8 year).

Those prices really are nice looking man... not bad at all...

 

[Untouchable11 10+ year member]

I just talked to my Dad, and generally speaking, it will be about $15-20 per square foot, with a minimum $10 charge...

Im guessing there will probably be some type of quantity discount.. This is a little bit of the info I figured I'd post before I go to bed...

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

Do you weld the edges?

And what graphics program does your plotter use? Corel?

 

[Untouchable11 10+ year member]

FlexiSign Pro is the program I use...

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by welding the edges, as this is my second day being familiar with this plotter and cutter...

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

For oversized designs or graphics that involve conjoining several smaller pieces to make up the overall design some places just put the vinyls close to each other on the transfer paper to be mounted to its intended surface close enough together that the casual observer wouldn't notice. However if you were to get up close and really look at it you'd see that what originally appeared to be one big piece of vinyl is really comprised of several smaller pieces placed close to one another.

Better graphics shops (like the one where a close friend of mine works) weld the edges of the various smaller pieces to make what actually ends up as one big vinyl even if it started as several smaller ones.

I do not know the specific process involved in this - that's just what my buddy who does this ish for a living (the same guy who made the graphic I posted above) told me.

 

[UndercoverPunk 5,000+ posts]

For oversized designs or graphics that involve conjoining several smaller pieces to make up the overall design some places just put the vinyls close to each other on the transfer paper to be mounted to its intended surface close enough together that the casual observer wouldn't notice. However if you were to get up close and really look at it you'd see that what originally appeared to be one big piece of vinyl is really comprised of several smaller pieces placed close to one another.
Better graphics shops (like the one where a close friend of mine works) weld the edges of the various smaller pieces to make what actually ends up as one big vinyl even if it started as several smaller ones.

I do not know the specific process involved in this - that's just what my buddy who does this ish for a living (the same guy who made the graphic I posted above) told me.

You wouldn't need to do that unless you were doing something HUGE and solid.... they probably do inkjet stickers too don't they?

 

[Untouchable11 10+ year member]

I believe that he may weld them, but I'm not for sure. I've only seen a couple signs that large that required that. The cutter is pretty big, and has about a 32-36" cutting plane.

I'll get some pictures of actual work tomorrow... I'll show you guys what I've been working on...

 

[Untouchable11 10+ year member]

You wouldn't need to do that unless you were doing something HUGE and solid...

exactly..

He made hotel signs a couple years ago, and I know that he welded them. He layed the sign print facing down, then put a piece that connected the two smaller pieces on the seam.

Those signs have been up for about 8 years now... and are still holding strong, outside of the wood decaying...

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

You wouldn't need to do that unless you were doing something HUGE and solid.... they probably do inkjet stickers too don't they?

It probably isn't totally necessary to do so on projects that weren't truly huge but this particular graphics shop does it on all projects regardless of size. I cannot say with any certainty that this is company policy, per se, but my friend (who is the graphics design/production manager - he's been at this for almost 10 years now) claims it both makes for better product as well as happier customers. He's a bit anal that way - somewhat of a perfectionist.

Inkjet stickers? Yep. If it involves custom graphics of any kind (outdoor 7yr vinyl, screen printing on Tshirts, etc etc etc) they do it.

 

[UndercoverPunk 5,000+ posts]

It probably isn't totally necessary to do so on projects that weren't truly huge but this particular graphics shop does it on all projects regardless of size. I cannot say with any certainty that this is company policy, per se, but my friend (who is the graphics design/production manager - he's been at this for almost 10 years now) claims it both makes for better product as well as happier customers. He's a bit anal that way - somewhat of a perfectionist.
Inkjet stickers? Yep. If it involves custom graphics of any kind (outdoor 7yr vinyl, screen printing on Tshirts, etc etc etc) they do it.

My dad really wants an inkjet plotter, but for something he just does on the side he can't justify spending that much... it would be sweet though.

 

[cyantist 10+ year member]

I also do this in my spare time.. I have a Roland CAMM-1 and use Flexi as well, although I do most of my designing in Illustrator then export as an .EPS..

If this is only your second day, then you have much to learn.. But it's fun, at least I think so.. Good luck with it..

 

[DiamondFanatic 10+ year member]

Yeah you can count me in for a series of smaller rear pass window sized stickers... I can work out the designs in photoshop and send them to you as a PDF? does that work? Let me know as your schedule for it allows...