bid question?????

[godstrong1 2]

i need to bid a job for this lady. she wants a banner that measures 8'x3' and she wants single color (red) lettering.what would you guys charge for a banner this size. i have to submit a bid as soon as possible. thanks guys

below is a sample of the banner!

NOW RENTING FOR VINYARD APPARTMENTS BANNER GARAGE.pdf

NOW RENTING FOR VINYARD APPARTMENTS BANNER GARAGE.pdf

[darkdan 3]

It would depend on what your local area prices are.

It would also depend on what your material cost is going to be.  Are you going to have to order in banner material?  A banner blank?

[BannerJohn 1,324]

the going price for a 3x8 in my area is about $120

[darkdan 3]

Maybe just sub out the banner making process, mark it up, and then make pure profit.  Unless you want to have to order in materials if you don't do banners often.  If you plan on doing banners, it's always good to have the stuff on hand.

[Guest fivestar]

the going price for a 3x8 in my area is about $120

That is exactly what I would charge, $5.00 sq ft is what I charge.

Maybe just sub out the banner making process, mark it up, and then make pure profit.  Unless you want to have to order in materials if you don't do banners often.  If you plan on doing banners, it's always good to have the stuff on hand.

Why sub it out?  Just order a banner blank that size and do the job.

[BannerJohn 1,324]

the going price for a 3x8 in my area is about $120

That is exactly what I would charge, $5.00 sq ft is what I charge.

Maybe just sub out the banner making process, mark it up, and then make pure profit.  Unless you want to have to order in materials if you don't do banners often.  If you plan on doing banners, it's always good to have the stuff on hand.

Why sub it out?  Just order a banner blank that size and do the job.

why didn't I say that? He ain't gonna get any practice practice practice if he subs as simple a thing as a banner out.

[darkdan 3]

I mentioned a banner blank, but it depends on what his cost is going to be.  Depending on where the blank is ordered from it could be $15 to $20, but if it has to be shipped it may end up being $30 to $40.  Add in pre-mask and vinyl and the all important time.....

Considering there's places on ebay that can deliver a premade banner to your door for under $50, subbing it out may be an option if you don't plan on doing a lot of banners or aren't spreading out the shipping costs on a banner blank with other items.

Of course, when you sub it out then you're at the mercy of whomever is making to deliver on quality and on-time.

It's just another option to consider.

If it were me, I would order a roll of banner material, hemming supplies, and a grommeting kit (strike it with a hammer).  This way you're set for next time and making banners will be cheaper in the long run than ordering blanks.

[BannerJohn 1,324]

I get banner material, 13oz reinforced,one side glossy, for .15 cents a square foot. The hem tape adds .07 cents per foot. I have a grommet machine not a hammer kit and the grommets are about 0.06 cents each. That's $5.74 for a 3x8 banner. It takes me 20 minutes to hem and grommet it.

I can buy the same banner,hemmed and grommeted, for $12 and I get 10 shipped for $14. That's a little over $13 per blank.

I order pre-made in the standard sizes 10 at a time, and save the raw material for special sizes and rush jobs.

Once you start getting banner business, you will determine what sizes you need the most of. I sell more 2x8 and 4x8 than any other size...but a lot of 2x6 in the summer. Chrurches love that size for VBS and things like that.

If you're gonna be in the sign biz, you better learn how to do banners...that's what will pay your rent.

[darkdan 3]

That's exactly what I'm saying.  Making your own is going to significantly reduce your cost.

However, if you're buying one blank and have to have it shipped, for a very small amount more you can have it finished and save yourself some time.

[BannerJohn 1,324]

SInce I don't have a huge building,and get very few calls for colors, I only stock white and yellow in raw. When I need colors, I just add the shipping onto the cost of the banner. I have yet to have anyone complain. In fact,they EXPECT to pay extra for colored banners. Since I get my colors from Atlanta,shipping is usually $12 for one or 10..it's the same. When I tell people that they can get a second banner,same color,for less,they always jump on it. So I sell two banners instead of one. I sell a surprizing amount of pink banners to just one customer in particular.

Oh,crap. I just got the OK for a 3x20 banner. I had priced it high hoping they would pass. There aren't enough hours in the day. But that illustrates why I keep raw here..no waiting.

[darkdan 3]

Grommet machines are nice, but I don't think he's going to drop $260 for his first banner just for the grommet machine.

But Fellers does have a grommet kit and it even comes with 24 pairs of grommets.  Just FYI for those that want to grommet themselves.

[icegraphix 0]

i charge $150 in chicago area especially if you had to design yourself.  You can get the banner for $20 bucks or less w/ grommets then 5 yards of vinyl at $40 and then you are golden.  If you are going to sub, take their price and multiply by 1.5.  You get it for $100 then w/ mark-up sell for $150.

[BannerJohn 1,324]

Grommet machines are nice, but I don't think he's going to drop $260 for his first banner just for the grommet machine.

But Fellers does have a grommet kit and it even comes with 24 pairs of grommets.  Just FYI for those that want to grommet themselves.

I wasn't saying that he should. I was just saying that I had one.

Also,you can get grommet kits all over the place,including Harbor freight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=30037

[kenimes 42]

Oh- and by the way....

USCutter sells banner blanks now, and we just got our first shipment in of grommets and grommet machines!!

Woot!

[BannerJohn 1,324]

well,you can certainly count on me for grommets! I just bought 1000 sets and that should last a few months. Are they listed yet?

[kenimes 42]

Looks like they got them listed, but no pictures yet.

http://www.uscutter.com/2-Self-Piercing-Grommets-bag-of-500_p_206.html

[godstrong1 2]

thanks alot guys for the quick responses i sold the job and got more work out of it ill post pics of the banners when they are done, we made some changes to the banners. you guys are awsome!

[kenimes 42]

thanks alot guys for the quick responses i sold the job and got more work out of it ill post pics of the banners when they are done, we made some changes to the banners. you guys are awsome!

[godstrong1 2]

oh!

one more thing. is there a certain vinyl type i should use for banners? and should i do wet application or dry? thanks again.

[BannerJohn 1,324]

good quality calendared vinyl is all you need. CAST for a banner is overkill and a waste of money.

I do glossy banners wet..always. Some banners substrates you can do dry but I always do a test first.

In your case,if you haven't had much experience,doing them wet is fool-proof. I can't think of a single good reason to do dry and take a chance.

[godstrong1 2]

thanks for the info john! that helped

[Rodger 527]

good quality calendared vinyl is all you need. CAST for a banner is overkill and a waste of money.

I do glossy banners wet..always. Some banners substrates you can do dry but I always do a test first.

In your case,if you haven't had much experience,doing them wet is fool-proof. I can't think of a single good reason to do dry and take a chance.

Thanks for the good advice John !!!  Taking advantage of your experience & knowledge sure beats learning the hard way  . I do some decals dry , but it is VERY hard  ( actually impossible IMHO ) to limit the air bubbles no matter how I squeezee . Every once in a while , I have to peel the new decal off with a heat gun to start again . Is it harder to peel decals off of banners than vehicles ? Like you have said ... a no brainer & fool-proof to do them wet no matter what the experience level is .

I really like what it says when I preview my post ! . It says " fetching preview... " I use the word fetch some , but have not heard many others use it .

[BannerJohn 1,324]

Yes,Rodger, it is a lot harder doing dry than some people would have you believe.

As for removing from banners...it all depends on the banner material. If it is very smooth and glossy, it doesn't come off easily. And when it does, it usually leaves the adhesive residue. Some banner material is a bit more textured and the vinyl will come off fairly easily if you don't wait too long. With pressure sensative adhesive, after a period it bonds with the substrate...as it was meant to do.

Thanks for swallowing your pride and admitting that you get bubbles. Most people will and the newbees need to be aware of it.

[darkdan 3]

Everyone is new at one point, but through practice anyone can master the dry application technique and not get bubbles.

It does take some practice, but it won't take years and people won't go broke doing it.  Once they've mastered it, they'll save time and money.

I have faith that if someone tries it, they'll be able to get the hang of it rather quickly if they give it an honest try.  I don't try to put fear into them, I try to encourage them to get out of their comfort zone and improve themselves.

[BannerJohn 1,324]

I've seen people with YEARS of experience get bubbles...one thing I have never seen, is someone who did it bubble free every time.