karkess

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Posts posted by karkess

  4. Posted

    KoupSquad...Hmmm. I have one of those. Ever make your way onto forteforums? I know your screen name from somewhere. Anyways cutting is highly addictive as is the many different directions you'll want to go. It's like an array of drugs you want to try each and every one at least once. I started with vinyl signs and decals, now I'm into auto graphics and tinting. My area is saturated with sign shops, but not many good graphics and tint shops. I think I'd rather mess with cars anyways.

    IMAG0852_zps123f8904.jpg

  6. Posted

    This I promise you, it wasn't the tinter that was off.  The tint follows the curve of the windshield, where your decal doesn't.  The driver's side is closer to the roofline than the passenger side.  If you arched your graphic to match the arch of the windshield it would look a lot better.  I made the same mistake.  Of coarse, I got sick of the relentless noise the wipers made every time they ran across my graphic, so I just removed it.  That being said, your graphic itself look great, as does the application, good job!

  8. Posted

    ^^^Great advice!  In Michigan we have awful tint laws, so I plan on capitalizing on them.  I'll tint your front windows, you pay me $40 at the time of purchase, I give you an insurance policy.  If you get ticketed, come in and I'll remove your tint.  Get your ticket signed off on and come back and I'll reinstall it.  I'm out a few minutes labor and $7 material, and most people will never use it and it's money in my pocket.

  10. Posted

    I'm going to start off hand cutting.  And then if justified, I'll have to upgrade my plotter and subscribe to software.  As for the laws.  Up in Michigan, our laws suck, but everyone ignores them and does what they want and for the most part the police leave you alone. 

  14. Posted

    I was curious if anyone here is tinting automotive windows?  Living in a large urban area, there is a sign shop every mile and those damn Sign a rama shops with their big fancy vinyl printers!  Everywhere! 

     

    So while I won't turn down a sign job, matter of fact I have one for next weekend, I am trending towards window tinting.  There are far fewer shops, and less quality shops.  I found an awesome tint supplier and about 2 grand later, I'm waiting for tools and tint.

     

    I've actually got about 5 cars lined up starting in a couple weeks, and one person I just met, works for Collex collision and is willing to send me customers and have me tint cars for them, and possibly graphics as well.  Oh!  And I've found that most tinters are using Oracle transparent film to tint head lights and tail lights.

     

    I'm just curious if anyone else is taking this route, and how you've done and what types of marketing you've done.  I've joined a tinters forum and the people there range from nice to nasty, seem like there are a few prima-donna's there.

     

    Thanks

  18. Posted

    I have my personal g-mail, but use my own webmail server for the business.  I do think it offers the appearance of professionalism, I don't have a store front, so anything I can do to make me seem more legitimate.  That and having llc at the end of my name.  Perception is everything when it comes to a customer, or at least to this customer.  I know when I hire anyone to do something, it helps to have a website or facebook and at the very least a non-gmail/yahoo email.  Because if I don't know you, I need to know that there is something more tangible than your word, and those simple things lend legitimacy to a business in my eyes and while that person might be a scammer, it seems less likely if they went through all the trouble setting those up, and it leaves a trail to follow, should the person be a scammer.

  19. Posted

    I go to local gas stations and party stores with popular samples and tell them, I will supply everything and set up the display, sell them for X amount, keep X amount for yourself and I get the rest and I'll keep them stocked.  Most places are receptive, because it's nothing out of their pocket and all they have to do is collect the cash and pocket their part. 

     

    Oh!  The most important part, is to make sticker labels that I affix to the backing that has installation instructions and my contact info to order custom stuff, as well as other services that I offer.

  22. Posted

    I had to layer vinyl today and I've had issues in the past, while lining up the registration marks, getting too close to and the marks sticking together and lifting off the backing paper, before I ever got a chance to line them up properly. 

    I don't know if anyone else does this, but today I put a dab of dish soap on my finger and coated the bottom layer registration marks with a thin coat of soap and was able to slide it around and had no problems with them sticking together, and when I squeegeed them they adhered to each other just fine.  Just a tip that worked for me.  Hope it helps someone.

    • Like 2

  23. Posted

    OMFG!  This is crazy!  I just tried again with Oracle vinyl and it's been sitting there for about a half hour now and the application tape is back to full stickiness, but the vinyl is still pulling off!  I don't understand what's going wrong.  I followed the directions, spray, squeegee, wait 90 secs, spray app tape, squeegee and peel off tape.

  24. Posted

    I must be doing something wrong.  I've tried two different types of application fluid, rapid tac and some stuff my local sign supply company sells and no matter how long I wait or how wet I get the paper application tape, it always pulls the decal off.  I've got an install on a business door coming up and I really need to get this figured out before then.  I am using greenstar vinyl to practice with and greenstar medium tack application tape.

  25. Posted

    I'm looking for a "Cheap" reusable stencil material.  My daughters is having a baby and wants to paint bows all the way around the room.  I tried to get her to just let me cut a bunch she could stick, but she wants to paint them.  Does anyone know of a way I can do this cheaply?  I have an SC cutter and was thinking some kind of card stock, or mylar drafting film.  Please let me know what you've done for similar types of jobs.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Karl