Information needed printing artwork

kfuller19

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I am thinking about buying a 36" printer
Hopefully so I can print ms PAC sides and whatever else artwork


First what is a good medium range printer I can do this with
Do I buy vinyl rolls or is is a adhesive roll

Do you laminate the print afterwards.

Anyone in this industry that I can pick there brain?

Do you have to cut the images out your self?


Thanks

Kyle
 
Hmmm... I think you're better of just having one of the guys who prints side art get you what you need. You'll probably spend over $5000 for a 36 inch printer that prints vinyl.

Pac sides? Why aren't you going to stencil them??
 
well one thing to note on a 36" you may not be able to do a MsPac
you actually lose about 2-4" of width (on some models) like margins on a destop printer
which leaves you aroun 32" of printing area which is NOT enough for some full sided art.

A MsPac for example I think is 31-32" but youll also need to add some bleed to that so your print width would then be 33-34"
so depeding on your actaul print width on a 36" it may not make it

36" is also NOT a very common material width for some vinyls
30" and 54" are the more common from what Ive seen and used.

and again 30" will fit in a 36" printer but not big enough for a Pac cab
 
thanks to both of you guys for responding. I have ordered from both of you before.

i was looking at a HP2500CP which is a 600dpi printer

even if i cant do full side art I could still print some smaller stuff. stick on marquees and smaller side art. I just want to have the access when i want it. some customers want it done quickly and I cant wait for shipping.

Do you think I could get away with something this small and what kind of paper would I order? do i have to laminate it afterwards?

also do you use the same paper for CPO and then laminate it with a carbon? Do i need a separate machine for this?
 
you really need to research this ALOT more
theres way to much involved to just explain in a post
materials, solvent ink vs water based, not to mention the know how of colors
rgb vs. cymk, raster vs vector, etc.

regardless of size youll be able to do the smaller stuff as you indicated
just pointing out the issues/limiations per you op

but again to point out if you go waterbased youll then have to buy the laminator

 
That sounds a little like buying a $1k cabinet saw to cut a few pieces of wood.



well i did 7 cabinets last week...

so if i average 5 cabinets a week... (side art is $50 ) cost of me printing it is $10 (now might not be as nice of quality but it will be done)

$35 difference with other costs added in and the availability to do it whenever i need

so if costs me $700 for the printer i would save myself that much in 20 cabinets.. which is only 4 weeks..

of course those are just made up numbers but i think you get the point


thanks to the people who actually try to help me with this
 
your best bet is to find a local distributor and go and talk to them directly
theyre be able to advise you on the spot at the printers limiations and materials required.
they also be able to let you know waht might be better as far as solvent vs water
and you can better explain to then what you plan to do with it
your materials will be just as cheap from a local distrib/sign suppply and they will also be able to guide you better on what materials to use as well as upkeep and maintence

I certainly wouldnt rely on just buying something used from CL or something from China off ebay. at least without knowing what you were getting into.
otherwise it will end up as a very expensive paper weight.


But just to throw some real numbers at you on some real materials
inks usally run about $80per color so depending on whether your looking at a 4, 6 or 8 color printer you cant multiply $80 by that number to keep your printer stock and full of ink at ALL times. compsumption will vary ALOT depending on what your printing and how good your printing (quailty settings standard-good-best) for example
your vinyl for good stuff is about $220 per roll 54" and about $165 IIRC for 30"

poly laminated can be even more I think its around $400 a roll depending on mfg and texture
rolls are typically 50yds in most medias

then you got the adhesive for the cpos which come in sheets or rolls and those start for 3m brand around $475 and up

remeber you cant just go a buy alittle just cause you have a couple of cpos or sideart to run.
this stuff adds up pretty quick.
 
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How much is the printer? Can't find it for $700. Found it for $2500. How much is the ink? How much is the vinyl?

I can get the printer for $400 from a closed business...

I am currently researching it to make sure it will fit my needs. I was wondering about the different inks, papers, laminates.

I am getting some great information here and feeling like its something i could jump into for less than $2500 to get started.

if it dosnt work then oh well. Lesson learned

If it does then I can save a lot of time doing it myself is all. I want to do some custom artwork and play around... more of a hobby then a business decision i would say.

Thanks again
 
also youll need to know if you can direct print (meaning can you print directly from PS, Ai, etc.) or if youll need to buy addtioanl RIP software sometimes that could run you an extra $500+ unless it comes with it of course

since its water based youll have to buy a seperate laminator and laminate ALL prints.
HP does have there own line of materials as well in 36"
but not sure how they compare to say 3m
 
After owning a few different printers and having friends with printers the biggest mistake is getting a smaller one. ONLY go with a 54"... than maybe a smaller one later for smaller decal runs. But either way you have a lot to learn and it will cost much more than you think to get started, from buying rip software to buying your photoshop or designer software. Also getting a laminator (even though I dont have one yet and Ive had my own business for 5 years now). A friend of mine bought a large 54" Roland printer for $3500 (thought it was a great deal) until he got it home and found out all the print heads where damaged from the moving process (you have to properly lock up print heads and setup printer specifically for moving). That set him back about $4500 in damage. And the biggest issue of all is you might be able to become pretty popular locally but unless you find a niche in the market online you will have some tough competition, not to mention a shit ton of printers. I went from sometimes doing 15k a month on ebay 4 years ago to only doing 4k a month now because of all the printers out there doing the same thing. Do what you need to do, don't let anyone tell you that you can't, but also do your research to make sure it's something you will actually be able to pull off and succeed in it. :)

EDIT: and I am not trying to make this a post to steer you away, owning a printing business can be really fun and if you dont have to get to much in debt it can be just a fun hobby instead of a business
 
Also important to note that the hp model mentioned is an office automation printer. It is not designed for signs or real art but rather for printing out PowerPoint all big and stuff and welcome to the team gifs :). The quality of the result will be right in line with the price point. Those printers have really bad banding issues even when working awesome and the inks are not uv fast meaning they will fade quickly.
 
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