john!

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Posts posted by john!

  1. Posted

    This really is just for my self.

    How much do you charge guest?

    To be honest, every job is custom. I don't have a set price as each job entails different aspects. Get a template and the design together and shoot me a message to get something going  :)

  3. Posted

    I always cover, remove & replace vinyl on my laptops (I have 7) with pretty much any vinyl and never end up with a sticky mess. I even covered my XBox and Google Pad...

    What material do you print on and such?

    I would like to be able to do the same thing, Laptops, Xbox, Phones, etc.

    I wouldn't print anything like this on a home inkjet printer and sell them. It's better to do it right the first time then hoping what you have works out to be honest. All you need to do is get the templates sized up and send to me for printing. I do them all the time for a few people.

    Trying to keep that Roland fed huh? :)

    Can't blame you however at 99 cents plus S&H a pop on eBay I didn't see much benefit in perusing this market.

    I've been very busy with my Roland lately. Doing wall vinyls cut to shape, cut to shape decals and alot of banners. I printed about 135 square foot of wall vinyls today and 80 square foot of banners last night.

    Just trying to help my fellow members out cause i know how it is not being able to expand with limited resources.

    Ebay doesn't scare my to go into markets, I make custom products for customers, not cookie cutter products :)

  4. Posted

    I always cover, remove & replace vinyl on my laptops (I have 7) with pretty much any vinyl and never end up with a sticky mess. I even covered my XBox and Google Pad...

    What material do you print on and such?

    I would like to be able to do the same thing, Laptops, Xbox, Phones, etc.

    I wouldn't print anything like this on a home inkjet printer and sell them. It's better to do it right the first time then hoping what you have works out to be honest. All you need to do is get the templates sized up and send to me for printing. I do them all the time for a few people.

  5. Posted

    I am wanting to do some skins for laptops.

    What vinyl can I print on?

    Can I use my standard Inkjet Printer from HP?

    I assume after it prints then you would use frogjuice or something on it to seal it?

    Any help would be awesome!

    Thanks!

    You need something with a removable low tack adhesive. I have some in stock I've been doing skins on for a while for laptops.

    If your interested i can print your skins full color and you wouldn't have to worry about anything. I have a 30" eco-solvent Roland printer.

    Message me if i can be of further assistance.

  7. Posted

    the sign expert has free sign and vinyl pricing

    Yeah and an xacto knife and a roll of vinyl can make you a sign maker but doesn't mean you should use it lol The sign expert is a free online calculator but again it's all over the board with pricing because where is the factor to figure in your material cost? There isn't.

    Give the guy some credit, you all ask for pricing help including myself from time to time and he is offering his estimating software to help you make money. $200, 300, even $1000 is NOTHING if it helps you make profit.

    I will be waiting for a trail and see how it goes. I have used 2 other sign pricing softwares and do not care for them so yours could be my calling.

    I'll stay tuned  :D

  8. Posted

    Yeah doubt I'll be trying this one

    May I ask why....?

    I really appreciate you putting this software on the market but i wouldn't simply because there is no trial. Most softwares come with a 7, 15 or 30 day trial so you can see if it is for you before buying it. I'd like to see a trial before buying this personally.

  9. Posted

    Hi all,

    I have been reading this for awhile now and I am going to put my 2 cents in...

    I am in the printing business and have been associated with printing for 25 yrs now. I went into business for myself (FINALLY) a little over two yrs ago. In the beginning some 25 yrs ago I worked for a mom and pop who finally sold out to corp America. The mom and pops business model is what Kept them in business and what I use today and it might apply here.

    I would rather have 200 customers that I make a $1 off of than have 1 customer I make $200 on. If I lost 1 of the 200 customers I only lose $1, on the flip if I lost the 1 $200 dollar customer I have LOSt everthing...

    I run my business this way, I make a living on everthing I do while my competition trys to make a killing on everthing they do...Using this philosophy I have grown my business over the last 2 yrs a total of 38%...20% of the total is just this year while the economy is in the toilet. I have hired 2 new employees because of the growth and even though the competitions out there I am expanding next year with a complete system, Mutoh 64" printer, 64" Graphtec cutter and a 64" Laminator.... I understand what harmfulgraphics is doing I think, Spreading out the profit only making  a living on each project NOT a killing... Using this business model works even in high competition areas ...KILL em with good service, high quality product and MAKE A LIVING ON EVERYTHING you do...Let the competition keep sending you the customers because of thier high prices.It's working for me and I think for harmfulgraphics too..

    Just my 2 cents...

    Stetson5331  

    I totally understand making something rather than nothing but $30 shipped for 500 stickers is suicide in business. None of us here that i know of are a big high volume company so those low prices mean nothing. Well they do mean something but i doubt your going to be able to do strictly printing because your not going to make anything hardly. Most here don't realize the VALUE that custom products give customers, Rather they want to shoot out a price from the air and hope it makes them a profit. To each their own but if your going to be in business, do it right or don't do it at all.

    I for one, do everything in house and have hands on every order that goes through my company. The big high volume places who charge hardly anything are gang running jobs on million dollar machines so they can cram in lets say 50 $20 jobs at a time. We on the other hand cannot and i don't see why some are trying to here because it's simply not going to be doable.

  10. Posted

    Ok, so there has been a few comments that the price I shot for these small decals was too low.  Maybe my ideas are wrong but I figure if I can get enough jobs to keep my printer running and knock out a five hundred dollar profit at the end of the day, it's still a five hundred dollar day (no, I'm not doing that much every day).  With that in mind, with this last price quote, no one is busting my door down to get things printed.  So was that too low and scared people off or was it too high (I really don't think it was too high)?  Either way it comes out to $2.88 per sq. ft. ($1728 per day) and honestly I'd love to run my printer ten hours a day all week long at that price.  No labor, no install.  Print, cut, ship.

    As I said, maybe I'm wrong.  What do I know?

    Harm

    Your way of thinking is mature & realistic ... especially with the economy in the tank . Your business will have a much better chance of surviving & doing well . They said the same thing about Home Depot when they started in business  ( especially Hechinger's ) Hechinger's is a memory & Home Depot is thriving . Many companies , especially bigger companies give away , sell cheaply or sell at a loss in order to get customers . That is what you are doing IMO ... selling cheaply in order to stay in business . I practice the sound mindset you have & have stayed in business . I have changed directions & business types when that business got far too competitive or not needed as much . Vinyl cutters used to be the " new wonder " . What cost $10K 30 years ago can be had for under $500 now . Printers became the " new wonder " with all the color options & ease . Now with printers getting cheaper & more affordable for the average Joe , the competition level is immense . I have read in the back of Sign Magazines , printed banners @ $1.50 per square foot . Everybody likes " gravy " , but it is the " meat & potatoes " that pay the bills .

    ok that's scary, even i agree with the both of you!

    My business runs on word of mouth, low prices and business is good :D

    Better to do what you can to keep the doors open then live by someone elses ideas and go out of business

    True but $30 shipped for 500 stickers no matter the size is outrageous.

  12. Posted

    Ok, so there has been a few comments that the price I shot for these small decals was too low.  Maybe my ideas are wrong but I figure if I can get enough jobs to keep my printer running and knock out a five hundred dollar profit at the end of the day, it's still a five hundred dollar day (no, I'm not doing that much every day).  With that in mind, with this last price quote, no one is busting my door down to get things printed.  So was that too low and scared people off or was it too high (I really don't think it was too high)?  Either way it comes out to $2.88 per sq. ft. ($1728 per day) and honestly I'd love to run my printer ten hours a day all week long at that price.  No labor, no install.  Print, cut, ship.

    As I said, maybe I'm wrong.  What do I know?

    Harm

    My best suggestion would be if you are asking if that price was too low or high you need to do some numbers and figure it out. Just because your doors not busting down doesn't mean you need to adjust your pricing. Word of advice, you have a expensive print/cut machine, learn to price your jobs with facts instead of unrealistic numbers out of the air.

  13. Posted

    yes i know printed, but you still gotta take away excess, in essence weeding, then cutting. i have a printer too and you still have to weed then out, albeit is normally one pull

    Heck yes printing is easier and faster to an extent but there is more VALUE that some people just do not realize. I didn't mean to come off the wrong way but i have alot of respect for the sign industry as many know.

  16. Posted

    If it's just one or two color I don't think I would print it.

    Jay

    Exactly, Just because you own a printer doesn't cancel out good ol' cut vinyl jobs.

    I have received the check and ordered the materials today for it. I'll let everyone see the outcome in about 2 weeks since the Holidays are taking up some time.

  18. Posted

    You guys should concentrate more on YOUR biz instead of bashing people for not charging someone.

    If you take care of YOUR customers they won't hesitate of paying what you charge, if you're scared of others pay more attention on how you conduct business.

    I'd rather a guy in my town to do stuff for free instead of charging 10 times less than me, and I don't make money out of this, just a hobby for me at this time.

    This guy was just showing what he did using what he learned here, because, STILL, there's people not fearing the other guy and don't mind sharing what they know.

    Now you can go keep downloading vectors from the web and selling stickers like they were YOUR creation.

    lol

  21. Posted

    Hey guys, I have a customer wanting their logo 26" x 20' applied onto their wall inside their fitness center.

    I haven't checked out the wall personally but i was wondering how i should do this job the easiest.

    It's 20' so i will use 30" Oracal 631 material. Should i do it in 3 or 2 sections? How are you guys handling seams on big installs like this?

    Also, Can i use medium tack r tape or do i have to use the oracal ht55 tape for the 631?

    Thanks!

  24. Posted

    In all reality 651 would do fine on this job but on vehicle lettering i always try to do cast vinyl if i can. I've used 6 year vinyl on many jobs with ZERO issues in 5+ years now. Jobs with rivets need cast no questions asks and jobs with curves / indents need cast as well.

    If your using a fresh roll on this job i would go for cast though since it would just be fixed into the price with your mark up on the materials anyway. Use Avery, 3M or Oracal vinyls, don't waste your time with shinerite and other no name brands you can't even find much info on.

    This job i would be at $500-$650 installed using cast vinyl + any travel time if it's not dropped off at my shop. Shouldn't take anymore than 3 hours to install it.