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hey guys just a newb from MT here.  I am looking into getting a cutter to make windshield banners. For myself and my club.  I am really only intersted in automotive appliactions.

 

What machine and software would you all suggest?  I am computer literate and used to programs like Corel, Photoshop, etc.

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for a value cutter look at the sc series - if you want ot step up to a servo motor unit that is smoother and quieter look at the titan2 or 3 - then the top of the line in my book the graphtec - depends on your budget and how much you think  you will use it

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Thanks for the response.  I am trying to stay fairly cheap.  Honestly I dont know how much I will use it.  I am usually pretty good about drumming up business for stuff so its hard to say.  I can probably find a way to get $500-$1,000 for machine and materials to start.  Is that enough?

 

I do know that I want a Servo motor for the fine details.   I am okay with paying more for something that is quality and will last with little input from me for years.

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the titan3 table top is only 649 but that really limits you on width - if you don't plan on doing anything bigger then here is that one

http://www.uscutter.com/Refurbished-TITAN-3-ARMS-15in-Table-Vinyl-Cutter

  but betting you will want the 24" capability real soon

skip the starter packs and get the vinylmaster software - putting more money into the hardware now will be your biggest leg up - order just the colors as you need them - with cars a start of white black and red is safe and for window banners the oracal 651 is a very solid choice - along with some app tape , a squeegee and off you go

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So what youre saying is I should just bite the bullet and buy the Graphtec CE6000-60 so I can have 24" cutting surface and be able to do most things...

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somewhere I must have had another typo= oracal 651 is what i ment  and the graphtec is what the majority of old timers end up with - we have some dedicated titan, roland  and summa fans on here but the graphtec owners dwarf them  

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punched is for the old tractor feed plotters like the old gerbers - it doesn't hurt anything to run it thru the pinch feed machines just not necessary

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somewhere I must have had another typo= oracal 651 is what i ment  and the graphtec is what the majority of old timers end up with - we have some dedicated titan, roland  and summa fans on here but the graphtec owners dwarf them  

 

So the Titan2 will work just as well as the Graphtec CE6000-60?  Im putting together a shopping cart haha.

 

What backing tape do you suggest? Oracal as well? Im nipping at $1,000 with 3 colors, the Titan, and the color chart.

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Hello and Welcome.

 

I don't know much about the Titan or the SC cutters. 

 

I bought a used Summa D60 for my first cutter 8 years ago and I'm still using it.  I've been happy with it and only had to replace the power supply which I found on eBay for $26.00. 

 

I use 951 Oracal vinyl for most everything.  I live about 1 mile from a vinyl supplier and they sell it by the yard so I don't need to have a big supply on hand.

 

Once you get your cutter and word gets out that you are making decals you'll start to get busy.

 

Photoshop won't help out much for cutting vinyl but Corel will you need to make vector  files so just export as a EPS file.

I use Flexisign for my design and cutting program.

 

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try the RTape ApliTape 4075 -  for app tape - stay away from the clear stuff as it will not do the curves as well and isn't comparable if someone wants to use the wet application method .   I used a titan 2 for a couple of months and it worked very well - I still prefer my graphtec but for the money the titan2 is hard to beat and does a great job

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Hello and Welcome.

 

I don't know much about the Titan or the SC cutters. 

 

I bought a used Summa D60 for my first cutter 8 years ago and I'm still using it.  I've been happy with it and only had to replace the power supply which I found on eBay for $26.00. 

 

I use 951 Oracal vinyl for most everything.  I live about 1 mile from a vinyl supplier and they sell it by the yard so I don't need to have a big supply on hand.

 

Once you get your cutter and word gets out that you are making decals you'll start to get busy.

 

Photoshop won't help out much for cutting vinyl but Corel will you need to make vector  files so just export as a EPS file.

I use Flexisign for my design and cutting program.

 

I am looking at rates... People really pay this much for stickers?!?!  I mean I guess they arent the small stickers, but I am looking at the bumper sticker type that I get when i order loads of parts, that is a vinyl cut unless I am highly mistaken and it would cost me $3 to make a 3 inch by 12 inch sticker... Thats just material...  Id have to charge like $7.25 according to this calculator.  That just seems kinda crazy.  I mean people give those stickers out.  Am I missing something?

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I am looking at rates... People really pay this much for stickers?!?!  I mean I guess they arent the small stickers, but I am looking at the bumper sticker type that I get when i order loads of parts, that is a vinyl cut unless I am highly mistaken and it would cost me $3 to make a 3 inch by 12 inch sticker... Thats just material...  Id have to charge like $7.25 according to this calculator.  That just seems kinda crazy.  I mean people give those stickers out.  Am I missing something?

think you are comparing cut vinyl to printed - printed decals are cheaper to produce - especially in several colors.  there is more work involved in cut decals but the color goes all the way thru and has proven over the years to be very very durable - printed has different ranges of durablity depending on the 6 month water based ink stuff to 3+ years for solvent or latex unlaminated and 6+ years laminated.  then there is the foil film printers that with clear coat last very well.  you can't compare the pricing between the types the foil printed is the most expensive with the cut probably next = then drop down a little to printed and lamianted on solvent/latex and finally the cheapest is the solvent no lam.   now to do the printed you are looking at close to $8-13K for a 20"-30" machine

or even cheaper are the press printed on high speed machine that is produced in the thousands of decals at a time for pennies compared to the rest - but that isn't a do it out of a small business type of set up.  makes sense though for someone like sunoco that produces several thousands to give out free

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I am looking at rates... People really pay this much for stickers?!?!  I mean I guess they arent the small stickers, but I am looking at the bumper sticker type that I get when i order loads of parts, that is a vinyl cut unless I am highly mistaken and it would cost me $3 to make a 3 inch by 12 inch sticker... Thats just material...  Id have to charge like $7.25 according to this calculator.  That just seems kinda crazy.  I mean people give those stickers out.  Am I missing something?

I can get 11 cut decals out of a yard of 15 " wide vinyl.  a yard of 951 15" wide costs me about $8.95  if i divide 8.95 by 11 i come up with $0.81 per decal for the vinyl alone  I don't know where you are getting your vinyl but it seems you're paying $33.00 per yard.

 

 

 

You also mentioned that you want to make windshield banners.  they would cost more to make so you could charge more for them.

 

 

hey guys just a newb from MT here.  I am looking into getting a cutter to make windshield banners. For myself and my club.  I am really only intersted in automotive appliactions.

 

What machine and software would you all suggest?  I am computer literate and used to programs like Corel, Photoshop, etc.

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try the RTape ApliTape 4075 -  for app tape - stay away from the clear stuff as it will not do the curves as well and isn't comparable if someone wants to use the wet application method .   I used a titan 2 for a couple of months and it worked very well - I still prefer my graphtec but for the money the titan2 is hard to beat and does a great job

 

youre right at almost 1/2 the price it would be hard to beat.

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Maybe I messed up in my math...yup I did... I was using inches and forgot to change my yards to inches! 

 

$24.49 for a 10 yard roll of my color...  Equates to $0.0028 roughly per sq inch for the vinyl and $0.0009 per sq inch of app tape.  Total of $0.0037 sq inch cost or $3.22 per 24" wide 1 Yard long...   

 

OK thats MUCH better haha.   Cost me $1.12 to make a 4"x48" windshield banner then.  Ok I am getting how you guys can make a profit.  Math > me apparently tonight..

 

So I can pay for all of the gear I want to buy with 29 windshield banners if I am charging $40 per..  Seems to be the standard rate too.. I got it Thanks fellas!

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welcome    

 

 everyone will give you great info 

 but if your just using it for car windshields and rear windows 24" is over kill  .... seriously measure 2 ft down from the top of your window and you will be past the legal size for shield decals

i use a silhouette cameo its cheap loud and dows a great job   

Yes a more expensive machine would be faster and quieter  there is no arguing that   but there is no point bloawing a fortune and then you find out you spent all your monies on somethig to gather dust 

 AGAIN everyone has offered great advice   but id avoid a huge outlay for your first machine matey 

 

David 

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